Seattle, WA – In a move surprising to some, the Sounders lost their general manager and President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey to Atlanta United. Atlanta gains an executive that just this past season was awarded the Best Executive at the 2022 World Football Summit, while Seattle now must find a way to fill that hole during a critical offseason for the club. The Sounders were likely in position to retain their general manager, until a weekend offer with more power over a club was presented, and it was too good to pass up for Lagerwey.
The Sounders were already in an interesting position this offseason, and this move further complicates it (Photo by Melissa Levin)
Immediate impact
Seattle immediately has two holes in their front office to fill and loses an executive that was able to work a multitude of deals that kept their roster at the competitive level year after year. Atlanta immediately gets levels better due to this move, and the potential for their return to the sort of form that they saw in their first three years in MLS. The Sounders are in a key offseason, considering that there are important decisions to be made on aging players, trying to integrate their youth better in the upcoming campaign while also adding immediate impact. Having missed the playoffs for the first time in their MLS existence while also coming off a Concacaf Champions League victory, it’s a unique position for the club to be in. There is still plenty of talent on the roster and in the wings in terms of young talent, but potential missteps could derail the whole operation.
Head coach Brian Schmetzer will now be without Lagerwey, both spending lots of time building this club to where it is now (Photo by Liz Wolter)
Why it happened
A key aspect to note about the departure is that Lagerwey becomes the Chief executive officer with Atlanta, gaining large control over the club. That sort of oversight and effective decision making is something that he was likely not going to be able to obtain with the Sounders organization. In a head scratching twist to this story, Atlanta had not presented a paper offer to Lagerwey around the time that the Sounders held their Annual Business meeting. Seattle had presented their general manager with a significant offer to return to the club, but Atlanta was able to get a deal together over the past weekend and steal him from rave green hands. It makes total sense for Garth Lagerwey, but will he be the one that got away for the Sounders?
Who fills the void?
The Sounders very likely will promote someone from within to fill the shoes of Lagerwey, whether it just be for the time being or if it’s a permanent decision. Craig Waibel, Seattle’s Sporting Director and Senior Vice President of Soccer is the obvious choice considering the latter of his two roles. While it will be tough to replicate the person and executive that Lagerwey was and still is, Waibel was able to learn under the now departed GM since they worked together at Real Salt Lake. In addition to that, if we’re keeping with the sort of local theme, Waibel is native to Portland, went to high school in Spokane, and is a University of Washington graduate. When it comes to relative experience and local flavor, Waibel checks both boxes.
Fredy Montero is still in discussions with the club about returning (Photo by Melissa Levin)
The pieces in play
The Sounders are still a desirable club to be part of, with young talent still under contract (See Dylan Teves, Obed Vargas) and veterans that know how to win. The culture of winning is well established, the club’s stadium will be hosting World Cup matches in 2026, a new training facility is being built and the city they play in has some of the best sports fans in the country. At the same time, there is a bit of a puzzle to be fixed when it comes to the roster itself. Multiple veterans struggled in relation to their “normal” form. Adding contribution while managing the current cards in the deck is the issue at hand for whoever steps in to replace Garth Lagerwey, and that will be no easy feat.
Thank you to Jane G, Melissa Levin, and Liz Wolter for the photos used in this article. Thank you Jane, Mel, and Liz!
