Stamping his authority, Brian Schmetzer just changed Sounders FC club culture in 14 words

Prost Amerika – Celebrating a decade of soccer coverage

It was a disappointing afternoon for Sounders FC on Saturday. In a rematch of the greatest day of their history, Toronto FC visited the Emerald City. It was a chance for the reigning champions to show both their home fans and their defeated MLS Cup rivals what they could really do.

It was not to be. Toronto left the country with all three points and a small modicum of revenge care of a Jozy Altidore penalty after Roman Torres bundled him to the ground. If that was a pretty clear and unarguable decision, others were not.

Two more debatable decisions went Toronto’s way. In the 6th minute, Toronto goalkeeper Clint Irwin moved too slowly to stop an excellent Jordan Morris flick header off a Cristian Roldan free kick.

It would have been a great goal, reminiscent of one Tottenham’s Harry Kane scored at Wembley in the FA Cup semi final which received many plaudits. It also would have put the lie to the assertion that Morris has lost his ‘finishing touch’.

Sadly for him though, Gustav Svensson decided not to leave well enough alone. He had nipped into an offside position in the hope of getting a touch in case Morris’s header was not goalbound. His presence gained Sounders an advantage. Irwin hesitated, correctly waiting until the ball was past Svensson before diving. He was therefore too slow and late to reach Morris’ header.

Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer analysed the play and accepted the officials had applied the laws correctly:

“I watched the replay – the linesman was correct; the decision was correct. Gustav [Svensson] made a play on the ball and froze the goalkeeper. I don’t have any issues with that – the refs didn’t lose the game. At this club, we will never blame the referees for why we lose games. They have a hard job to do and they do their job to the best of their abilities.”

The more alert of you will have noticed that Schmetzer went beyond merely not contesting that decision. WAY beyond.

The following 14 words resonated:

“At this club, we will never blame the referees for why we lose games.”

In 14 words, Schmetzer may have have put his stamp on the club’s culture for years to come. A refusal to blame referees for losses has not always been the club’s policy. In fact, it is rarely any club’s policy. But now it is Seattle’s.

Prost Seattle Editor Steven Agen called his words a “definitive statement of club doctrine”. It is certainly true that you are now unlikely to find any other club employee countermanding Schmetzer’s policy from now on. That had never been General Manager Garth Lagerwey’s MO anyway, so there was never a risk there and it is highly likely that Lagerwey supports the doctrine even though there is no suggestion it comes from anywhere other than Schmetzer’s own values.

Further down the organisation, Schmetzer’s words will however have a definite impact.

It is now inconceivable that we will see a repeat of last season’s embarrassing Five critical referee decisions that have impacted the Seattle Sounders’ season article which appeared on the club website in 2016.

Coaches are rarely powerful or respected enough to make club policy, especially in their first full season, so why has Schmetzer stuck his neck out?

[Op-Ed: Sounders website blames refs for poor season]

The answer is surprisingly simple. He’s an honest man. One story from his time as coach of the USL side reveals just how straightforward he is. On September 20 2008, his side faced Vancouver Whitecaps in the club’s last ever regular season USL match.

It was highly competitive, Seattle was buzzing with MLS talk. Victory would have handed Seattle Sounders the Cascadia Cup, as well as given them a 3rd place finish, three above where they actually finished. With MLS on its way, Schmetzer was also keen to establish his credentials to get the top job when MLS arrived, or at least to bolster his case for a place on the new coaching staff.

After playing well and taking the lead via a Seb Le Toux goal inside ten minutes, Sounders looked in control. However in 13 disastrous minutes inside the second half, a catalog of inexplicable defensive errors from some of his more experienced defenders allowed Eduardo Sebrango, Justin Moose and Jeff Clarke to put the game out of Seattle’s reach. The Caps ran out winners 3-2 and their traveling contingent gleefully celebrated in their corner of Starfire with the trophy.

There were only three journalists covering the Sounders in those days and the first question was obviously along the lines of ‘what went wrong?’. The coach’s answer was quite stunning.

“I don’t know. You tell me,” Schmetzer replied. There was an awkward pause.

“Honestly, if you’ve got any ideas I’d be happy to hear them. I just don’t have any answers for you and I’ve certainly no excuses.”

Bear in mind that these were the words of a man desperately trying to establish his credentials for the big time that lay ahead. Still he had no self-serving words. He refused to blame the referee, the schedule, the weather or his players. He admitted he had no idea at that point. That level of honesty at such a pivotal time in his career is unusual and commendable. That’s who Brian Schmetzer is though.

Matt Massey was one of the other two journalists who heard Schmetzer’s answer that day in 2008. He recognises that quality as being part of the coach’s DNA and values:

“Coach Schmetzer was always candid even when he didn’t have all the correct answers, admitting as much when his team struggled at times. As a reporter, I could always count on Coach Schmetzer’s honesty. It’s who he is.”

That same man is now in a place to shape Sounders FC club culture. It will not be an easy task.

Under Sigi Schmid, blaming the referee was such a regular feature of the post-match presser that journalists felt obliged to play along and report. Sadly too many of us did exactly that, rather than questioning Schmid more deeply. We too bear some responsibility.

It may not have been all Sigi Schmid’s idea to make referee blaming such an integral part of the club culture. In 2010, a quite remarkable incident happened at one of his post game media press conferences.

Some owners choose to attend these conferences and some do not, but either way the time is allocated for the coach to face the media and is governed by the league’s rules on access.

To the room’s astonishment, then Majority Owner Joe Roth, though clearly not a member of the working media, put his hand up to ask a question. Schmid cringed immediately. Worse was to follow when Roth asked his question:

“Sigi just tell us what you thought of the referee and I’ll pay the fine.”

At that point, Adrian Hanauer too seemed to visibly cringe. Roth looked pleased with himself – the look of a man who feels he can break any rule as long as you’re wealthy enough to buy off the consequences. Schmid to his credit said as little as he could and tried to retain his dignity.

The story gives you some idea of the pressure Schmid was under to explain away every defeat in the face of a PR policy that churned out stories of the club’s own magnificence on a regular basis during that period, and an owner who demanded that the results fit the narrative.

Another story, this time anecdotal, claimed Roth had entered the locker room after a high profile friendly and lambasted the players and coach. After the Manchester United friendly, Schmid did not attend the presser for a full hour after full time, and when he did, he seemed shattered and had the look of a man who’d just been verbally shredded. Roth was seen hovering about in that area and at a time when you’d really expect owners to be mingling with the Manchester United owners.

These days are long over.

The more realistic and cerebral Hanauer is now the Majority Owner and the good humored but highly knowledgeable Lagerwey is the General Manager.

To complete the trilogy of circumstances that will allow Schmetzer the leeway to be honest with the media and fans, Sounders FC Communications is now in the hands of adults who understand the global game, notwithstanding the embarrassing article from June 2016 which was written by another department.

To Hanauer’s credit, he was the man responsible for making that change as soon as the Seahawks relinquished control of appointments.

Those 14 words or the Schmetzer Doctrine as Agen calls it, sum up the integrity of the man. But that is not to say Schmid would have acted differently in other circumstances. But Schmetzer did say them and that’s what matters now.

After the game, he could also have pointed to the penalty his side were denied. Benoit Cheyrou’s handball could easily have been given and identical incidents probably will result in a penalty on other days. Given that the game was lost on a penalty, this might have proved especially tempting for Schmetzer.

That the genial coach chose not to divert attention to that, merely serves to emphasize the honesty and bravery of his new policy.

If it spreads to other coaches and clubs, and the Schmetzer Doctrine becomes a league-wide policy, those 14 words will have cause to be remembered long after the result of the game. They will change the league for the better. Permanently.

Let’s hope this is the case and it is more than just the Sounders fans who have cause to be grateful to the honesty of Brian Schmetzer.

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Prost Amerika – Celebrating a decade of soccer coverage