Seattle’s depth has been tested the last two games, and they’ve largely passed. What does this mean for the upcoming Gold Cup absences?

By Toby Dunkelberg

A month ago Seattle’s attack was largely a two man affair with Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey being the only viable goal scoring threats. But things have changed for the Rave Green. Look no further than their game against FC Dallas on Saturday night as proof. Osvaldo Alonso, and Marco Pappa were entirely absent from the 18 while Brad Evans, and Obafemi Martins were limited to substitute appearances. In their place Andy Rose, Micheal Azira, Zach Scott, and newcomer Thomás got the start and were tasked with defeating the speedy Dallas side. The four filled in solidly, with Azira and Scott in particular standing out.

The two were tasked with stepping right into a league leading defense and played a large part in keeping Dallas’s speedy and dynamic playmakers scoreless. Scott was impressive right from the get-go, bodying Castillo and winning headers like he was just turning twenty five. Scott has continually played well in his irregular appearances for Marhsall or Evans. Micheal Azira started off slow and struggled a bit in the first half. But as soon as Evans replaced Pineda as his partner in the second half, Azira went into another mode and seemingly stole the ball back at will. In his second start since week four (coincidentally also against Dallas) Azira showed himself as a more than competent back up for Alonso.

Azira is just one of the many who’ve stepped up recently for the Sounders.

Andy Rose and Thomás were less impressive but were surely up to the average MLS level. Having those starting caliber options off the bench will be even more important for Sigi Schmid and the Sounders with the Gold Cup and it’s international call ups on the horizon. Seattle looks set to lose Clint Dempsey, Brad Evans, and Marco Pappa, all integral members of the starting eleven. Zach Scott has proven himself to be a more than capable back up for Evans, and a combination of Neagle, Roldan, Rose, and Thomás should be able to take over Pappa’s spot in right midfield.

Thomás was quiet during his first start, but over the course of the Gold Cup he’ll be seeing a lot of time on the field as Schmid rotates players through Marco Pappa’s vacant right midfield spot.

The only real question is how the Sounders will get by without Clint Dempsey. Neagle and Barrett have been the two tasked with filling in for the US captain so far. Neagle looks to be heating up as of late, with a goal and an assist against Dallas as well as two full consecutive games in a row. Barrett has a knack for scoring goals when really needed, but there’s little doubt that the loss of Dempsey will hurt the Sounders. But the real question is, how much will it hurt?

Clint Dempsey is currently tied for third in MLS in both assists (6) and goals (7). His presence draws the attention of defenders and lets the rest of the team operate with more freedom. That being said, he’s scoreless in his last five games, but he’s notched two assists which puts him in a tie with Neagle (one goal, one assist) and just behind Pappa (two goals, one assist). As of right now Pappa and Obafemi Martins look to be more integral to the Seattle attack, with Martins looking especially dangerous is recent performances. But then again this is Clint Dempsey, the man who can step up and dominate seemingly at will. Perhaps the reason he hasn’t gotten on the scoresheet recently is because he hasn’t needed too.

Dempsey seemingly pops into an out of form, so there’s no need to worry about any sort of slump, especially with the time off he’s gotten recently.

Regardless, the Sounders look set to weather the Gold Cup call ups, as Azira, Scott, Roldan, Rose, Barrett, and Thomás all look set to fill in for three empty slots. This means Sigi Schmid will be able to keep the hottest iron on the field in order to make sure the Sounders form doesn’t dip. And with their current stance at the top of the table, the Sounders have little to no wiggle room if they want to keep it that way.