When the Seattle Sounders square off against FC Dallas on Saturday in Frisco, Texas (5:00 p.m. PT; JOEtv, YouTube TV, KJR 950 AM, EL REY 1360 AM), they’ll be without the services of midfield maestro Nicolás Lodeiro, who is serving a one-match suspension due to yellow-card accumulation.
A dynamic, all-action No. 10, it’s difficult to adequately describe all of the qualities Lodeiro brings to the Rave Green. The Uruguayan loves to have the ball at his feet, often leading the team in touches and pass attempts, but he also possesses elite vision and technique, surgically dissecting opponents with a single pass.
There isn’t a like-for-like replacement for Lodeiro – who has eight assists on the season – anywhere in the league. It is possible, however, to replicate different elements of Lodeiro’s game with various personnel.
“Obviously you can’t replace everything that Nico brings, but we can replace it in a different fashion,” said Sounders FC Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “So, whoever we use in that No. 10 position, will do the best job they can. It will be a different look for the team.”
One of the leading contenders to fill Lodeiro’s shoes on Saturday is attacking midfielder Víctor Rodríguez, who Schmetzer mentioned is close to returning from a strained hamstring. Molded in Barcelona’s La Masia before plying his trade professionally in Spain’s La Liga, Rodríguez’s mazy dribbling, technical acuity and ability single-handedly unbalance opposing defenses as the No. 10 would help mitigate the loss of Lodeiro.
“Víctor is a very creative player,” said Sounders FC forward Will Bruin. “He likes the ball at his feet, likes to get on the ball. He wants to get on the ball like Nico likes to get on the ball, as well. If we choose to slide him in as the No. 10, I think that’s good for us because he’s very good in possession, very creative and he can create a lot of opportunities for us.”
Normally an inverted left midfielder, Rodríguez could line up as the No. 10 on Saturday
While Schmetzer certainly agrees Bruin’s assessment, the Sounders steward also floated the idea of pushing Cristian Roldan into a more advanced midfield role.
“If he plays there, Víctor certainly has a lot of the technical qualities that you need in a No. 10,” added Schmetzer. “He’s always game for playing in the little pockets on either side of the opponent’s spaces. So, I think he’ll be a choice.
“Cristian has played there as a No. 10 often. There, you get a little bit more power from that position. I would say Víctor is a little bit more similar to Nico, and Cristian will give us a little bit more work in there – work in the sense of power and being goal-dangerous, because Cristian can be goal-dangerous in that position.”
Roldan shares many physical qualities with Lodeiro, with his limitless running and ability to disrupt opposing team’s build-out play through precise pressing. Beyond the tactics, Roldan will need to shoulder some of Lodeiro’s leadership responsibilities in his absence, a task that Bruin believes the University of Washington product can fulfill with aplomb.
“You never question his work ethic,” said Bruin. “I think he’s a leader by example on this team. When you look at somebody you want to play with, Cristian checks all of the boxes for characteristics. I’ve seen him mature tremendously in the three years that I’ve been here.”
Replacing Lodeiro isn’t as simple as slotting a different player into the No. 10 role. But with Roldan in fine form and Rodríguez returning from injury, Schmetzer has several options that can help the team pick up a result in Dallas on Saturday.
