Seattle Sounders 2024 Offseason Recap - Who is out?

Nicolas Lodeiro

Lodeiro is a legend for the Sounders fans, who consider him the best player ever to wear the club's jersey. He came to Seattle in 2016 from Boca Juniors, one of the most prestigious teams in Argentina. He led the Sounders to two MLS titles (2016 and 2019) and played a key role in the historic CCL campaign in 2022, where the Sounders made history being the first MLS team to conquer the trophy and represent the continent in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Lodeiro played for the Rave Green for eight years and made 217 appearances in MLS, scoring 49 goals and assisting 91 times in the regular season and the playoffs. He also participated in 231 matches across all competitions, with 58 goals and 95 assists to his name. Note that MLS counts both the final and the penultimate passes as assists.

Lodeiro had a tough 2023 season with Schmetzer's team. He was stripped of the team captain's armband by Stef Frei right after the Leagues Cup. That was also the turning point when he began to lose his place in the starting lineup. However, he still got some playing time in most of the games, usually coming on for Léo Chú on the left-wing."

Even before the end of the season, Lodeiro anticipated the announcement that his time in Seattle would be over. His contract with the Sounders was valid until the end of the 2023 season and there was no interest in renewing it, apperantly from the club's side. In the beginning of January, he signed with the Orlando City as a free agent.