Sounders sign Amadou Sanyang

By Money Mike



Well I didn't see this coming at all, but there we're moves in the past years that were unpredictable, and I'm not the only one who didn't expect the Sounders to sign this dude, but if it happens, it happens. The Sounders earlier today just signed 19-year old Gambian midfielder Amadou Sanyang who was a free agent having had his option declined by Toronto FC during the offseason.

Sanyang began his career in 2007 with Gambian club Real de Banjul. He helped lead the club to the Gambian first division championship and was named the leagues top midfielder that year.

His play with the Gambian under-20 national team sparked interest among Major League Soccer clubs and in 2009, he was signed by Toronto FC. Because of the fact that he was 17 at the time, he spent five months with the TFC Academy before he made his MLS debut with Toronto on August 1, 2009 against the New England Revolution. In his first full season with Toronto, Sanyang made 13 appearances before suffering a concussion which forced him to miss the second half of the season.

This is what Sigi Schmid said about this kid. "Positionally, Amadou is a good fit for us because he can play either midfield or in the back. He's a good passer, a good defender, and can cover a lot of ground."


What I think about this move:

Personally, I'm a little surprised about this pickup because now the Sounders have reached their roster limit with 30 players on the team, and there was a rumor about Kyle Lafferty joining as a Designated Player. If that move came into place, that would mean one of the players on this team would have to pack their bags and head out.

I think this is an OK move, not because of what Sigi said about him because I don't know much about him, but because it provides more depth in the midfield and also defensively since we have been dealing with injuries in both areas. And hearing he can cover a lot of ground is good to hear. I think what the coaching staff should do when they get back to Seattle and start preping for the 2nd leg against San Francisco FC is to work with him in the attacking area, you know, start having him get in on the attack a little more, not really to score goals, but to provide an option, to set up scoring opportunities because it doesn't look like he's done much of that during his TFC stint.