End of an Era?
Danny Jackson Leaves Seattle Sounders
February 12
Danny Jackson
Danny Jackson, a native of Leeds, joined the Seattle Sounders in 2003 and was the club captain in the USL. A staunch and reliable centre-half, he formed half of a successful centre back pairing with Taylor Graham.
Danny led the side to the USL Championship in 2007. He made 113 appearances for Seattle Sounders scoring twice. Danny was an on pitch leader and his Yorkshire accent could often be heard reverberating around Qwest and Tukwila, berating and encouraging his team mates.
Leighton O’Brien – A Great Football Thinker
Leighton O’Brien was hampered last season by the injury crisis that affected the entire Sounders squad, especially the midfield. A creative and thoughtful midfielder, he returned to some magnificent form at the tail end of last season but it wasn’t enough to quite secure the USL championship for a battered side. With the arrival of a surfeit of creative midfielders including Freddie Ljungberg, it was always going to be an uphill struggle for Leighton to make the cut. Leighton has football in his blood, his father Fran played international football for the Republic of Ireland.
Despite this, Leighton’s roots were local, having been born in Tacoma and brought up in the Pacific Northwest. Leighton was always a joy to interview after matches. He stared behind you as he thought deeply before he talked, almost as if there were a virtual reality pitch in the distance and he was reliving every moment of the game as he interpreted the events that had just transpired.
22 year old Adam West didn’t get much playing time for the Sounders in recent months. Originally at the time the franchise was launched, there were eight places for developmental players on a 28 man MLS squad. To qualify for one of those, you need to be under 24. At that time, West’s prospects looked reasonable. However in MLS Chief Don Garber’s speech last year, structural changes were made to MLS squads. One of them was the reduction of the squad size to 24, with only four places reserved for younger players. This may have reduced Wests’ chances and many professed the opinion that he had done well to make it this far, with the competition for places being so tight.
Danny Jackson – Editor’s Special Comment
Danny Jackson lifts the 2007 USL Trophy
As many of you know, Prost Amerika began its life as a German-language tourist guide to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. In 2007, we covered the Sounders games in German only and counted Danny Jackson as well as Adrian Hanauer as our few Seattle-based readers. Danny’s mother is German and he speaks it fairly well when he has the chance. For that reason, we have always had a special affection for Danny and felt a greater than normal sense of joy when he lifted the USL Trophy in 2007. Recently we published a rare editorial advocating the case for his inclusion in the MLS squad. Sadly it was not to be but we remain convinced that a prominent career in coaching awaits this great motivator and tactically aware consummate professional.
We’d like to take this chance to thank Danny for the memories of that night in Tukwila in 2007, for all his years of service to Seattle Sounders and to wish him well in whatever profession or role he decides is right for him.
Read our interview with Danny conducted on February 29, 2008.
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