Selection Problems of the Good Type Part 1

Ianni Makes Life Hard for Sigi

June 15

A couple of weeks back, we asked Sigi Schmid whether the injury crisis that had enveloped Sounders FC made his life more difficult. His answer was somewhat surprising, “It’s harder when they’re all healthy. When they’re all healthy then you have to make decisions and they’re good decisions, as to who’s playing better. Sometimes when you’re making decisions during injury, it’s not about who’s playing better but who’s available.”

Now Coach has to make those tough calls. With only long-term injury victims Graham, Smith and Eylander absent, Schmid has as full a squad to select from as he has all season. However, not only does he have fit players, he has fit players in form.

Disappointing though the suspensions and injuries have been, back-up players such as Stephen King and Patrick Ianni have seized their opportunities with both hands, and in Ianni’s case his head too. It was Patrick Ianni’s fearless launching of his head at a corner kick that set up Fredy Montero’s goal opportunity against San Jose on Saturday, and he set up a similar opportunity for Tyrone Marshall earlier in the game. Not only that, but he appears to have worked very hard on the concentration lapses that hampered his performances before, and the combination of his ability to improve and his fearlessness has impressed many observers. They were already convinced by his natural ability as a footballer and his versatility; Patrick has played centre-half, defensive midfielder and right back already for Sounders FC this year. Now Ianni has added form and consistency to all that.

We asked him if he thought he had given the boss a selection problem: “I hope so. You know, I mean I want to be playing but I think we’re going to need a lot of guys this season so everyone’s gotta be ready at all times. If I get called on Wednesday, then you know I’m ready to rock and hopefully everyone is.”

None of this is an accident. According to Ianni, alertness and opportunism in the penalty box was a specific they had been working on in training.

Yeah, I was just trying to get my head on the ball. Hernandez did a good job marking me about all night. It was really tough to get a good—on that one I don’t even feel like I got a free header but I was able get just a head on it. We’ve been talking about it all week–being active and alert in the box, and Fredy (Montero) was that. I think it was Ljungberg who played a good ball and put it right where we want it, and we always got a guy going into that space, and he put the ball perfectly in there and I was able to get a head on it and Montero did the rest.

Sounders fans will appreciate this intervention greatly as the side has been less dangerous from set pieces than many would have liked. Against Chivas, countless corners and free kicks were dealt with way too comfortably by the Chivas defence. It seems that those days of set piece ineffectiveness ended on Saturday, and Patrick Ianni had a big hand, though not a big head, in that.

With Jhon Hurtado being available to return from suspension against DC United, Sigi Schmid will have one of those problems he likes so much.

Subscribe to Radio Sounders Show (The shows will download to your I Tunes automatically)

Commission an Award-Winning Prost Amerika Match Report for your child, school or team. Send us an email for further details.*
*Discount for Washington Youth Soccer Members. Perfect for a birthday present too.