Sounders Part Ways With Handwalla Bwana Acquire Jimmy Medranda Prepare For Clash With Timbers

The Seattle Sounders lost the battle but won the war in the team’s struggles with wantaway midfield Handwalla Bwana. Wednesday afternoon officially announced the trade that sent Bwana to Nashville SC for Jimmy Medranda and General Allocation Money. The announcement came 24 hours before the club’s biggest game of the season. The Sounders (9-4-4 31pts) host the Timbers (9-5-4 31pts) Thursday Nigth ( 7:30 pm) at CenturyLink Field. The Sounders have a game in hand and hold the edge in goal differential.

SOMETIMES IT’S EASY TO SAY GOODBYE

Saying goodbye for the most part is never easy unless of course, it’s the proverbial by Felicia. The Sounder’s goodbyes with  Bwana were somewhere in the middle. Bwana was a local lad who made good and felt it was time to move. Players wanting more playing time and asking to move on is part of the business of professional sports. The general sense here is that Bwana demanded to be traded and who knows what actions he took to force the Sounder’s hand.  The Sounders Organization has always been about transactional loyalty. You take care of the club, the club will take care of you. This situation was the exact opposite.

“ We want players that want to be here and represent the club, “ head coach Brian  Schmetzer was quoted saying during a Zoom  Conference with local media.

You talk about a blindside? Schmetzer’s affiliation with the Sounders started in 1980 as a player. Except for a five-year break from 1983-1985 Schmetzer has been a player or coach for the Sounders. A player not wanting to represent the club had to be mortifying for Schmetzer.

MOVING ON

Only the Sounders and Bwana know what transpired. What we do know is that  General Manager Garth Lagerwey was called into action.  The result being the acquisition of  Medranda and potentially $250,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM)

We would like to thank Handwalla for his contributions to our organization, and we wish him success in the next step of his journey with Nashville,” said Garth Lagerwey. “We are pleased to welcome Jimmy to the club, and we look forward to working him into our squad as quickly as possible. “

Medranda is undergoing team physicals and once completed he will be handed over to Schmetzer and the coaching staff.

TIMBERS CLASH

 In the background is  Thursday Nights  upcoming match with the Portland Timbers for top spot in the Western Conference Standings.  During his Zoom call with  the media Schmetzer revealed his message to the younger players and the rest of the team.

“ The young guys have to understand and we have been bringing you guys up all along.  You are coming to play for the defending MLS Champions and it’s a big deal. The rivalry games notch that up. Without the fans, it’s not quite the same. I am trying to make sure before I leave that the legacy of the club, the high standards we set for the rivalries against Vancouver, and the budding one with LAFC are in tack.”

 Schmetzer had a slide in the backdrop showing assistant coaches  Gonzalo Pineda and Djimi Traore playing for the Sounders against the Timbers.

“ That is why I have this slide up I tell the players if you don’t believe me ask these assistant coaches and Tom Dutra who is the goalkeeper coach.”

  The France born Traore spent  eight years with Liverpool in the English Premier  League. In 2005 Traore was part of Liverpool EUFA Champions League title squad. Pinada was born in Mexico and earned 44 career caps for the  Mexican National Team and participated in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.  Dutra is a Northwest  goal keeping coaching legend having coached  Kasey Keller and Marcus Hahnemann among others.