Sounders decline options on Valdez, Friberg, Ivanschitz and 10 others
The Seattle Sounders announced Monday that the club has declined contract options on a number of its 2016 MLS Cup winning team, with 13 players not guaranteed to return to the club next season.
Notable names include Designated Player forward Nelson Valdez and midfielders Erik Friberg and Andreas Ivanschitz, as well as starting right full-back Tyrone Mears and other standouts like Herculez Gomez, Oalex Anderson, and Nathan Sturgis.
They are joined by Michael Farfan, Darwin Jones, Damion Lowe, Charlie Lyon, Jimmy Ockford, and Dylan Remick.
The club also announced it would be exercising the contract option on goalkeeper Tyler Miller, defenders Tony Alfaro, Oniel Fisher, Joevin Jones, and Roman Torres, midfielders Brad Evans and Aaron Kovar, and forward Victor Mansaray.
They will join goalkeeper Stefan Frei, defender Chad Marshall, midfielders Osvaldo Alonso, Nicolas Lodeiro, Alvaro Fernandez, and Cristian Roldan, and forwards Clint Dempsey and Jordan Morris as players under contract for the 2017 MLS season.
"I want to start by saying thank you to all of the players from our 2016 MLS Cup champions roster. Keeping this team together will be a work in progress, as roster constraints prevent us from retaining all of our deserving players," Sounders FC general manager Garth Lagerwey said in a statement.
"Conversations with several players are ongoing, and we will do our best to build a roster to defend our title next season."