Seattle Sounders' new number 10, Nicolás Lodeiro, has been named as the Etihad MLS Player of the Month for August. This has not come as a surprise to many as the new Sounders man took no time in settling into Major League Soccer and in August, has produced two goals and six assists in five matches for his new team.
Lodeiro hits the ground running
Just four days after arriving in Seattle, Lodeiro made his first-ever MLS appearance on July 31 against the LA Galaxy and his impact was immediate. The Uruguayan made the most of the space he was afforded by the Galaxy back line and showed exactly why the Sounders front office decided to bring him to Seattle. His passing accuracy was at 86% but what was most impressive about that statistic was that the majority of those passes were forward. There was also glimmers of the combination play that he and Clint Dempsey could strike up given more time (something they have now proven they are doing well). His play eventually led to the Sounders goal which Cristian Roldan scored but it was all Lodeiro, all match long.
The Sounders staff and fans were quick to state that they did not expect every match to be like his debut, but they must be delighted with how Lodeiro has continued to grow with each match and has now reached a good understanding with teammates.
Lodeiro continues to impress
After his debut, Lodeiro's impressive performances continued and he began to earn rave reviews for his performances in the Sounders' jersey. Lodeiro followed his debut with an outstanding performance in Orlando as he helped the Sounders, and Dempsey, overcome Orlando City with a 3-1 win. On the day, Dempsey grabbed the goals but Lodeiro was involved in two of those goals. Lodeiro got his first ever MLS goal against Real Salt Lake and got his second, a dramatic late equalizer against the Houston Dynamo, a few weeks later.
Although his August ended with a loss to Cascadia rivals, the Portland Timbers, Lodeiro was still a threat during the match and was at the heart for both of the Sounders' goals in that 4-2 loss to the Timbers.
Next up for Lodeiro
Lodeiro is currently on international duty with Uruguay for their World Cup qualifiers against Argentina and Paraguay. The midfielder will return from international duty on September 6th and could potentially be available for the Sounders' next match against the San Jose Earthquakes on September 10th.
The five Etihad Airways Player of the Month finalists are selected at the end of each month by the MLSsoccer.com editorial staff. The winner is then determined by a fan vote.