SEATTLE — For the first time since September 2017, Seattle Sounders captain Osvaldo Alonso started. And for the first time in the 2018 Major League Soccer season, the Sounders won.
That’s no coincidence. “El Corazón” — the heart — is more than just a nickname. Alonso has been the lifeblood of the Seattle midfield for nearly a decade and will go down as the best defensive midfielder in MLS history.
Alonso’s stats speak for themselves. On Sunday in a 3-1 win over Minnesota United, he completed 56 of 59 passes (95 percent accuracy), won 77 percent of his duels, made five tackles and recorded five recoveries in 75 minutes. But his impact goes well beyond the box score. His presence alone is a massive boost to the entire squad.
“When [Alonso is] in there, there’s just a calmness about our midfield,” said forward Will Bruin. “He likes to connect from the back to the front and on the other side of the ball, he likes to get stuck in and throw some challenges. He’s one of those guys you love playing with. There’s a reason why he’s our captain, everybody leans on him.”
Ozzie Alonso fights for a ball with Darwin Quintero | USA Today Sports
Midfielder Cristian Roldan agreed. Alonso in as a defensive midfielder allowed Roldan to push farther up the field as a No. 10 and utilize his underrated offensive ability. He recorded two assists on Sunday, to Gustav Svensson on his golazo and Bruin’s left-footed one-timer, and felt comfortable enough staying higher up the field because of how confident he was in Alonso behind him.
“He’s very good on the ball, and I don’t think people appreciate that as much as they should,” Roldan said of Alonso. “Defensively, he’s a rock star. He’s our No. 6 and plays extremely well. His calm presence is felt within the team and you see at times how we can possess the ball because of him.
“He wants me to continue making runs and playing my game,” Roldan continued. “Obviously, having a guy like him defend for most of the game, it frees me up and is able to give me the chance to go forward and hopefully score a goal.”
Alonso’s return is a promising sign for the Sounders as the team continues to right the ship from the first six weeks of the season. Seattle has four points in its last two matches since Alonso debuted and things are trending upward as the team finds a rhythm in attack. With Alonso holding down the fort, expect the Sounders to continue to build momentum.
“I was excited to be back after a long time and to be back in front of our fans,” said Alonso. “I’m very happy to be back and play 75 minutes and to get three points.”
