CARSON, Calif. – There will be a new chapter written in the rivalry between the LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday when interim head coach Brian Schmetzer leads Seattle against Bruce Arena’s men.
The match will be Seattle’s first since mutually agreeing to part ways with former head coach Sigi Schmid, who held the team’s top job since their inception in 2009. Schmetzer is expected to serve as Seattle’s interim boss for the remainder of the 2016 campaign.
“Brian Schmetzer will become our interim head coach and we will begin a search to identify who will lead the players for the next several years,” Seattle general manager Garth Lagerway said in a statement announcing Schmid’s departure on Tuesday. “Stability and loyalty are hallmarks of this organization and it is incumbent upon us to reset the club and make good long-term decisions about our future in an effort to establish a championship contender.”
Given his Galaxy and L.A. soccer connections, Schmid was a well-known entity to Galaxy fans, but just who is Seattle’s new boss?
Schmetzer, 53, is a Seattle native with deep connections to the Sounders organization in Major League Soccer and in their lower division days. The interim boss served as Schmid’s top assistant since 2009, earning a 3-1-0 record in matches where he filled in for the dismissed manager.
Prior to his seven-and-a-half years as Schmid’s chief deputy, Schmetzer led the Sounders during their time in the USL days. Schmetzer’s sides won USL-1 championships in 2005 and 2007 in addition to advancing to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup semifinals in 2007 and 2008.
Although Arena has never faced a Schmetzer-run squad, the Galaxy boss expects Seattle to play with plenty of energy on Sunday.
“They’re going to be a team that plays with a lot of energy and enthusiasm in front of a big crowd,” Arena said.
