Since Brian Schmetzer took over as head coach of the Seattle Sounders in July, the team has improved in numerous areas on both sides of the ball. Under Sigi Schmid, there was a distinct lack of creativity, and much of the blame fell to Austrian midfielder Andreas Ivanschitz, who was bought by the club last summer for his crossing ability and dangerous set pieces.
During the portion of the season in which Schmid was at the helm, the Sounders played a very cross-heavy system — either by design or not — that clearly didn’t work. The team hovered near the top of the charts for most crosses attempted in the league, with Ivanschitz occupying a similar position on the individual chart.