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Adrian Hanauer, Sounders GM
I had a chance to speak with Adrian Hanauer, the general manager and one of the owners of the Seattle Sounders, at halftime of Saturday’s 2-2 tie between the Colorado Rapids and the Sounders. He watched the game, wearing his Sounders scarf, from the press box and was quite animated. The game was 1-1 at halftime.
I saw you shaking your head and slapping the wall. What did you see that you didn’t like?
I think we were getting a little bit abused on our left side defensively, and it’s a little bit frustrating. I’m not sure the energy is out there tonight, and losing Osvaldo Alonso (a midfielder who left the game with an injury) in the first minute was a big blow to our team. He’s a big part of the motor in the midfielder. It’s frustrating, but we got a good goal from Fredy (Montero).
Might the heads be down a bit because the other Freddie (Ljungberg) is not here?
The other Freddie helps us. Brad Evans helps us. Zach Scott helps us. We’re definitely a club that’s a little banged up right now. And Freddie Ljungberg also brings that calm and experience to the pitch and can keep the guys on task. Not having all the pieces to the puzzle hurts.
Everybody knows about the success story that is the Sounders this year. What is something soccer fans don’t know about this team?
Maybe how well the team has come together in terms of chemistry and the heart of the team. There have been very few instances where the character, the heart, the passion would ever be in questions. Sometimes it’s hard to get that together quickly, where a team’s willing to run into a brick wall for each other. I think that part came together relatively quickly for us. We know we have good players, but that piece of it has been a bit surprising.
What do you see about the Rapids that you like?
It’s a good team, balanced. I like the pace on the flanks. Having Conor (Casey) up there is phenomenal. He’s a great presence up there. Omar (Cummings) has done well. It’s a good, balanced team. That’s part of what’s causing us fits out there. But I think we need to focus on ourselves and come out in the second half and do a good job of challenging for the three points.
What difficulties does it present for the Sounders having to play the same team in just a few days in the U.S. Open Cu?
It presents difficulties for both sids. As our numbers dwindle, maybe depth becomes an issue. Aside from that, I think both teams have the same advantages or disadvantages.
You were an NASL fan growing up. Any favorite NASL story you want to share?
I don’t know if i have a favorite NASL story, but those years were what cemented my love for the game. I was a kid, I guess I was a 5-, 6-, 7-, 8-year-old who started going to those NASL games and going to their soccer camps and going to their gatherings after the game collecting autographs and having those guys be my heroes and role models, that’s what created my passion for the game and my passion to try to do my small part to continue the process for the kids and fans of Seattle and bring a Major League Soccer team to Seattle and having it become a real meaningful part of the community’s lives, the way it was for me. I think I was probably so young that I was in awe of … but I do get a sense of the vibe and the love affair that the fans have for the team. So everything we’ve been doing is to try to make sure that we rekindle that. Sort of in the back of my mind I’ve got that feeling that I had as a kid and seeing the relationship between the fans and the players. We focus hard on keeping that alive.
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