On the Ruidiaz and Nouhou Suspensions
Here's hoping this doesn't disrupt what needs to be a turning point
Yoooooooo we’re back bab—wait, what?
So, Raul Ruidiaz and Nouhou were both held out of training and are reportedly suspended for this weekend’s game after getting into some sort of disagreement with Brian Schmetzer following that euphoric 3-2 comeback victory over Dallas (news credit: Jeremiah Oshan and Niko Moreno).
What happened exactly? What does it all mean? These are answers we don’t and may never know. Relationships are complicated, and professional locker rooms are frustratingly off limits for middling over-30 co-ed center backs like yours truly.
Here are some things we do know:
Raúl is frustrated. He’s used to being The Man. He’s no longer The Man. He would probably like A Big Contract that is highly unlikely, and furthermore his no longer being The Man makes it more difficult to land A Big Contract elsewhere. He has a family, he’s at the end of his high-earning window, and this is something we should respect, even if it isn’t a blank check of an excuse.
After scoring his banger of a header to resuscitate the Sounders on Saturday, Raúl jogged back toward midfield and appeared to be encouraging the team’s bench to read the name and number on the back of his jersey. From a few hundred yards away I could read his lips muttering “This is 10% luck, 20% skill, 15% concentrated power of will…”
Raúl and Jordan Morris got into it on the field badly enough that TV commentators caught it, then referred back to it two or three times toward the end of the match. When Jordan scored his equalizer and winner, it would appear that Raúl was not part of the celebrations. When the game ended, Raúl went straight for the tunnel.
Nouhou was subbed off for Reed Baker-Whiting after 72 minutes, at which point we were down 2-0 and needed more going forward. On TV, Nouhou doesn’t look pumped walking off, but it was more of a -_- kind of look to me than rage.
It doesn’t take a genius to sniff out the broad strokes of what’s going on here, although I will indulge in an alternate theory at the bottom of this post that involves more teriyaki and less sadness.
Let’s start with Nouhou. Beloved, frustrating, tantalizing, a wild card and a maverick. If you think I’m about to try and get inside his head, you are very mistaken. But I want to share this: in 2019, I was at a Sounders match in Dallas, and I walked away sure that Nouhou’s days in Seattle were numbered. At the time, he was not a regular starter, which was a big drop-off from his 23 starts and 2,000+ minutes the year prior. He didn’t start that day in Dallas, and when he was sent out to warm up, it was the most defiant, low-effort warm-up I’ve ever seen, all while staring daggers at the bench. BUT, then he started and played 90 the next week, and over the next few seasons his minutes went up and up. That’s a minor example, but point being: in terms of general frustration, we’ve been somewhere like this before and come back from it. We don’t know what was said/done here, but I wouldn’t write him off.
Now for Raúl.
This one hurts, especially after the somewhat awkward way Nico Lodeiro left the club last season. It’s a business, money ain’t free, he’s not producing like he used to, etc. And I’m of the opinion that we probably should have started our roster overhaul sooner than we have.
But still, after all they’ve done here, you’d want to see a more graceful end to tenures like Nico’s and Raúl’s. There’s still time for Raúl to write a better ending (who knows, maybe Nico too!), but our direction of travel is not good.
Here’s what bothers me the most. If you’re feeling overlooked and that motivates you to score an incredible goal like he did last week, I’ll take that. May the disrespect course through your veins and power soccer balls into nets across this great land. And if you’re bickering with Jordan, I’m giving the benefit of the doubt that it’s because you both want to turn the result around and get a win.
But when you do get those last two goals, and you do win, and the reaction is to just walk off and then (allegedly) get into it with the coach — that ain’t great. It feels like winning did not relieve any pressure there, or that the result was potentially not even relevant.
For more context here, I’d recommend Charles Boehm’s piece from last month. It’s a great read and a good window into how Schmetzer thinks. It also contains this quote about Raúl (hat tip to this fine Reddit commenter for digging it up).
“Last year was a really challenging one for Raúl in many aspects. Was he kind of just together with Nico, were the two separate? That's one thing I've done a lot of reflection on,” said Schmetzer. “Did I group them together unfairly? Should it have been Raúl individually and Nico? Raúl’s own injury history, because, he’d just train the way he always trained, didn’t understand that Father Time is ticking. Raúl has been super dedicated this year, super good. Last year there were some problems.
“He wasn't happy about being out of the lineup. There were some interesting conversations, and that's always hard. I mean, I've had them with him, going back with Zach Scott, with Clint [Dempsey], and Roman [Torres], and Chad Marshall. Everybody retires a little differently, and it's hard for guys, especially the guys that are way up at this level” – here Schmetzer gestures at an imaginary shelf above head height – “when their careers start to level off and even drop off, it's really tough.
"And Raúl was having some issues there. And so this year, he has rededicated himself. He’s always in the gym, he works in training. He doesn't get upset if he's not in the lineup, in training, he hasn't been upset, in games. He's been encouraging his teammates. He's been the best version of himself. Because when I talk to him, he wants to extend his career a few years, and God bless him, because that's going to help us.”
That’s a different picture than what we appeared to see Saturday. And while I don’t consider myself a Schmetzer absolutist or apologist, I do have to say, the man really seems like a thoughtful and empathetic character. If anything, he’s possibly too much of a player’s coach, from what I can see, in that he’ll give proven guys chance after chance after chance even when form doesn’t really merit it.
So how did we get here from there? Like I said, we may never know the full story, and the Sounders will (rightly) try to keep this private. It could be a situation that has already cooled off, but that Schmetzer draws a hard line around players needing to stay on the field and acknowledge the fans. That’s probably our best case scenario.
I just hope the fire in Raúl is burning for the good of the team too, and I hope the club’s leadership is doing what they can to prevent a total breakdown here.
Anything less would be shame for his legacy in Seattle, and a shame for a season that seems poised for some positive steps. Beat Chicago and New England at home these next two weeks, and we’re right back in it.
Here’s hoping both these gents are there to push us forward.
—
OR it was all just a classic mix-up over the post-game victory meal. This one goes something like this: it’s halftime, and Schmetz is sharing the plan to gift a few goals “and then totally surprise everyone, you guys, by winning 3-2 and then we’ll get the teriyaki chicken at Sunny.”
Nouhou says “Yes boss, but the spicy chicken.”
Schmetz and Nouhou debate spice levels but are interrupted by the sound of Paul Rothrock, who had been quietly jumping up and down with his hand raised hoping to make a suggestion, hitting the ceiling.
Amid the chaos, Raúl calmly strides to the board, crosses out “#2 Spicy Chicken” and writes “#9 Chicken & Beef Combination.” A brouhaha ensues, and later when Raúl scores and has everyone’s attention, he silently draws their eyes back to the #9 combo by pointing to the number on his back.
Nouhou breaks from the team and orders Spicy Chicken anyway, and Schmetz gets a rumbly tummy from the beef. Both are suspended.
Have a great week, and see you Saturday!