Unlike past years, the back end of the Seattle Sounders roster is quite young. Any player with more than a year of experience will probably be in the gameday 18. Having that much youth on the squad can lead to complacency and a lack of competition. To push young defensive talents like Oniel Fisher, Brian Nana-Sinkham, and Nouhou Tolo, the club brought in former New England Revolution defender Darrius Barnes.
Brian Schmetzer said, “We need some competition at the bottom half of the roster.”
Barnes is right footed but played left back, right back and centerback with New England.