Less than a year ago, Gonzalo Pineda watched the 2016 MLS Cup on his television from home.
Thousands of miles away from Toronto’s BMO Field, he celebrated his former club’s league championship. As the Sounders prepare to defend their title, though, it’s difficult to imagine this postseason run without Pineda. The 13-year professional joined Head Coach Brian Schmetzer’s staff in January and has been essential every step of the way.
“It’s a learning process, and for me to be able to learn from Brian, Djimi [Traore], Tom [Dutra], Dave [Tenney] and Chad [Kolarcik] — those guys are helping me a lot,” Pineda said.