Late in the morning of July 26, Nicolas Lodeiro arrived at Starfire Sports to finalize his Designated Player contract with the Sounders.
The Uruguayan playmaker arrived at the team facility bleary-eyed, the result of an overnight flight from Argentina, with a club video crew shadowing his every move. After a meet-and-greet with his soon-to-be new teammates, Lodeiro headed to the upstairs front offices to complete the requisite paperwork.
He sat down with general manager Garth Lagerwey and his staff, most of them basking in the glow of a highly-anticipated signing they’d worked diligently to bring to fruition.