Sounders buck MLS trend, sign rising star from Uruguay as DP

TUKWILA -- The trend around Major League Soccer is to save big money and the Designated Player distinction for established stars on the tail end of their careers.

Seattle Sounders FC, however, went a different direction to acquire its third designated player, signing 24-year old Uruguayan midfielder Alvaro Fernandez.

Seattle's first two designated players, Freddie Ljungberg and Blaise Nkufo, joined the team after decorated careers in Europe. That's the same approach many MLS teams have used when signing DPs -- players who can be paid higher salaries that don't count against the cap -- such as David Beckham, Thierry Henry and Juan Pablo Angel.

With Fernandez, however, Seattle gets a player who is still approaching his prime.

"He is young," Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid said. "He is a guy whose best soccer is still ahead of him, which is always nice when you can bring players like that into the league."

Fernandez, a versatile midfielder who could play a number of positions for Seattle, previously played professionally for Universidad in Chile's Primera Division. As a member of Uruguay's national team, Fernandez was on the team that made a surprising run to the World Cup semifinals. Fernandez appeared in four games for Uruguay in the World Cup, starting one.

"Very happy, a craziness that you can't even describe as we say in Uruguay," Fernandez said through a translator when asked about the World Cup. "Having accomplished getting fourth place, we celebrated a lot."

Uruguay's World Cup success meant postponing a wedding for Fernandez, who was scheduled to get married the weekend of the World Cup final and third-fourth place game. Fernandez said his new wife, who is expecting, will join him in Seattle soon.

It was at the World Cup that Seattle general manager Adrian Hanauer, who was in South Africa to scout players, approached Fernandez about playing in the MLS.

"During the World Cup, I was approached to start talks and I'm very happy to be here now," Fernandez said. "... I was asking contacts that I have and they told me that MLS in America is a very strong league. It worked out well. I am very impressed by the team. I am very impressed by the sports complex that we have here. I was very impressed by the fans last night and the stadium."

Fernandez attended Seattle's Champions League victory over Metapan on Wednesday, and trained with the team for the first time Thursday, but is not yet on the roster as he awaits his International Transfer Certificate.

Hanauer said there wasn't an exact timeline for when Fernandez would be added to the roster, but that it should happen, "Soon ... Sooner rather than later."

Asked to describe his style of play, the 6-foot-1 Fernandez said, "I'm a fast, agile, versatile player able to defend as well as attack."

And at 24, Fernandez should only get better, which is good for not only Sounders FC, but the league.

"I think if we can show ourselves to be a viable league to bring in players like that and they are going to continue to grow and continue to develop," Schmid said. "Obviously, if he does well, then one day he might move on but then that opens up the door for the next guy to do the same thing. I just think when you get players at that age and at that level it just shows that you are a more viable league, that you are higher up in that pecking order across the world."

The signing of Fernandez makes Seattle the first team to have three designated players, though Ljungberg is exploring options to leave Seattle and has most likely played his last game for Sounders FC. New York, which signed Henry after the World Cup, is also expected to add a third DP soon.

Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com.