> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# How Can Sounders Find Replacements for Jordan Morris, Pedro de la Vega's Lost Production?
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/how-can-sounders-find-replacements-for-jordan-morris-pedro-de-la-vegas-lost-production/
- Published: 2025-03-28T23:39:02.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T06:00:03.000Z
- Author: Corbin Smith
- Tags: Sounders, Jordan Morris, Pedro de la Vega, Jesus Ferreira, Paul Rothrock, Albert Rusnak, Danny Musovski, Georgi Minoungu

\[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1080"\]

![  Seattle Sounders forward Jesus Ferreira prepares to kick the ball during a drill at practice. Credit: Jesus Ferreira/Instagram  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/476818853_18493333828058454_3064490566029018584_n-format-original-1.jpg)

Seattle Sounders forward Jesus Ferreira prepares to kick the ball during a drill at practice. Credit: Jesus Ferreira/Instagram \[/caption\]

When the Seattle Sounders found out they were going to be without Jordan Morris and Pedro de la Vega after getting knocked out of CONCACAAF Champions Cup to Cruz Azul, most figured they were better equipped than most to withstand long term injuries to such important players.

So far, however, that has not proven to be the case. Seattle is still a very solid defensive side and will stay in any match because of the back line, but in the two games without two of their star players on offense, they have failed to score a single goal.

How can the Sounders replace a double digit scorer like Jordan Morris, and a playmaking machine like Pedro de la Vega, who was predicted to take major strides in helping this offense take the next step this year? With the transfer window closed until June, Seattle has only internally to look for options to search for more ways to prevent wasting more great defensive performances.

### Jesus Ferreira

The first and most obvious choice would be one of the big summer signings who was expected to be a major part of this offensive overhaul. With Ferreira, there was definitely an expectation that there needed to be a grace period for him to gain chemistry with other Sounders attackers.

Unfortunately, Seattle can’t afford that much patience at this time with him being the guy to fill in at the No. 9 spot while Morris is out. Being a lone striker in MLS comes with a lot of difficulty, as Morris knows, as there are large stretches of the game where you won’t see the ball and entire games on occasion where you won’t get a scoring chance. In this league where, in comparison to other leagues around the world, the defense is further ahead than the attacking prowess, strikers are forced to live on scraps and the ones that optimize those few opportunities they receive are the ones that thrive.

Another way for strikers such as Ferreira to adapt to this is affecting the game in other ways. This is something that even Morris would struggle with, as he thrives on service. But Ferreira comes in with a track record of being able to both provide and score, so his struggles in this department are particularly confusing. Nevertheless, his career production would indicate that he will turn it around, but the question is whether it will be enough to salvage something while Morris is down. And with the Sounders choosing not to bring back Raul Ruidiaz, it seems the burden now falls on Jesus and, eventually, Morris to occupy that No. 9 role.

### Paul Rothrock

Primetime Paul is currently enduring what a lot of young players go through after initially jumping onto the scene in a breakthrough season, trying to follow that up when the league now knows about you and has had time to study film on you. It’s one thing to break out and be productive when in relief when no one expects you to and can prepare for you (and it should be noted, that this is an accomplishment in itself) but what so many players in this league struggle with is consistent production year after year. It’s what makes runs like what Morris, Nicolas Lodeiro, and Ruidiaz have had so impressive.

While Rothrock is not a direct replacement for Morris at the No. 9 spot, getting production from wings has always been an important aspect to Brian Schmetzer coached teams. There’s no question Schmetzer has confidence in him and the way Rothrock carried this team at times last year suggests there’s more in there, as he’s just endured a relatively slow start to the season.

### Albert Rusnak

Rusnak is somewhat of an anomaly on this list because he actually has been very productive to begin the season with two goals and three assists across eight appearances in all competitions. When Seattle signed the 30-year old to a new DP contract ahead of the 2025 season, this is the type of production and play they would be expecting.

But those expectations were coupled with the expectations that Seattle’s young DP Pedro de la Vega would experience an uptick in production (and availability). So when de la Vega’s unfortunate injury history reared it’s ugly head once again this season, that meant even more of a reliance on Rusnak. Traditionally, Rusnak has been much more of a playmaker in setting up his teammates rather than being a goal threat as much himself. It’s noted that he has never necessarily struggled to score, but it has always been a secondary aspect of his game after creating and keeping possession. But now with Morris out, and the strikers struggling as a whole, adding a goalscoring element to his game would be a huge step for the sounders enduring this rough patch without their big names.

### Danny Musovski

Up until this point, the players mentioned above have all had expectations on them going into the season even with Morris and de la Vega healthy. That isn’t necessarily the case with Danny Musovski. Seemingly third on the depth chart at the No. 9 position behind Morris and Ferreira, Musovksi wouldn’t have been relied upon to be a big part of this offense without significant injuries. We are now at that point, especially with Ferreira struggling to fill the void on his own, and Brian Schmetzer might be game to try something different and turn to Musovski for a spark.

In what could prove to be a huge opportunity for Musovski to prove that he is a starter at this level, if there is something there for the Sounders forward, now would be a perfect time for that to become evident. He did start the game at home vs LAFC in which Seattle won 5-2\. However, he came out at half time as the Sounders struggled to create much offensively. Unfortunately for Danny, the game seemed to open up big time after he left the game, resulting in four second half goals for the Rave Green. Even though he might not have made the most of his one starting appearance in MLS this season, more opportunities might start to come out of necessity.

### Georgi Minoungu

While Minoungu showed glimpses last season of what he could do as a regular first team player, all eyes were on 2025 and what his development would look like and if he would take the next step. He’s been a spark plug for Seattle, particularly off the bench, when they need a more direct approach. His willingness to take people on 1-on-1 and create something just from himself rather than a well-crafted team move has proven vital for Seattle in key moments both last year and this year. 

All that being said, this could be the opportunity for Minoungu to take that next step and become a regular player like fans have been expecting for some time now after impressing in short spurts last season. He has always struggled with his final product. After he beats a defender, whether it’s decision making, composure, or just flat out execution, there’s always been something missing that could help his game explode. He has all the physical tools, and the skill, but he just needs that one missing element to be one of the first names on the team sheet for Schmetzer. Even with those holes in his game, it’s impressive how he still manages to impact the match on a regular basis, which means he may be ready for a bigger stage.

It’s definitely not panic mode time for the Sounders, who have made a habit of rebounding from slow starts in the past. But, in a self-proclaimed offseason dedicated to finding more goal scoring, Seattle has struggled mightily in the early going of replacing Morris and de la Vega after they went down. If it weren’t for one of the best defenses in MLS, the league position would be a lot worse than it is now. If the Rave Green can figure out a way to salvage some offense until the big boys come back, that will go a long way in giving fans confidence that this team has indeed taken the next step that has been yearned for.

Seattle has never been an offensive powerhouse like Inter Miami or LAFC, but if Schmetzer’s squad can find significant improvements in secondary scoring options, that will give them a much larger margin for error. There won’t be many games like last week, where one defensive mistake means you lose the game. Still, even with as good as the Sounders are defensively, that’s just not a sustainable strategy in today’s MLS.