Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Sebastian "The Hawk" Le Toux

His coaches and the familiar media like to refer to him as "Seba," but here at SoundersBoard we officially christen Sebestain Le Toux "The Hawk." And the hawk certainly swept down on his opponents last night in the US Open Cup play-in game at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila. (Yeah, so Starfire is not a bad name for a venue, but let's face it... Tukwila? Everything that the Seattle Sounders FC have going for them in terms of their cosmopolitan appeal, their international feel, and their world-class support... is lost at Starfire Sports Complex.)

Two goals, two assists, and an accent so thick he needs subtitles a la Brad Pitt in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Le Hawk was so money last night he ended up in the sports section of the USA Today, America's most famous LCD newspaper (unwelcomed on hotel-room stoops daily across the nation). There was nothing unwelcome about Le Hawk's showing last night however. A Sounder through and through and arguably the hardest working and most sacrificed man on the pitch.

So has Le Hawk made Sigi Schmid's decision of who will start on Saturday more difficult? Sigi says:

“Always, that’s the way it should be. That’s what he wants to do. You want to have a team that has 17, 18, 19 guys that can start for you, because it’s a long season. You never know who’s going to get hurt, and who’s going to miss, so this is a good game for people to build their confidence. Seb certainly presents us alternatives, and it was nice to be able to play him up front, where he’s obviously more comfortable than he is in a wide position.”

If only Sigi considered that hawks are widely reputed to have visual acuity several times that of a normal human being and attack by sudden dashes from a concealed perch, then the question would be a no-brainer.

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