Schmid, Henderson on Sounders’ signing

Here’s some of what Soudners FC sporting director Chris Henderson and coach Sigi Schmid had to say today about the club’s signing of 31-year-old Austrian midfielder Andreas Ivanschitz:

HENDERSON on the signing) Andreas is a guy with great experience. He was a player for his national team, for his country, player of the year. He comes in after winning, and he’s played at a high level. We’ve been following him for a long time. He’s good on the ball. Good service. He can move with and without the ball. I think he’s going to fit in well: great character, great professional.

SCHMID on signing Ivanschitz) We’re excited. Andreas is an experiences player. He’s obviously been around the European leagues, played a lot of international games for Austria as well. … He gives us a left-footed player – somebody who can play on the left-hand side, which is something we felt that we needed now. He’s also very, very good on set pieces: his service, his shot. All those things are good.

On his best place in midfield) He’s played wide in a 4-4-2. He’s played in the middle and wide in a 4-2-3-1. He’s played in the middle of midfield in a 4-4-2. He’s played a number different places, but he’s definitely more of an attacking player.

On his playing timeline) I know he’s been in contact with Dave Tenney and they’ve been going through a fitness plan, and so forth. He’s been trying to get into some team trainings while he was at Valencia, at this home there. I think he’s in the process of getting his V-1 that allows him to come over. Once he’s over here we’ve evaluate him, see where he’s at and then we’ll see when we think we can get him into the games.

On if he projects as starter or depth) You always have somebody who’s injured, or somebody who’s missing or somebody who’s out. I think nobody should know that better than us this year. But obviously we expect him to be in our top group and be a guy who’s contributing. Either that’s as a starter, that’s in a rotational basis when we have some games at the end of August, but obviously he’s of the quality where we expect him to step into the lineup and help us.

This story was originally published August 4, 2015 at 1:50 PM with the headline "Schmid, Henderson on Sounders’ signing."