It’s official: Seattle Sounders left back Brad Smith’s loan from AFC Bournemouth has been extended until the end of the 2019 MLS season.
With his dizzying combination play in the final third, surging runs and picturesque crosses, Smith has established himself as one of the top attacking fullbacks in the entire league.
Let’s look back at some of his best moments in a Sounders jersey.
5.) Assist vs. Sporting Kansas City (September 1, 2018)
Smith joined the team during its second-half run in 2018, adding a new dimension to the attack with his willingness to bomb forward on the overlap. Moreover, his pace added a bit of diversity to the Rave Green offense, as his blistering pace allows him to progress possession quickly in transition.
That was on full display in Seattle’s 3-1 win over SKC at CenturyLink Field, when he recorded his first assist for the club. Smith drives forward into the final third, picks his head up and waits for the back-post run from Raúl RuidÃaz before shaping his cross around Kansas City’s back line.
4.) Assist vs. Orlando City SC (May 15, 2019)
The Sounders have been extremely effective at unbalancing opponents with numerical overloads down the left-hand side. That’s due in large part to Smith’s ability to combine in tight spaces, sharply changing the angle of his runs when playing 1-2’s with the attacking midfielders.
It was this type of combination play that led to the first goal in the Sounders’ 2-1 win over Orlando City SC earlier this season. Smith squares the ball for Harry Shipp, who had found a pocket of space inside the box. He then feigned a central run, dragging the defender with him, before abruptly bursting toward the end line to receive the return pass from Shipp.
As if that wasn’t enough, he then whips a ball on the ground in the danger-zone between OCSC’s goalkeeper and center backs, setting up an easy tap-in for RuidÃaz.
3.) Meg vs. LAFC (April 28, 2019)
Smith isn’t all pace and crossing. He’s got a bit of finesse to his game, as demonstrated by his willingness to take on opposing defenders 1-v-1.
There’s perhaps no better example than his cheeky meg of LAFC defender Walk Zimmerman. One of the top defenders in the league, Zimmerman confidently steps to Smith and tries to break up a center back. Undaunted, the Australian international duly megs him and collects the ball on the other side.
2.) Skill vs. Atlanta United (July 14, 2019)
Seriously, Smith is a savant at finding innovative solutions in 1-v-1 scenarios. Notice how the Atlanta defender genuinely thought he had snuffed out the Sounders defender’s attempt to meg him. No matter, though, as Smith pushes the ball past the defender, runs around him and regains possession on the other side before supplying a cut-back pass. His opponent’s face says it all.
1.) Assist vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (June 29, 2019)
The Sounders entered their Cascadia Clash against the Vancouver Whitecaps winless in four matches across all competitions. Facing a Western Conference opponent at CenturyLink Field, they needed to pick up a win to right the ship.
16-year-old Homegrown midfielder Danny Leyva seemed to have handed Seattle a 1-0 lead in the 60th minute, but his goal was disallowed upon Video Review. So, as the match crept into the sixth minute of stoppage time, it seemed like the Sounders would have to settle for a disappointing draw.
But Smith managed to carve apart the entire Whitecaps team with another trademark 1-2 with Shipp before slipping the ball to Kelvin Leerdam, who calmly finished from close range, securing three massive points.
