Freddie Ljungberg Traded to Chicago

Posted by Mike on July 30, 2010 · Under Former Players, Freddie Ljungberg · View Comments 


Seattle designated player Freddie Ljungberg has been traded to the Chicago Fire for a conditional selection in the 2011 or 2012 SuperDraft for Ljungberg.

Official Release

Freddie Ljungberg, an MLS Best XI selection and two-time All-Star midfielder for the Seattle Sounders FC, has been traded to the Chicago Fire today in exchange for a conditional selection in the 2011 or 2012 SuperDraft.

Ljungberg, 33, led Seattle and finished fourth in MLS with nine assists in 2009. He was named the MLS October Player of the Month after assisting on the team’s final four goals of the regular season, helping the Sounders FC reach the MLS Cup Playoffs in the club’s inaugural season. Ljungberg was also a finalist for MLS Newcomer of the Year.

“Freddie is a tremendous individual and an exceptional player who contributed greatly to the huge success of Sounders FC, both on and off the field, in the past year and a half,” said Adrian Hanauer, general manager. “Freddie, along with Kasey Keller, gave this club immediate stature in the world’s game, and we are grateful for his service. We wish him all the best in Chicago.”

Said Ljungberg: “I want to start off by saying how proud I am to have been part of the most successful new franchise in MLS history, the Seattle Sounders FC. I didn’t know exactly what to expect when I first came to Seattle but I have to say that how the city and the fans have embraced me has gone beyond my wildest dreams and for that I am forever grateful. I also want to thank my teammates who are absolutely great on and off the pitch. I have made some very close friends who I know I will be in contact with forever.”

In a related move, Sounders FC has added midfielder Alvaro Fernandez, 24, to the active roster. Fernandez, a member of the Uruguay National Team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, was acquired on Thursday and has received his International Transfer Certificate. He is now eligible to play on Saturday night against the San Jose Earthquakes.

Ljungberg was signed as Seattle’s first Designated Player on October 28, 2008. He came to Sounders FC after 10 seasons in the English Premier League. In his nine years with Arsenal he was a member of teams that won two EPL titles, three FA Cups and a UEFA Champions League final appearance.

This season the former Swedish international played in each of the first 15 Sounders FC matches (starting 14) and contributed three assists. Altogether over the two seasons he played in 37 matches (starting 35), scoring two goals and adding 12 assists.

In 2009 Sounders FC became the first expansion team since 1998 to qualify for the playoffs and finished with the league’s fourth-best point total. Seattle also won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup championship and broke the MLS season record for attendance.

Unbeaten in its last three MLS matches and over five games in all competitions, Sounders FC plays the Earthquakes in Santa Clara, Calif., on Saturday at Buck Shaw Stadium. First kick is 7 p.m. PT.

Transaction: Seattle Sounders (MLS) – Traded MF Freddie Ljungberg to Chicago Fire in exchange for conditional selection in 2011 or 2012 SuperDraft.

  • Latte lover

    How can that be? I heard we were trading him to RBNY for Angel, Henry, Marquez, Richards & two 2011 draft picks???

    Waiter..Latte please!

  • edward.bushnell

    He should have gone overseas and got us money. I thought he said he liked our franchise…At least he can get cards for the Chicago now

  • Ken

    I was hoping he’d go overseas as well — if only because we wouldn’t have to see him come back to Qwest in another uniform, and decide whether to cheer or boo him at that point. I will be cheering, for what it’s worth.

  • Ben

    Too bad things went south before nkufo and altar got here. It would have been great to see all of them play together plus montero.

  • Ben

    Uh altar=alvaro

  • SteveE

    Please step out of your mom’s basement sometime and get a life

  • shad

    FL was great a year ago and its a bummer to see him go, but after all his antics this year, I’m glad the FO decided use the DP money for someone young in his career and willing to work hard on the field, unlike FL’s retirement pick up game.

  • JDW

    The problem here is that we really didn’t seem to get anything in return for him.  No transfer fee, no allocation money, nuthin’.  I guess that means no 3rd DP this year.

  • SteveE

    Too bad it wasn’t overseas for the money.  Oh well.  Maybe we could get a decent pick.  They are 4th currently, but 3 points from second to last.  I will cheer when he is introduced.  I will boo if he flops.  I will give him respect as he did well here minus the insanity he pulled this year.  He was good to us last year and helped put us on the map.  He will be back by here the end of the month I think

  • Colin

    Alvaro has dramatically more pace and youth. Instead of only having a year or two left of mediocre soccer left in him he has his best years to come. Frankly, I’m stoked that management and ownership realized that it’s time to make the playoffs and get some talent. I don’t think Ljungberg will be able to guard Fernandez that well when they face off.

  • yamsmos

    we saved his salary, his salary against our cap, and we received a pick.

    you may not thinkt it was worth it, but we saved money and got an extra pick. that ain’t nuthin

  • Randle

    I’m not disappointed with the lack of compensation. The FO’s get-r-done move helps short and long term. Short: open roster spot, no luxury tax, drama over. Long: Extra draft pick. Not even, but…….

    Any way, farewell, thanks for the memories, don’t let the door hit ya……..

  • Anonymous

    I have a life. Drinking coffee, living in seatlle & wearing RAVE GREEN!!! 

  • Gee

    is that all you think he is worth?? I don’t think we got fair value for him.

  • bud

    Draft picks in the MLS are like parsley on the side of the dinner plate.

  • Jack Brando

    All we had to trade was half a season.  His contract was up at the end of this season.  He was likely to leave so getting anything is better than nothing.

  • Jack Brando

    Steve Zakuani, Mike Seamon, David Estrada, and Michael Fucito would disagree with you.

  • D2Bernhard

    <!–StartFragment–>

    No WAY!
    “Shitcago: The Windy City silent and out of sorts without blowhard Blanco fills their sails with Loose Lips Ljundberg!”
    Really? I am stunned. Good Riddance fricus fracas Freddie — I hope you get to complain all  you want like Blanco did over in the midwest.

  • D2Bernhard

    No WAY!
    this just in off the AP wire
    “Shitcago: The Windy City silent and out of sorts without blowhard Blanco fills their sails with Loose Lips Ljundberg!”

    Really? I am stunned. Good Riddance fricus fracas Freddie — I hope you get to complain all  you want like Blanco did over in the midwest.

  • bud

    Exactly.  You have no better than 25% chance of getting a starter with a draft pick.

  • Jack Brando

    All four of those guys are likely eventual starters in the MLS.  You have a 25% chance of having an absolute first day starter.  But that’s true of all rookies in all sports and has far more to do with how stacked a team is than anything to do with the rookie.  

    In other words, a team has to be pretty thin to need to thrust a rookie, any rookie, into a starting role.

    Seamon has been an important contributor in the mid-field.  And you have to wonder what Fucito would have contributed had he not been injured (in two appearances he scored one goal and had another blocked by an obvious handball). 

    Considering FL10 was gone at the end of the year anyway, getting anything for him was a good thing.

  • bud

    Mariners-esque logic.

  • Jack Brando

    And the Ljungberg trade parallels that of the Cliff Lee trade.  Trading a half season rental of a player for value.

    Sure, the M’s got terrific value for Cliff Lee, but Cliff Lee was arguably the best pitcher in the Major Leagues.  To say FL10 has lost a step is an understatement he’s no where near the best player in the MLS. 

    At the end of the day, FL10 was a good player, but a prima donna and definitely not worth the cash.  He wasn’t worth re-signing at his current salary.  So, if you aren’t going to re-sign him, you ship him now while there’s some value (6 months) to ship.

  • John

    Don’t try to argue with bud, he only sees the downside of every situation.  Very close to a troll.

  • John Mercado

    It would be interesting to find out why he didn’t work with the team, but it seemed this year when we had him we didn’t win as much without,but like Sigi said; There are so many factors that come to play, you can’t think it was Freddie that was the cause of that. I’m sure ego and some inflexablity on FL part may have been a factor. He will probably be a big help to Chicago, and he may have learned a few things from his Seattle times. I was hoping to see him and Kufo, but oh well- we have another star coming in and many rising stars on our team now; Zac, Montano,Seamon, Park and Freddie M. seems to be picking thing up again. With any luck at all we should make a run at the play offs from now one and be well set for next season.

  • Mark

    However, I don’t think the part of the trade they are revealing tells the whole story.  All MLS teams will say is what personal or draft picks they recevied during a trade.  We don’t know how much money the Sounders got for him because: “Per Major League Soccer and club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.”

  • Gee

    if he doesn’t resign with the fire, then it’s a good deal. 3 months for a couple of picks i will take

  • Gee

    this trade is nothing like the cliff lee trade. lee was a loaner to begin with. 

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