Sounders, Crew settle dispute on coach job

Now, it would appear, there is nothing more standing in the way of Sounders FC's pursuit of Sigi Schmid to become the team's first head coach.

Major League Soccer released a statement Friday that said any language in Schmid's previous contract with the Columbus Crew is now a nonissue, after Sounders FC reached a financial settlement with the Crew that will allow the club to resume contract negotiations with Schmid.

The league also found no evidence of any tampering by Seattle in its efforts to interview Schmid, who led the Crew to the MLS title in 2008. Columbus filed a tampering charge with the MLS office against Sounders FC, delaying Seattle's efforts to reach a deal with Schmid.

Seattle sent allocation money — additional funds outside of the league salary cap each MLS team is given in order to help them sign players — and an undisclosed cash amount to Columbus in exchange for the Crew releasing Schmid from a noncompete clause in Schmid's contract that expired at the end of last month.

"We felt like it was best to just settle this thing," Sounders FC general manager Adrian Hanauer said. "We wanted to get this thing settled and hopefully sign the best coach in MLS.

"We are in the late stages of negotiating with Sigi."

Hanauer also said that while the tampering charge from Columbus took him by surprise, he knew Seattle hadn't done anything improper. Schmid met with Hanauer and club officials last week in the Seattle area.

"There were never any improprieties, and the league's statement confirms this," Hanauer said in a statement from Sounders FC. "There was some language in his contract that was ambiguous, but rather than going through a long, drawn-out process we came to an agreement."

An announcement on Schmid's hiring could come as soon as next week.

Jaqua visits Seattle

Nate Jaqua, a forward Seattle chose from the Houston Dynamo in last month's expansion draft, was in the Seattle area Friday to meet with team executives and get a tour of the Starfire complex and Seahawks headquarters.

Jaqua, a Eugene, Ore., native, is the second expansion draftee to pay a visit. Jeff Parke was in town last week, and the club continues to negotiate a contract with him.

Jaqua is under contract for three more seasons, and spent some of his day looking at places to live.

"I'm excited with the way they're running everything," he said. "Here they're really trying to take their time and do it right."

Jaqua confirmed that there was an agreement in place between Houston and Seattle that had the Dynamo signing Jaqua for the second half of last season in exchange for Houston agreeing to leave Jaqua unprotected in the expansion draft so Seattle could select him.

"Nate's as close to a lock [to make the team] as there is," Hanauer said.

Note

• Hanauer said he filed discovery claims on 10 players earlier this week, the 10 United Soccer Leagues and-or international players Seattle is interested in signing. Current Sounders FC players Sanna Nyassi and Sebastien Le Toux were also discovery claims and were taken off the list, allowing Seattle to put in claims on two more players. The players' names were not disclosed.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com