BY TODD DYBAS / SEATTLESPORTSONLINE.COM

While Swedish star Freddie Ljungberg was gloriously being introduced as the Sounders FC's designated player last week, former members of the USL Sounders were waiting.

The 15th and final season for the USL Sounders wrapped with a playoff loss to Montreal Sept. 29. Players shortly thereafter met with head coach Brian Schmetzer, the only confirmed candidate for the head position with Sounders FC, to see where they stand heading into the offseason.

A recent weeklong sojourn to Argentina served as a kind of last hurrah for the USL group. It went 5-0 and had a chance to sip wine with Price is Right models thanks to minority owner Drew Carey flying the game show's cast down for a game between River Plate and the Boca Juniors, teams from the Argentina Primera Division. The trip doubled as evaluation and thank you by Sounders FC.

Now the former USL Sounders wait for two key events: the expansion draft Nov. 26, during which Sounders FC will select 10 players from those left unprotected by other MLS teams; and the naming of the head coach, which the Sounders say will not come any later than Nov. 24. Each step will go a long way in clarifying what the organization will want to do moving forward, and where the former USL Sounders stand.

At the moment, things are murky.

"Obviously it is a weird time because a lot of stuff is up in the air," midfielder Kevin Sakuda, who played with the USL Sounders since 2003, said. "We're all kind of sitting and waiting and trying to stay sharp."

The USL Sounders under contract prior to the start of last season are now free agents. Many, knowing MLS was on the horizon, played with one-year contracts that expired Oct. 31, or were in the option year of their contract, as was the case for Sakuda, and are now free agents.

"At the beginning of last year, one of the big reasons they decided to have a team was to keep a core group of guys in Seattle with the thought that they would make the transition to the MLS team," forward Roger Levesque, who played with the USL Sounders since 2003, said. "I'm not necessarily entirely sure if that is still the case."

While Sounders FC sorts things out, the players are left to decide if they want to make a run at the MLS club here in Seattle or move on. Options like joining another USL club or making a go of it overseas, would be more concrete. But for some, the allure of a chance to play in the MLS, particularly in Seattle, makes the question marks more valuable than certainty at this point.

That's the case for both Sakuda and Levesque who had a taste of MLS play with the San Jose Earthquakes at the start of their professional careers.

As a senior at Duke in 2002, Sakuda was All-ACC second team, prompting San Jose to draft him. Sakuda was released by San Jose at the end of the season, not having seen the pitch. He went on to play indoor with the San Diego Sockers of the Major Indoor Soccer League, signing with the Sounders in 2003.

Levesque was first team All Pac-10 his senior year at Stanford and subsequently was selected by San Jose in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft. His time in the MLS was limited, San Jose loaning Levesque to the USL Sounders at the end of the 2003 season and again in 2004 and 2005.

"I still have the drive, still want to play at the highest level I can," Levesque said. "The last couple years in Seattle, I've been trying to get better, not necessarily knowing that another opportunity would come up. Now that it has, it's sparked new interest and I'd love to give it a shot."

For Sakuda, his experience with the USL Sounders has influenced his decision to stick around.

"I think guys have always enjoyed being in Seattle and the organization in Seattle has always been first class," Sakuda said. "I think the opportunity there is something no one wants to pass up. But in the end, we have to weigh what's best for us."

With the MLS opportunity looming, the USL Sounders redefined even by going 10-10-10 in 2008. After winning two of the last three USL-1 championships, titlists in 2005 and 2007, the Sounders were sent home in the quarterfinals this season. That's earlier than was expected of the defending champions, but Sakuda stopped short of saying the questions of what was to come had a large effect on the focus during the USL season.

"I wouldn't say a distraction, but it was on guys' minds," Sakuda, 28, said. "But I don't think our mentality changed or we were trying to impress too much. I think it was just a part of the nature of this year. I can't pinpoint why we had more struggles this year. It's just one those things.

"As far as the season went it was a weird season. Obviously MLS was in the picture, but at the same time we were trying to really focus on doing well in the USL season."

Now attempting to stay sharp, the USL Sounders have talked about taking a couple weeks off from coaching during the winter to get together and play games. Sakuda said local amateur teams like the Seattle Wolves FC have offered to help the players find opportunities to play full games.

Both Levesque and Sakuda said Sounders FC has done a good job communicating with them, letting the players know how the discovery pick rules apply to them as soon as the organization sorted it out with MLS. They see the excitement being generated by big signings, like the acquisition of Swedish captain Ljungberg, and view that as nothing but positive for soccer in the Pacific Northwest.

For now, they're both only able to move forward as the organization moves forward, step by step.

"Definitely a lot of question marks at this point in our lives," Levesque, 27, said. "If it works out, great. If not, reevaluate and figure out if I still want to play and start in another city."

Todd Dybas is the editor of Seattlesportsonline.com. He can be reached via e-mail at tdybas@seattlesportsonline.com