MLS - Seattle Sounders preparing for life without their assistant coaches

The Seattle Sounders' head coach said goodbye to two of his best assistants this week, with the announcement that Gonzalo Pineda has taken the head coaching position at Atlanta United and Djimi Traore is leaving for a job in Europe.

Both coaches would have to relocate at some point, as Schmetzer pointed out during his post-training media conference at Starfire Sports Complex on Friday.

Pineda's name had been thrown around for vacant head coaching jobs in MLS and Liga MX, most recently this summer when he interviewed for the D.C. United job that went to Hernan Losada.

Traore, on the other hand, had established himself as one of the league's most well-liked assistants.

"It was tough but we had a pretty long run," Schmetzer said. "Yesterday was a tough day when it really sinks in. But it was a long enough runway for us. We knew [Pineda] was gone [eventually], we knew Djimi was going to get a job. They're too talented of young coaches not to be afforded an opportunity in the future."