Just look for the red shoes. That's how fans have been identifying Sebastien Le Toux, the first player signed to the Seattle Sounders FC roster. After practice Wednesday, Le Toux got a chance to explain the origin of the garish kicks.
"I'm sponsored by Nike. That is the new one that they just sent me -- they are more comfortable than the shoes I use in practice," Le Toux said. "Everybody is teasing me about it because it is very flashy, and everyone can see me with the shoes on. Nike is going to have a new color soon, but for the moment I have the reds.
"People tell me, 'Even if I don't know who you are, I just watch the feet of everybody and I know it's you.'"
It's been hard to catch him lately, as the last three weeks have been a roller coaster for Le Toux. After suffering the indignity of being removed from the starting lineup three weeks ago, the French midfielder/striker could do nothing but wait for a chance to reclaim a starting role.
When Seattle coach Sigi Schmid gave him a chance to play at his preferred position of striker in a U.S. Open Cup play-in match, Le Toux responded with two goals and an assist. Despite the excellent performance, two more games passed with Le Toux out of the starting lineup.
It wasn't until Fredy Montero's red card suspension that Le Toux got another opportunity to start. He capitalized by picking up Seattle's only goal in a 1-1 draw against the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Although he had watched his signature signing score countless times for the Seattle Sounders franchises, the goal was a special moment for Sounders FC general manager Adrian Hanauer, for a simple reason: Hanauer's fortune is very much intertwined with that of his star Frenchman. If one man's trash is another man's treasure, Le Toux's performance vindicated Hanauer's abilities as a talent evaluator.
"It was very, very satisfying for me," Hanauer said. "I was happy for Sebastien of course. It's interesting, though -- he had scored so many goals in a Sounders jersey I had lost the fact that it was his first MLS goal."
Le Toux fell into Seattle's hands only after his trial with FC Dallas fell apart. When FCD, this weekend's opponent, were unable to offer anything more than a developmental contract, Hanauer quickly put Le Toux on a plane and brought him to Seattle.
The rest is history -- his goal-scoring exploits in the USL and U.S. Open Cup are well documented. The jewel of the USL franchise, Le Toux led the league in scoring in 2007 while taking home MVP honors. When that season ended and MLS teams came calling for Le Toux, Hanauer did the only thing he could. He took him off the market.
"We make the announcement that MLS is coming and he and I sat down," Hanauer said. "He had options. He was under contract, but we could have found him an MLS team to play on.
"He decided -- and I'm very proud of this fact and thankful to Sebastien -- he said 'I love Seattle. I want to be here. We have an MLS team coming. I want to stay here and help the Seattle Sounders win another championship and help bring some of my teammates to MLS with me.'
"I knew that he could play in this league and that it was good for us to lock him down sooner rather than later. Financially, it ended up being a reward for him, but I didn't think about it in those terms."
In a move that may seem like one hand taking from the other, the MLS team purchased Le Toux's contract from the USL franchise, signed him to an extension, and then loaned him back to the USL team for the duration of the 2008 season.
For Le Toux, it meant a chance to build something special in the Pacific Northwest.
"I really like the city and I really want to build something here," Le Toux said. "You can see now -- everyone is really involved with the Seattle Sounders. It's what I wanted to do here -- build something great with soccer."
He's certainly made progress. In addition to being a well-known and popular figure among fans, Le Toux lives on nearby Whidbey Island. And while he hasn't bought a house or gotten married -- saying that he is happy and feeling very "free" -- he said those are things that he might want to do in the Seattle area.
He's also got one more task on his to-do list -- in the near future, he'll be applying for his green card.
"I'm going to do that right now with Adrian. But it takes time," Le Toux said. "Earlier I began the processes but right now I am not worried about a visa.
"It's what I want to do. I want to stay here and play in the United States for a long time. The closer I get to a green card, the more cool and relaxed I will feel."
And while a lot of paperwork stands between earning a green card, he intends to continue with the naturalization process and earn his U.S. citizenship. This would make the 25-year old eligible, hypothetically, to play for the U.S. national team.
Previously, Le Toux was quoted as wanting to play for the United States someday. And while he would be honored to do so, he was quick to clarify that statement.
"It's true. The question was one day if I had to choose between the United States and France, what would I choose?" Le Toux said. "I said I would choose the U.S. because I feel more welcome here. Of course I would like (to play), but it was a question between France and USA."
However, his teammates believe he has to make some serious changes to his wardrobe if he ever wants to wear the Red, White, and Blue. Apparently, the red shoes aren't Le Toux's only audacious fashion choices.
"He's got to change his sense of style if he's going to represent America," longtime teammate Taylor Graham joked, citing a pair of "baby blue Capri pants" Le Toux sometimes wears, while Roger Levesque nodded his approval.
"Although I can't really talk, considering I play for Puerto Rico," Graham quickly added.
Andrew Winner is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
