After a disastrous end to the Seattle Sounders 2013 season, the club made a number of moves aimed at changing the culture around Sigi Schmid’s club. Seattle said goodbye to mercurial US star Eddie Johnson amongst others.

And Brad Evans the offseason moves are paying off.

“I think, in years past, we probably had better players. But I think we filled those shoes with better people. And it’s something that had to happen.”

Whether or not this refers to Johnson specifically — remember the “Pay me” goal celebration? — Evans is saying all the right things as expected ahead of a crucial season for Schmid’s era in the Northwest.

Kenny Cooper, Stefan Frei, Chad Marshall and Marco Pappa are all in the fold for Seattle this year as general manager Adrian Hanauer looked to fix a climate that caused him to say this after the team fell short of last season’s goals: ““I’d be lying if I said this was the best locker room we’ve had in the five years I’ve been here.”

Evans said he was called into the manager’s office along with Osvaldo Alonso and Clint Dempsey after the Sounders bounced out of the MLS playoffs and that a tone was immediately set for 2014. They were the leadership group and it was time to lead.

Could be off-base here, but you look at the players who left Seattle and wonder whose attitude Evans could be referring to besides Johnson’s act. Mauro Rosales was a fan favorite who wanted to retire in Seattle. Jhon Kennedy Hurtado was twice-benched this year but was also praised by Schmid at times for playing the best ball of his career.

Whether or not Evans was referring to EJ or not, it’s just another one of those stories that has me questioning whether Johnson is the lock so many believe for the USMNT roster this summer in Brazil. Yes, he scored a bunch of goals last year for country but with Aron Johannsson, Terrence Boyd and other young forwards presumably about to get big international experience, is Jurgen Klinsmann “all in” on allowing Johnson’s attitude to potentially play with his room? Does his potential as a super sub supercede the possibility of chaos?

Follow @nicholasmendola