Seattle Sounders have penned Osvaldo Alonso to a new deal. The club announced Thursday it had renegotiated Alonso’s contract, bumping up his pay and securing his services through the 2014 season. If any Sounders player deserved a pay hike for services rendered, then few can quibble with shelling out a few more bucks to Alonso.

Known as the “Bulldog” by his teammates, the slight, small-framed Cuban national team player has a ferocious bite, a crunching tackle and impeccable timing. His absence early last season because of injury certainly contributed to the team’s disarray and disjointed play.

When he returned (and Swedish malcontent Freddie Ljungberg had left) in mid-July, the Sounders took off and played some superlative soccer. Alonso is the glue in the middle of the field and one of the hardest working and most underrated defensive midfielders in the league.