Seattle Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid will have his fingers crossed when watching new recruit Blaise Nkufo compete in the World Cup with Switzerland.

The Sounders signed the 35-year Zaire-born Swiss striker in March from Dutch club FC Twente but he will not make an appearance until after the World Cup.

Although Schmid said it will be great to watch their new man going about his business in South Africa, he hopes that he can remain injury-free so he can start with a bang for the Sounders in July.

"Hoping that obviously he does well. We want to see him do well. We want to see Switzerland do well, Schmid said.

"A World Cup is a tremendous experience so you want to make it last as long as possible. Fingers will be crossed, want to make sure he doesn't get injured. So you want to make sure of that as well. But you hope he plays well, because when a player is in good form, when he comes off a competition where his team's done well, it fills him with a lot of confidence and happiness and that carries over."