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Hahnemann signs with MLS, will go through allocation order

Hahneman (ISI)

Photo by John Todd/ISIphotos.com

With the window closing until the MLS roster freeze deadline, a potentially major signing is in the offing for one team.

Former U.S. national team goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann has signed with MLS and will be assigned to a team through the allocation order, the league announced Friday afternoon. Hahnemann was most recently with Everton last year as the third-string goalkeeper behind Tim Howard and Jan Mucha and did not play a single game. He has not played a competitive match in more than a year after becoming the backup at Wolverhampton in the 2010-11 season. He was the third goalkeeper on the U.S. World Cup roster in 2006 and 2010 and a backup on the U.S. Gold Cup roster in 2011.

Hahnemann, 40, played in MLS for the Colorado Rapids from 1997-1999 before bolting for a lengthy career in Europe. He has been linked at various times to the Seattle Sounders for more than a year, but the Sounders sit 10th in the league's allocation order, meaning it would take either a trade or nine teams passing on Hahnemann for him to return to his native city, where he played collegiately and for the A-League Sounders.

Following the New England Revolution's selection of Juan Toja, Toronto FC tops the allocation order. The Reds are followed by Chivas USA, the San Jose Earthquakes, D.C. United, Portland Timbers, Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew, FC Dallas, Vancouver Whitecaps and Seattle to round out the top 10 in the sequence, which essentialy becomes irrelevant after Friday, as no new players will be able to sign this season.

What do you think of this development? Do you want to see your team land Hahnemann? Happy to see him return to MLS?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. As for the “EJ fiasco”. You do realize that his salary is $100K, right? How does that equate to a fiasco? Sounds like the biggest bargain in MLS history to me!!!!

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  2. It’s called a desire to retire in ones home town. What is so hard for all you folks to understand about that? Do you really think MH needs or cares about the money? He’s 40 years old and has already earned millions for cryin’ out loud!!…And, again, just what kind of offer does anyone think a 40 year old ‘keeper who hasn’t played in 2 years supposed to get? He’ll likely take a minimal salary in Seattle.

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  3. WFT, is he like on steroids or something. Seattle sounders like to waste money. Why not put grass after the football teams from college and nfl get their thing straight or just make them a SSS anywhere they can and not a arena for basketball or hockey. Seattle sounders need to be like the Galaxy and Red Bull, get top DPs because at the end of the day it will win you the MLS Cup and even Open Cup. Its the new era of MLS and once the Cosmos come into play, it will be Galaxy, Red Bull, and Cosmos taking advantage of thr DP rule and “parity.” Now lets hope the academies do their job and colleges too but Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, Chicago, New England (if they move closer to Boston), Dc (the capital of USA)TFC, Montreal, Philly have potential for big DP signings. Houston can become a latin power house team just like FC Dallas. Salt Lake, San Jose, Chivas USA, Columbus, SKC might have long term trouble for big DP signings.
    By the way, Galaxy or Red Bull win this years MLS Cup.

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  4. Designated Players (except for DP’s the league doesn’t like, looking at you Toronto), Draft, superdraft, allocation order, lottery, transfers, blah blah. Seems MLS has a new way of assigning players for every contract they sign. What a joke…

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  5. WTF?…Why not some play some academy kid or a USL guy? Bad signing for who ever takes the plunge. The league wouldn’t have signed him if there wasn’t some expressed interest though.

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  6. Oh please! IF Seattle actually got him, it would be as an experienced back up to Gspurning. Our current back ups are young and inexperienced. Sounders are going for it this year and are simply trying to create as much veteran depth as possible.

    There will be no chemistry destroyed by this signing, if true

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  7. if Seattle get him, it will destroy their chemistry and will add pressure to their starting goalkeeper, its like Tebo fever. In reality galaxy,san jose have weak goalkeepers and in the MLS there is not true strikers and its easy to be a goalkeeper in the MLS, since MLS has no good talented fowards. I always thought Timbers back up is a very good keeper, Gaudete as well and I dont know why galaxy let him go. I see him in Philadelphia with a young team like them.

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  8. Possibly more good karma for San Jose? Toronto and Chivas pretty set at GK with Kocic and Kennedy. Let’s face it Hanneman would be an upgrade over the dimunitive Jon Busch, who though a super nice guy, is probably one of the weaker starting GK’s in MLS.

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  9. 5/22/11 (Wolves), 3/29/11 (USA). He might have played in some random cup game for Everton in between lengthy stints lugging a clipboard, but those are the last game dates I have for him.

    Plus it’s odd that a player waits this late to sign. Been out of contract since the last EPL. Could have taken a two- or three-month break and still been playing nearer mid-season. Has he been training with anyone? Few regular season games left to integrate somewhere and he’s 40. By next season almost 41. Quick victory lap and into coaching? If yes, why bother? Or is he planning on playing next year? Do I want to commit to someone that old that long? Why bother (running theme)?

    After the EJ fiasco, though, presumably someone accepts the player and his salary requirements? I don’t think we’d be signing and drafting otherwise.

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  10. was stellar with Reading. Kind of an odd falling out there.

    In fact it was an odd falling out with Convey there too. What an exciting time for those two yanks when Reading was first promoted years ago.

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