Photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
At long last, Marcus Hahnemann has returned to Seattle.
The Seattle Sounders traded a conditional draft pick to Toronto FC in exchange for the top spot in the MLS allocation order, which they promptly used to select the 40-year-old former U.S. national team goalkeeper and Seattle native on the final day teams can add players to their rosters this season.
Hahnemann not only hails from Seattle, but he played collegiately there and was a part of the A-League Sounders from 1994-1996 as well. He had long been speculated to be going back to Seattle while he wrapped up his lengthy time in Europe, and Friday night's trade paved the way for that to happen after he signed with MLS earlier in the day.
"This is where I started my career, and I wanted to finish here," Hahnemann said in a Sounders release. "This is what we’ve always dreamed would happen in Seattle, and what I always wanted when I was here."
It will be Hahnemann's second foray into MLS after he played for the Colorado Rapids from 1997-1999 and helped guide the club to its first MLS Cup appearance in 1997.
Hahnemann had most recently been with Everton, where he did not play as the third goalkeeper behind Tim Howard and Jan Mucha. It remains to be seen where he will fit in with the Sounders, who have entrenched starter Michael Gspurning, Bryan Meredith, Andrew Weber and Josh Ford as goalkeepers on the roster. Considering that he has not played a competitive match in more than a year, Hahnemann figures to provide a more experienced back-up option to Gspurning while working his way to fitness.
"Adding Marcus for the final stretch gives us experience and quality on and off the field to supplement our current core of goalkeepers," Sounders coach Sigi Schmid said.
————————
What do you think of this development?
Share your thoughts below.