By IVES GALARCEP
Young American defender Gale Agbossoumonde has seen his fledgling career take a variety of winding twists and turns, taking him from Europe to the NASL, with a U.S. National Team cap earned along the way.
What Agbossoumonde has been unable to find as a pro is stability. That might be about to change.
Agbossoumonde has signed a contract with Major League Soccer and will be placed in a special lottery to determine which team he winds up being placed with, sources have confirmed to SBI on Thursday.
The lottery will take place today, with Toronto FC, the LA Galaxy, Seattle Sounders and FC Dallas, among the teams in line to try and land the former U.S. Under-20 national team centerback. Toronto FC has the highest odds in the weighted lottery of landing the young defender.
(UPDATED- Sources tell SBI that Toronto FC has won the lottery for Agbossoumonde.)
The signing ends a lengthy saga that saw MLS try to sign Agbossoumonde earlier in the year only to have him pass on an offer. The move to MLS also signifies that he has finally severed ties with Traffic Sports, which held his rights since he turned pro.
Agbossoumonde, 21, most recently played for the Carolina Railhawks. He spent two years under contract with Portuguese side Estoril Praia, which sent him on loans to Swedish side Djurgarden and German side Eintracht Frankfurt. Prior to that, Agbossoumonde spent time with Portuguese side Sporting Braga.
The move to sign with MLS comes less than a year after Agbossoumonde turned down a contract offer from MLS before joining the Railhawks on loan. A member of the U.S. Under-23 national team player pool a year ago, Agbossoumonde was sidelined due to injury, which kept him from taking part in the U.S. Under-23 Olympic Qualifying campaign.
What do you think of this development? Where would you like to see Agbossoumonde wind up? Still think he could wind up being a U.S. national team regular one day?
Share your thoughts below.