Marcus Hahnemann is bringing the noise home. America’s favorite heavy-metal goalkeeper is returning to his hometown Seattle Sounders, the place where he began his professional career 18 years ago.
Seattle acquired the two-time World Cup veteran – who signed a contract with Major League Soccer on Friday and returned to the league via the allocation process – by obtaining Toronto FC's spot atop the allocation rankings in exchange for a conditional draft pick. Hahnemann had been without a club since his release from Everton FC in May.
“This is where I started my career and I wanted to finish here,” Hahnemann said in a Sounders club statement. “This is what we’ve always dreamed would happen in Seattle, and what I always wanted when I was here.”
After a prolific college career at Seattle Pacific University, the Emerald City native began his career in 1994 with the then second-division Sounders, helping them to the A-League title in 1996. A year later, he made the jump to MLS, joining Colorado and helping the Rapids reach MLS Cup for the first time in franchise history.
Hahnemann remained in Colorado until 1999, making 66 appearances for the MLS club before heading to Europe.
He first landed at Fulham, then also played at Rochdale and Reading on loan before joining Reading permanently in 2002. He famously helped the Royals gain promotion to the Premier League for the 2006-07 season alongside fellow US international Bobby Convey. He later joined Wolverhampton Wanderers and then most recently Everton, where he played understudy to Tim Howard but never made a first-team appearance.
In Seattle, the 40-year-old will back up incumbent Michael Gspurning, who has been excellent in his first year with the Sounders following the retirement of another Seattle icon – and close friend of Hahnemann’s – Kasey Keller.
“Adding Marcus for the final stretch gives us experience and quality on and off the field to supplement our current core of goalkeepers,” Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid said in a statement.
Hahnemann has nine caps for the US national team and was part of the 2006 and 2010 World Cup squads.
