The race to back up goalkeeper Kasey Keller just became a little bit tighter.
The Seattle Sounders used their first pick in Tuesday's MLS Supplemental Draft on a goalkeeper, Josh Ford of the University of Connecticut. The 2010 Big East Goalkeeper of the Year joins 2010 backup Terry Boss and 2011 SuperDraft selection Bryan Meredith in the competition to understudy Seattle’s veteran captain.
Expanded rosters make it likely teams will carry at least three goalkeepers. The Sounders wanted to bring Ford, who boasts an armload of honors from his career with the Huskies, to their preseason camp to compete for one of those positions.
"Josh Ford is a very athletic, quick keeper who comes up with big saves when you need them," Sounders FC technical director Chris Henderson said in a team release. "He made some good reflex saves at both our combine and the MLS Combine, plus we had seen him a couple times during the season."
WATCH: Josh Ford highlights
Ford, 23, was a four-year starter at UConn. In addition to the Big East honer, he also earned First Team College Soccer News All-American and All-Big East First Team honors as a senior. Ford holds the school record for career shutouts (50), consecutive starts (85) and wins (54).
Seattle’s final two supplemental round selections were spent on two familiar players: No. 29 overall pick Corey Attaway (right back, UC Irvine) and No. 47 Sean Morris (MF, Seattle University).
Henderson indicated that Attaway had attended Seattle’s Las Vegas Combine and had come to the club’s attention through assistant coach Kurt Schmid, who has connections to UC Irvine. Morris is a graduate of Seattle’s Bishop Blanchet High School.
These trio is expected to join the Sounders’ five SuperDraft selections when Seattle begin training camp on Jan. 25.
Think you know the game? Test your powers of prediction with MLSsoccer.com's new fantasy game,Pro Soccer Picks. Play NOW!
