Less than an hour before the Seattle Sounders took the field for the first time in 2014, they made it official they’ll forge ahead without Shalrie Joseph.
The club announced Saturday afternoon that it has exercised a buyout on the contract of the 35-year-old Joseph, once considered the best holding midfielder in Major League Soccer.
Joseph joined the Sounders as a Designated Player in February 2013 but appeared in just 10 matches last season before he was a no-show for preseason camp this winter, with Sounders head coach Sigi Schmid making it clear that Joseph was not in the team’s plans.
A former fixture for the New England Revolution, Joseph appeared in 261 matches for the Revs and is a four-time MLS Best XI selection. He also played for Chivas USA in 2012 before the was shipped to Seattle a year ago.
Joseph worked out with the Revolution during the preseason but is not currently not under contract with any MLS club.
