Seattle Sounders sign Lamar Neagle and Servando Carrasco

The club has formally announced that both Lamer Neagle and Servando Carrasco have been signed to contracts. Joshua Mayers points out that there is another new face in camp as #TheTrialist and that Prieto is no longer training with the team but still welcome to do so.

The roster battle is really simple now. Do the Sounders sign Mauro Rosales and which of Josh Ford and Bryan Meredith make the club? Sure, someone could move to the injured list and Seattle could go add both, or one and the new player, but at this point the the Steelyard says the most likely thing to happen is that only one keeper is signed.

While recent days may make it seem like the Sounders have had a lot of roster churn, they are still a team that believes in keeping a strong core. Of the 19 (if I include Rosales) starting quality players on the roster, four are new. That's 80% of the core being players that return. On the overall roster of 30 only seven are new to the team, and that may need to be a 6.5 as Lamar Neagle is a returnee of sorts.

When looking at the rosters of the rare MLS dynasties you would note that they didn't have churn. Adrian Hanauer and Sigi Schmid clearly believe the team needed tweaks, not significant changes. The only team in MLS where that is true this year is Real Salt Lake. Every other team has significant churn to its starting lineup, let alone to its depth. This is how a dynasty is built. Seattle's goals are clear.

Press release on the Neagle and Carrasco signings below

Sounders FC Signs Forward Lamar Neagle, Midfielder Servando Carrasco

RENTON, WASH. - The Seattle Sounders FC signed forward Lamar Neagle and midfielder Servando Carrasco, the club announced today. Per Major League Soccer and club policy, terms were not disclosed. 

A Tacoma native, Neagle, 23, re-joins Sounders FC after successful stints in America and abroad during 2010. He scored 12 goals in 19 regular season matches for the Charleston Battery to earn Golden Boot and MVP honors in USL-2, the third tier of U.S. professional soccer. The Battery went on to win the 2010 USL-2 championship.

Following the season Neagle was signed by Finland's IFK Mariehamn, where he played in five leagues matches last fall scoring two goals. He returns to Seattle as a free agent.

Neagle is joining Sounders FC for the second time. He signed on June 10, 2009 but was limited to action in friendlies versus Chelsea and Barcelona. He was waived after the season and spent the 2010 preseason in training as an invitee. Neagle was a three-time Mountain Pacific Sports Federation first team selection while at UNLV. He earlier played for Federal Way's Thomas Jefferson High School.

"This is where I want to be," said Neagle. "From the start, I knew I needed more games to get better, and now I'm ready to make a difference. The biggest difference is my confidence and feeling comfortable on the field, and confidence comes from playing games and playing well."

"We welcome back Lamar," said head coach Sigi Schmid. "The year away was very beneficial to him. He's a versatile player who can play up front as well as wide midfield."

Carrasco, 22, was selected by Seattle with the 27^th pick overall in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. A defensive midfielder, Carrasco has played in all eight preseason games, starting three. He scored the winning goal in last Saturday's 1-0 win over the Chicago Fire in Bradenton, Fla.

Carrasco was born in San Diego but grew up in Tijuana, Mexico and holds dual citizenship. He played all four years at the University of California and was a three-time All-Pac-10 selection, earning first team honors in 2010. Carrasco finished his collegiate career by starting all 20 games last fall for the Bears and scoring seven goals along with three assists.

"I'm very happy to officially become a part the Sounders, and I'm excited to get this season started," said Carrasco. "We've all been working extremely hard and we've established a great foundation during this preseason, and I know this is going to be a successful season." 

"We are excited to have Servando joining our team," said Schmid. "He's a central midfielder with good defensive tendencies who help us in our quest this year."

Sounders FC opens the 2011 MLS season on Tuesday, March 15 by hosting the L.A. Galaxy on the Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. PT.

 

Transaction: Seattle Sounders FC (MLS) - Signed FW Lamar Neagle

Position: Forward
Height: 5-11
Weight:  165
Birthdate: 5/7/1987
Hometown (Citizenship): Federal Way, Wash. (USA)
College: UNLV
Pronunciation: NAY-gull

 

Transaction: Seattle Sounders FC (MLS) - Signed MF Servando Carrasco
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-10
Weight: 170
Birthdate: 8/13/1988
Hometown (Citizenship): San Diego, Calif. (USA)
College: California
High School: St. Augustine HS

A depth chart will be up later today with today's news. Also on order is for me to update the official roster page.

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