Jordy Delem joins USL’s San Antonio FC

Jordy Delem has signed with San Antonio FC of the USL Championship, the team announced on Thursday. Delem has been training with the Seattle Sounders for most of the year while recovering from a torn ACL he suffered early in 2021.

There had been some hope that he might rejoin the Sounders once he regained full fitness, but even after João Paulo’s injury the indications from the team were that they were satisfied with their existing depth. Beyond that, there was a distinct sense that the Sounders did not view the 29-year-old Delem as enough of an upgrade to justify giving him minutes over developing players like Josh Atencio, Danny Leyva and AB Cissoko.

While the USL Championship is a step down in terms of competition, San Antonio seems like a good spot for Delem. The club is currently tied for the lead in the Western Conference and is much more focused on winning than on developing young players. There’s also at least one familiar face in San Antonio in former Sounders forward Justin Dhillon. The Sounders have also sent several players to San Antonio on loan over the years.