Sounders 2 make their first signings

Sounders FC 2 announced the signing of Sounders Academy star Duncan McCormick as well as six-year pro Amadou Sanyang. These are the first two signings for the new USL side. The club is expected to sign 15-20 players on USL contracts with a few players loaned down from the 1st team and a few more pulled up from the Academy. McCormick played with the 2014 Sounders Reserves while still in high school, something that will still be possible in the new setup.

McCormick, the son of former USL Sounder and current academy coach Dick McCormick, walked away from his scholarship to soccer power Wake Forrest to pursue his dream of pro soccer. After hints at an MLS HGP deal fell to the wayside, Duncan went on trial in Germany for a bit, played for the Tacoma Stars and now today becomes the first Seattle Sounders Academy player to sign directly with S2.

He is a compact central midfielder who is better in a box-to-box role, but has experience sitting deep as well. He's a solid passer who tends to look for simple balls that set up his more creative teammates, rather than attempting to thread the impossible ball. McCormick won't notch the assist often, but he determines the pace of play quite well. McCormick was a set-piece target in the Academy and makes strong late runs. He scored seven goals with the Academy in 13/14 and 5 goals the year before playing as a 17-year-old on the U18 club.

"It's good to be a part of this program, especially in the first year," said McCormick via team release. "I see a ton of positive things coming along and it's going to be a great stepping stone to get to the First Team. I wasn't ready to make that jump from the Academy right away, but this allows me to do my business with S2 to hopefully make the move eventually."

Duncan is 19 and spent time with Spanish 3rd division side Colemenar Viejo in 2011, as well as Crossfire. He is fluent in Spanish.

This is Amadou Sanyang's second stint with the Sounders. With the first team in 2011 he earned 75 competitive minutes. Most of those came in a single CCL match. Amadou is still only 23 and is now in his ninth season as a pro after stints with Real de Banjul (Gambia), Toronto FC, Sounders and the Charleston Battery.

"Amadou was a guy I asked Andrew [Opatkiewicz] to get ahold of first," said S2 Head Coach Ezra Hendrickson via press release. "Because this is going to be mostly a younger team, I needed someone with experience. Winning is part of developing and I think Amadou is going to be a guy who can help us do that. He has been our captain so far this season and has been an extension of the coaching staff on the field."

Mostly a defensive midfielder he also spent a small amount of time as a right back in training with Seattle on his first stint here. Sanyang scored six goals in his three years with the Battery.

S2 signings should be coming fast and furious soon. Yesterday, indications came out that Pablo Rossi will sign shortly.

Exclusiva Sounders: Tras investigación y dar con una fuente confiable quiero adelantar que Sounders 2 contratará a Pablo Rossi el dia de hoy

— Niko Moreno (@ELROLONW) February 26, 2015