Sounders draft ex-Glacier Peak star Bjornethun in 4th round

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, January 17, 2017

SEATTLE — The Seattle Sounders chose Seattle University defender and former Glacier Peak High School star Kyle Bjornethun with the final pick of the fourth round in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft on Tuesday.

Bjornethun, a Snohomish native, was a four-time All-Western Athletic Conference selection and recorded nine goals and four assists in his career with the Redhawks.

Famililar to the club’s front office from his time with the Sounders FC Academy, Bjornethun started all 86 games in which he appeared for SU, and was the WAC’s Defender of the Year in both his junior and senior campaigns.

In addition, Bjornethun was on the watch list for the Hermann Award, given annually to the nation’s best collegiate soccer player.

“I’m thrilled for Kyle,” Redhawks coach Pete Fewing said in a release on the school’s athletic web site. “He gets to stay home and play in a familar environment. He’s going into a situation where he has a better understanding of the team than any other.”

Gomez retiring

Seattle Sounders forward Herculez Gomez announced Tuesday he is retiring from professional soccer.

Gomez, 34, is joining ESPN as a soccer analyst for its English and Spanish-language networks.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup veteran spent the 2016 season with Seattle, helping the club to its first MLS Cup championship. Overall, he enjoyed a 15-year pro career throughout the United States and Mexico, in addition to his contributions to the U.S. men’s national team.

“I’m so grateful for the years that this game has given me, and I’d like to say thanks to every coach, teammate and fan that has helped me along the way,” Gomez said in a press release provided by the Sounders. “It’s never easy to close the book on your playing career, but I’m very excited to join ESPN and continue to grow the game of soccer throughout the U.S. and Mexico.”

Gomez started 12 of 26 appearances across all competitions for the Sounders during the 2016 season. His signing in Seattle last March marked a return to the Emerald City. He played with the USL Sounders in 2003.

Gomez began his MLS career began with the LA Galaxy, where he made 53 appearances over three seasons, including a 2005 campaign in which he scored 11 goals in 22 games as the Galaxy captured the MLS Cup and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. It was during his time with the Galaxy that he was loaned to the Seattle Sounders of the USL in 2003. He appeared in 17 games, scoring once during his first tenure in Seattle.

“I’d like to thank Herculez not only for being a valuable member of our championship squad last season, but also for his contributions to this game over the past 15 years,” Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said in the press release. “I’ve known Herc a long time, and I have no doubt he will continue to be a valuable asset to the soccer landscape in this country going forward. On top of that, he’s a unique personality with a great perspective, so I’m excited to watch him on ESPN.”

In addition to LA and Seattle, Gomez played in the MLS with Colorado, Kansas City and Toronto.