Seattle Sounders FC selected 10 players Wednesday in the Major League Soccer Expansion Draft.
Sounders FC begins play in the spring of 2009.
Seattle’s selections included Northwest native and U.S. National Team member Nate Jaqua, a forward from the University of Portland who played last season for the Houston Dynamo, and three players with international experience at the senior level: midfielder Kahno Smith (New England), forward Jarrod Smith (Toronto FC) and midfielder Peter Vagenas (Los Angeles).
“We feel like we got a great mix of players,” said Adrian Hanauer, Sounders FC general manager. “We got an experienced veteran who has been there in the trenches and played lots of MLS games in Peter Vagenas. We got mid-tier experienced guys in (Jeff) Parke, Jaqua and Khano Smith. We’re very excited about the young players we were able to select.
“We weighted the draft a little more defensively, rather than the attack.”
Sounders FC had already signed four players for its inaugural season: goalkeeper Kasey Keller, forward Sebastien Le Toux, and midfielders Freddie Ljungberg and Sanna Nyassi, midfielder.
Below are bios of the players selected in the expansion draft:
Nate Jaqua
Pronunciation: JAKE-wuh
Position: Forward
Height: 6-3
Weight: 180
Birthdate: October 28, 1981 (age 27)
Hometown: Eugene, OR
Last club: Houston Dynamo
College: Portland
MLS Seasons: 6
2008: Played in 14 games after joining team midseason, starting 11 … Scored four goals and had four assists …Played in two playoffs, starting one.
Career: Last 29 games over two seasons with Houston … Previously played for SC Rheindorf Altach (Austria), 2008; L.A. Galaxy, 2007; Toronto FC, 2006-07; and Chicago Fire, 2003-06 … Appeared in 131 games, starting 93 … 32 goals and 17 assists in 6 regular seasons.
International: Three appearances for U.S. National Team since 2006, including at Wembley vs. England in May.
Jeff Parke
Pronunciation: PARK
Position: Defender
Height: 6-1
Weight: 185
Birthdate: 3/23/1982 (age 26)
Hometown: Downington, PA
Last club: New York Red Bulls
College: Drexel
MLS Seasons: 5
2008: Played in 24 games, starting 23 … 0-0 (0-0)
Career: Appeared in 132 games, all for New York, starting 126 … Named team’s defender of the year in 2007…2006 named Red Bulls Ironman of the Year for logging in a team-high 2,771 minutes and was named co-unsung player of the year by members of the soccer media.
Stephen King
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-8
Weight: 153
Birthdate: 3/06/1986 (age 22)
Hometown: Medford, NJ
Last club: Chicago Fire
College: Maryland
MLS Seasons: 1
2008: In his first MLS season, played in 20 games, starting eight … Scored two goals and had one assist … Had first MLS goal against the New England Revolution (5/3/08).
College: College Soccer News First Team All-American and ESPN Academic All-American for Maryland as senior.
Nathan Sturgis
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-10
Weight: 150
Birthdate: 7/06/1987 (age 21)
Hometown: St. Augustine, FL
Last club: Real Salt Lake
College: Clemson
MLS Seasons: 3
2008: Played in three games, starting two.
Career: Appeared in 32 games, starting 30 … 2007 played nine games, starting eight with LA Galaxy before being traded to RSL (6/21/07), where he started five of six played … 2006 started all of his 15 appearances for LA.
College: All-American and ACC Defensive player of the year for Tigers as sophomore … 12th pick in 2006 MLS SuperDraft.
James Riley
Position: Defender-Midfielder
Height: 5-10
Weight: 150
Birthdate: 10/26/1982 (age 26)
Hometown: Colorado Springs, CO
Last club: San Jose Earthquakes
College: Wake Forest
MLS Seasons: 4
2008: Played 24 games, starting 23 … Had two assists.
Career: Appeared in 77 games, starting 94 … Scored one goal and had five assists … Played first three seasons (2005-07) with New England Revolution … Member of New England’s Open Cup championship team in ’07 and MLS runner-up (2006-07).
Khano Smith
Pronunciation: KAHN-no
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6-3
Weight: 190
Birthdate: 1/10/1982 (age 26)
Hometown: Warwick, Bermuda
Last club: New England Revolution
College: Lees-McCrae
MLS Seasons: 4
2008: Played in 23 games, starting eighteen … Had two goals and three assists.
Career: Appeared in 85 games, starting 54, all for New England … Scored eight goals and had 11 assists … Played in two MLS Cups (2006, 2007), starting in 2007 vs. Houston.
International: Bermuda National Team striker.
Tyson Wahl
Pronunciation: wall
Position: Defender
Height: 6-2
Weight: 185
Birthdate: 2/23/1984 (age 24)
Hometown: Newport Beach, CA
Last club: Kansas City Wizards
College: California
MLS Seasons: 3
2008: Played in 16 games, starting all 16 … Started both playoff games.
Career: Appeared in 36 games, starting 26, all with Kansas City.
College: All-American defender at California, where he started every game of career.
Jarrod Smith
Position: Forward
Height: 6-1
Weight: 180
Birthdate: 6/20/1984 (age 24)
Hometown: Havelock North, New Zealand
Last club: Toronto FC
College: West Virginia
MLS Seasons: 1
2008: In first MLS season, played in 20 games, starting six … Scored first and only career MLS goal at LA Galaxy (4/13/08) … Selected first round, first overall in 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft.
College: Compiled 32 goals in 74 appearances … Scored 14 goals in just 16 appearances as a senior.
International: Member of New Zealand National Team … made debut vs. Malaysia (2/23/06).
Peter Vagenas
Pronunciation: vye-YAY-nuss
Position: Midfielder
Height: 5-8
Weight: 187
Birthdate: 2/6/1978 (age 30)
Hometown: Pasadena, CA
Last club: LA Galaxy
College: UCLA
MLS Seasons: 9
2008: Played in 14 games, starting 11 … Scored one goal and three assists.
Career: Appeared in 183 games over nine seasons, starting 164, all with the Galaxy … Scored 14 goals and 25 assists … Captained Team to the 2005 MLS Cup, U.S. Open Cup double, while setting a career high with five goals.
College: Played first three years at UCLA with Sigi Schmid as head coach … Had 15 goals and 30 assists in 82
career games … Led Bruins to the 1997 NCAA Championship.
International: Led the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team in goals scored with three en route to a fourth place finish, the best U.S. finish ever … Has made two U.S. National Team appearances.
Brad Evans
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6-1
Weight: 160
Birthdate: 4/20/1985 (age 23)
Hometown: Phoenix, AZ
Last club: Columbus Crew
College: UC Irvine
MLS Seasons: 2
2008: As a member of the MLS Cup champions, played in 26 games, starting 18, including a full 90 minutes in the championship game … Scored five goals and one assist.
Career: Appeared in 30 games, starting 19 … Scored five goals and two assists … Made first career start at New York (5/19/07).
College: Started 66 of 75 games, scoring 31 goals and 7 assists in his four-year career for the Anteaters.
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