Hahnemann retired. He surrendered to the reality that he wasn't going to finish his profession where it began: in Seattle, together with the Sounders.
He was beginning to plan his life immediately after soccer. Some coaching with his pals and former Sounders teammates Likelihood Fry and Bernie James. A good deal of fishing close to his cabin in Cle Elum. Maybe even a real job in advertising and marketing.
"I was genuinely retired," Hahnemann said.
Immediately after three seasons together with the old A-League Sounders, a stint with Colorado in MLS, two Globe Cups and 13 years as a goalkeeper in England, Hahnemann was going to leave the game and forget about his dream of 1 far more run with his house club.
After which Sounders FC common manager Adrian Hanauer referred to as, inviting him for any workout. And immediately after watching Hahnemann train with goalkeeper coach Tom Dutra last week, Hanauer asked him, "Do you nevertheless want to play?"
"With you guys?" Hahnemann said. "Yeah."
It was as easy as that.
"I thought it was something that had slipped by means of my fingers. It had all gone by the wayside and all of a sudden it was happening," Hahnemann said Monday prior to heading for the weight room. "It did not quite make sense."
Friday, just before MLS rosters were frozen for the season, Hahnemann signed with Seattle.
"I believe Marcus was beginning to set himself up to get a bit of a life of leisure," Hanauer stated. "And we gave him a contact and told him to hold off on the fishing and hunting no less than just a little longer."
Hahnemann is really a luxury on a group that already is locked and loaded for a run in the MLS Cup. The Sounders are 10-2-3 when Michael Gspurning Chelsea Jersey, a former Austrian national team keeper, begins. But Gspurning missed a large chunk from the season having a hip injury.
Now, with 6-foot-3 Hahnemann, the Sounders have a high quality insurance coverage policy and one more touch of class on a team that continues to add it custom soccer jerseys, regardless of whether it really is with Argentine midfielder Mauro Rosales or longtime Bundesliga midfielder Christian Tiffert.
"Of course I need to play," Hahnemann mentioned. "I didn't come here to just make up numbers. That's not why I'm a goalkeeper. And let me tell you, it's not the cash that Adrian's paying me. I can tell you that to get a truth. Adrian did tell me he was a bit bit embarrassed with what he was providing me. But I told him whatever is fine. It didn't matter. I just wanted to come out."
Hahnemann started 276 league games for Reading in England. He was a backup keeper on the United States' 2006 and 2010 World Cup teams. He's been capped nine occasions. And like former Sounder Kasey Keller, he is actually a hometown boy at the same time as a slice of soccer history within this city.
He played many of his high school games at Starfire, where the Sounders train. The A-League Sounders won two championships with Hahnemann, and he was the keeper on a national championship team at Seattle Pacific.
His arrival is yet another sign that this group is prepared to push the envelope in pursuit of a championship. Signing Hahnemann is not some sentimental journey.
"It was all soccer," Hanauer stated. "We wouldn't have completed it for sentiment. We feel he's nonetheless got great goalkeeping in him. It really is an added bonus if there is somewhat of sentiment in there. But we're inside the business of winning championships, and as significantly as I really like Marcus ... if he could not do the business Manchester United Jersey, we wouldn't have signed him."
Hahnemann, 40, worked out with all the squad for the initial time Monday.
"I cannot think I'm here Real Madrid Jersey," he said right after coaching.
He practically joined the Sounders final season, but stayed in England and backed up fellow American Tim Howard at Everton. He was released in May.
"It's fairly surreal," he said. "To sit in the locker room nowadays, I imply ?a we did not feel we were going to acquire it completed."
He expects to be with all the team by way of the 2013 season then he'll re-evaluate his future.
"We've got to obtain him fit first and see what is left inside the tank," said Dutra, who has been a friend of Hahnemann's for over 20 years and was a teammate for a season together with the old Sounders. "He's an remarkable shot-stopper. Often has been. Very fast for his size. We'll just need to see what he looks like when he's able to go. It really is going to take time."
Couple of athletes get to script their leave-taking. The unemotional business of sports overwhelms nostalgia. Hahnemann is one of the lucky ones. He will finish his profession on his terms and with his group.
"I had an unbelievable career in England. Much better than I ever dreamed of," he said. "But this was the very first pro group I ever played for. Every person knew I wanted to come back and play in Seattle. It is amazing. It's unbelievable."
Marcus Hahnemann will finish his profession in Seattle. It's not unbelievable. It's actual.
No comments:
Post a Comment