Seattle Sounders Decline Option On Starting Goalkeeper Michael Gspurning

(Steven Bisig, USA TODAY Sports)

The Seattle Sounders have decided not to bring back starting goalkeeper Michael Gspurning, declining the 2014 option of his contract.

Gspurning does not qualify to be apart of the MLS Re-Entry Draft which starts on Thursday, so now he’s a free agent, floating around looking for the next place to land. Which team do you believe needs a 32-year-old former playoff-caliber goalkeeper? Let us know in the comments.

Gspurning started all 49 games he played in since playing with the Sounders when he began in 2012. In that same year, he led the MLS in goal-against average with 0.73 during the regular season. He went on to finish in third place for Goalkeeper of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.

In 2013, Gspurning began the season in decent form, but fell apart near the end, including a stretch of four games from September 21st through October 9th where he allowed 11 goals. During the Knockout Round playoff game against the Colorado Rapids, Gspurning was given the rare goalkeeper red card for handling a ball outside of the penalty box.

So what does Seattle do now that they’ve chosen to lose their starting goalkeeper? The other two keepers on the 2013 Sounders’ roster were Marcus Hahnemann and Josh Ford.

Josh Ford was acquired by the Sounders in the 2011 Supplemental Draft. During his time in college while playing at UConn, he was the 2010 Big East Goalkeeper of the Year. He has yet to contribute to a regular season game in the MLS.

Marcus Hahnemann was a fairly successful keeper a few years ago, he was part of the 2006 and 2010 U.S. World Cup squad. He played during the early years of the MLS with the Rapids, and also played with the Sounders before they were added to the top American league.

As of right now, Hahnemann does not have a contract with the Sounders, but according to his own Twitter account he will be back next season:

So who gets the honor of guarding the Seattle net? Are the Sounders playing with either of their current options or will they be searching for something new? We’ll keep you up to date as news arises. Keep it tuned to the MLS Multiplex, or better yet follow @MLSMultiplex on Twitter.