SEATTLE, WASH. – Sounders FC goalkeeper Bryan Meredith was selected by Inter Miami FC with the ninth overall pick in the 2019 MLS Expansion Draft on Tuesday. Meredith, who saw his option exercised by Sounders FC for 2019, is now under contract with expansion side Miami, who enters MLS next season alongside Nashville SC. A full list of Sounders FC’s 2020 roster decisions is being announced tomorrow.
Meredith, 30, made 19 appearances for Sounders FC across all competitions since being drafted in the second round (29th overall) in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft out of Monmouth. He spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons in Seattle, making 12 MLS appearances, then returned in 2017 after a three-year stint with the San Jose Earthquakes, as well as some time with Swedish club IK Brage and the New York Cosmos. Meredith made one MLS appearance in 2018, a 2-1 win at the Colorado Rapids, as well as seeing some action in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League while serving as Stefan Frei’s backup.
This marks the second time Sounders FC has lost a goalkeeper in the last three seasons to the MLS Expansion Draft, after Tyler Miller was selected by Los Angeles FC with its top pick in 2017.
Sounders FC won the 2019 MLS Cup on November 10 with a 3-1 victory over Toronto FC at CenturyLink Field. Kelvin Leerdam, VÃctor RodrÃguez and Raúl RuidÃaz all scored for Seattle as the Rave Green captured its second championship in four seasons. Seattle previously won the 2016 title before falling in 2017, both against Toronto at BMO Field. The crowd of 69,274 provided the largest standalone attendance for a sporting event in the history of CenturyLink Field, as well as the largest for a soccer match in the history of Washington state.