TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS:Signings
The Seattle Sounders on Monday announced they have signed midfielders Josh Atencio and Ethan Dobbelaere to Homegrown Player contracts, marking the 14th and 15th Homegrowns signed in club history.
“We are pleased to announce the signing of two strong prospects from our developmental pipeline,” Sounders GM Garth Lagerwey said in a statement. “Josh and Ethan both have a lot of potential and we’re excited to see what they can do at the next level.”
Atencio, 18, previously signed a USL contract prior to the 2019 season and made 25 appearances (23 starts) for the Sounders' affiliate Tacoma Defiance. He first joined the academy in 2016.
Dobbelaere, 17, signs directly from the academy, having spent six seasons with the club. He was one of three Sounders FC players (along with Danny Leyva and Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez) to make the roster for 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup, making a substitute appearance against Senegal and earning a start against the Netherlands.
“Josh and Ethan are good young players who have performed well in training with the first team when given the chance,” head coach Brian Schmetzer said in a statement. “I look forward to bringing them more into the fold and continuing to see them develop as professionals.”
