"Itamar Keinan is pleased to announce signings of Total Football players, Tim Janssen from Holland and Idan Vered from Israel. We wish Tim and Idan the best of luck this season!"
"Sporting Kansas City announced the signing of Kenyan international midfielder Lawrence Olum, who previously played for the club from 2011-2014. He will be added to the Sporting KC senior roster for the 2016 season pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate and P1 Visa.
We are very excited to have these players back in 2016, Sporting KC Manager Peter Vermes said in a team statement. Seth and Lawrence have extensive experience at the top level, while Jon has continued to improve each year with the club. Collectively they will help bring a winning mentality to the team.
Olum, 31, was a member of Sporting KC from 2011-2014, making 83 appearances in all competitions with three goals and three assists. He joined Malaysian side Kedah FA last November and helped the team win the 2015 Malaysia Premier League earlier this year.
Olum has earned four caps for the Kenya National Team since debuting for the Harambee Stars in May 2014. He most recently played for Kenya in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Zambia on Sept. 6."
From: MLS Soccer
"Oklahoma City Energy FC announced Wednesday the club has re-signed defender and Norman native Kalen Ryden.
Ryden signed with Oklahoma City in August, appearing in scattered minutes down the stretch of the Energy’s run to the Western Conference Final. Ryden came on as a sub in overtime against Colorado Springs in the United Soccer League playoffs before converting the fifth penalty for the Energy in a thrilling shootout victory.
The left-footed defender was drafted by Columbus Crew back in January in the MLS SuperDraft. Columbus loaned Ryden to the USL’s Austin Aztex on separate occasions before ultimately cutting ties with the rookie. That’s when Energy FC stepped in and signed the 24-year-old."
From: NewsOK
Coming into Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Whitecaps, much of the attention surrounding the Philadelphia Union concentrated around their rocky goalkeeping situation.
But with two keepers (Andre Blake and John McCarthy) hurt and another (Rais Mbolhi) being held out, new acquisition Brian Sylvestre actually helped stabilize the position with an excellent performance in his MLS debut.
The problem was that Sylvestre didn’t get nearly enough help from his teammates as his seven-save effort was spoiled in Philly’s ugly 3-0 loss to the Whitecaps at BC Place.
“He actually had a very good game, all things considered,” Union head coach Jim Curtin said. “We hung him out to dry on the first two goals and the third one as well. Point-blank shots on all of them. He made some good saves for us. He did everything we could have asked for.”
The Carolina RailHawks announced the signing of goalkeeper Brian Sylvestre ahead of the 2015 NASL Season.
The physically stately 6 foot 5" American shot stopper is a former player of the USL Harrisburg City Islanders, where he made three senior level appearances. Sylvestre, 22, debuted for the Islanders in a U.S. Open Cup match against the Philadelphia Union and is a former member of both the United States U-17 and U-20 National Teams.
“Brian is a very competitive player, he is a goalkeeper with a bright future,” said RailHawks Head Coach Colin Clarke. “I have high expectations of him. We would have not signed him if we did not believe he is someone we could help develop into a top-class goalkeeper.”
Columbus Crew SC selected a player in each of the first two rounds of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft, filling two needs that Head Coach and Sporting Director Gregg Berhalter said he and his staff identified before the day began.
“In drafting defender Sergio Campbell and forward Sagi Lev-Ari (pictured), Berhalter said he hopes to find immediate contribution from two players who fit the profile of what the club was looking for. “They’re both very coachable players,” Berhalter told reporters on a conference call Thursday. “They both want to improve and get better and they have a lot of potential. We look for guys with good character, and these two guys fit the bill.”
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LAUDERHILL, Fla. – Sagi Lev-Ari hasn’t exactly followed the typical path for an MLS prospect.
Like many of his peers at the 2015 adidas MLS Player Combine, Lev-Ari came up through the ranks of his hometown club, developing at Israeli side Maccabi Haifa. And, like nearly all of his Combine counterparts, the 6-foot-1 forward starred in college, scoring 42 goals in 64 games in three seasons at Cal St.-Northridge.
But, unlike perhaps anyone else in the history of the league, Lev-Ari is hoping to enter MLS after serving in his country’s military. Like all Israeli citizens, the 25-year-old Lev-Ari was obligated to serve in the Israeli Defense Force. So he put his soccer career on hold for three years, serving as an infantry soldier and only occasionally training with Maccabi Haifa.
Though he had an opportunity to resume his career with Haifa after he finished his stint in the army, Lev-Ari chose another path, eschewing a chance to play in the Israeli first division for a shot at a both an education and a soccer career in the United States.
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Guy Abend "has tremendous presence in the midfield and will offer great protection to our back four."