NOTE: This is a feature in the October edition of Sounders Monthly. It is available free-of-charge at The NINETY, GuestLink Services locations, Soccer Celebration and Membership Central. You can also access it on the Sounders Mobile App.
In January 2009, I was in my hotel room leading up to the MLS SuperDraft. I was 20 years old and full of nerves because I didn’t know what was ahead, but confident since I just had a very successful season at Akron. Alexi Lalas was covering the draft for ESPN and called my hotel room – I didn’t even have a cell phone yet – and he asked where I wanted to get drafted.