The future is looking bright for Sounders FC.
Tacoma Defiance announced the signings of two of the club’s top Academy prospects on Thursday, with Mohammed Shour and Omar Hassan joining the professional ranks.
The two U.S. Youth National Team took the next step in the club’s professional pathway after demonstrating their ability to compete at a highlevel at only 15 (Hassan) and 17 (Shour) years old.
“We never let age be a restrictor, but we always measure their potential and their qualities on the field, and we try to push them and make them as uncomfortable as we can in more diversifying and difficult environments,” said Technical Director Henry Brauner. “And every time we've put them into a new, more challenging environment, they have responded very well and adapted very quickly.”
After making impactful appearances with Defiance, their respective Academy teams, and the USYNT, it was clear Hassan and Shour were ready to take that next step in their soccer journeys.
Along with his experience playing two years up in MLS NEXT, Hassan was called up to play in two Defiance matches last season. Not only did he score in his debut in a 5-1 victory over Minnesota United 2, he also became the youngest player on Defiance to accomplish such a feat. Beyond the Sounders, Hassan was selected as the 2024 Vlatko Markovic Tournament MVP during his stint with the U.S. U-15 YNT.
Additionally, Shour recorded minutes in four Defiance matches over the last two seasons, collecting 11 saves in 2023 alone. His efforts in the Academy also earned him the MLS NEXT All-Star game MVP award in 2023 and opportunities to represent the U-16 USYNT.
“You become a professional when you start acting one like one and they've always done that,” said Brauner. “And now, we get to really see them in an environment where this is now their job.”
He continued, “It's going to be difficult at times, but based on what we've seen from them, from a character mentality perspective, they're going to be just fine.”
The two signings are a testament to the success of the Sounders’ player pathway.
“It’s another example that it’s a healthy [system],” said Director of Development Wade Webber. “We have a very good relationship from top to bottom in this club. There is a one club mentality here.”
Shour is the first goalkeeper in the Sounders pathway to sign a professional contract at the club while Hassan is among the youngest players to go pro in Sounders history. Hassan joins current First Team midfielders Obed Vargas and Danny Leyva as former Academy prospects who transitioned to the second team at only 15-years-old.
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“We always felt like [their] potential could be something more than just Academy players that go to college,” said Brauner. “So I think we're starting to see that come to light.”
Seattle has a history of consistently producing talented midfielders and center backs out of the player pathway and into the professional space. But with the latest additions at goalkeeper and winger, the club is demonstrating a growth in development across multiple positions.
“We're becoming maybe a little bit more well-rounded,” said Brauner. “We're rounding out some of the edges where we were a little bit narrowed, and I think we're able to now be a little bit more holistic in the positions we are producing for the future.”
While the Academy to professional pipeline at the club has already shown success in players like Vargas, Leyva, and Josh Atencio, to name a few, the momentum remains strong and continues to reach new heights with the signings of Shour and Hassan.
“What we saw in all of them at that transition point from Academy into their first professional contract, we see that in Mo, and we see it in Omar for sure,” said Brauner. “[Mo and Omar] exude the qualities and high performance kind of standards that they've all shown at that age, and we're excited that we have two more hopefully going towards the same outcome.”
