Remember when Seattle Sounders Head Coach Sigi Schmid and company cut a huge chunk of the team last year to go leaner and meaner? Well, maybe not so much leaner and meaner, but definitely younger and hungrier. Well, the Powers That Be are continuing that trend as they scramble to meet the salary cap requirement following the sudden departure of Oba Martins. They have selected Oalex Anderson to join the team. Anderson, 20, signed on with S2 and is now joining the MLS just six days before the big home opener on Sunday.

Born on November 11, 1995, Anderson is from St. Vincent and the Grenadines and has only been on the S2 team since last year. He stands at 5’8 and weighs 155 pounds. While playing for St. Vincent, Anderson made a total of 20 club appearances and 10 goals. He tied for fourth place on the team in goal scoring. The forward will be wearing the #39 jersey this season. Of the 20 appearances, he started in a total of seven. In 2013, he was the top scorer in the NLA Premier League. Because of his goal scoring, he was given the nickname “Bounty.” He is also known for his speed on the field, so that may be one reason why he was selected after Martins left the team.

Sounders GM and President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey said that it is exciting to move Anderson up to the first team, saying, “Oalex has a lot of potential, which he showed last season, and we’re happy to have him join the senior squad ahead of the 2016 MLS season.” Anderson was awarded the Golden Boot in the NLA Premier League during the 2013-2014season. He was runner up for the Antigua and Barbuda Premier Division Golden Boot Award during the 2014-2015 season.

S2 head coach Ezra Hendrickson, who met Anderson while serving as an assistant coach for the Vincentian national team, says, “Oalex is an incredibly special player, and he can do some incredible things on the field. We believe his future is bright with this club, and he will be with the organization for a long time to come.”

Anderson is not the first player to join the first team from S2. Most fans will recall that Andy Craven also made the transition. What do you think about the acquisition of Anderson? Fans can learn more about him and follow him on Twitter.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia