A favorite of fans and team mates Ozzie Alonso will sign a one-day contract and retire as a Sounder. A classy move by the club to honor an exemplary players on and off the field After playing 15 seasons in MLS ten of which were with the Sounders the “ Honey Badger’s career has come to an end. Alonso earned the nickname for his hard-nosed, tenacious play that was feared by opponents and marveled by teammates.
“In the history of Sounders soccer, there are certain players who epitomize the ethos of the club – who are stamped with the grit, determination, and mindset that our organization stands for,” said Sounders FC Majority Owner Adrian Hanauer. “Ozzie is one of those players. My first experience with him was when he was playing opposite our team, and I knew immediately that he was a player you only wanted to see if he was in your uniform.
With Ozzie’s help – both through his on-field skills and off-field character and leadership – Sounders FC saw great success as it began building its MLS legacy. I couldn’t be happier to welcome Ozzie and his family back to Seattle so that we can honor his incredible career.”
SOUNDER FROM THE START
Born in Cuba Alonso honed his skill in his homeland and was selected as a member of the Cuban National Team for the 2007 Concacaf Gold Cup Team. Alonso defected while the team was in Houston and was able to stay in the United States and play for the USL’s Charleston Battery. With a pending move to MLS in 2009 Owner and General Manager of the USL Seattle Sounders Adrian Hanuer noticed Alonso’s skills and made him a member of the original MLS Sounders team.
DURABLE AND RELIABLE
Alonso built his stature as a Sounder legend playing in 277 games scoring 10 goals and recording 24 assists while raising six different trophies as the team captain. In that span, Alonso earned MLS All-Star designation four consecutive seasons (2011-2014) and was named to the MLS Best XI in 2012. In all competitions, Alonso recorded 339 appearances for Sounders FC, the most of any field player in the club’s MLS era.
“As a coach, you simply couldn’t ask for more than what Ozzie brought, day in and day out,” said Sounders FC Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “He played the kind of soccer our fans loved to cheer for and opponents feared. It was soccer played with dedication passion, skill, and respect for the game. It’s special to have coached such a stellar player, but, even more so, I’m grateful to know Ozzie as the exceptional human being that he is. It’s an honor to welcome him back to retire as a Sounder.”
LIFE AFTER SOUNDERS
After departing Seattle following the 2018 season, Alonso made stops at Minnesota United FC (2019-2021) and Atlanta United FC (2022-2023). He recorded the first-ever goal at Allianz Field, Minnesota’s home stadium, on April 13, 2019, and provided inestimable leadership and fire to every team on which he played.
A DISTINGUISHED CAREER
Alonso finished his MLS professional playing career having recorded 349 regular-season appearances with 13 goals and 26 assists, as well as 30 postseason appearances with three goals. Across all competitions, he recorded 424 appearances, 24 goals and 30 assists. Alonso is set to attend Saturday’s MLS home opener against Austin FC (7:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, 93.3 KJR FM, El Rey 1360 AM), with further details about the Sounders FC legend’s activities to follow later this week.
