There are details still left to be revealed, but the Philadelphia Union have reportedly signed Faryd Mondragon, a 39-year-old former World Cup goalkeeper for Colombia who is currently playing in the German Bundesliga. Mondgragon is currently the oldest player in the league and has lost his starting position. The move would apparently be as a free-transfer, as Mondragon is apparently free to leave FC Koln after Dec. 20.
Philadelphia Union Apparently Sign Colombian GK Faryd Mondragon
Mondragon has been an elite goalkeeper in the past, registering a standout performance during the 1998 World Cup and starting 185 league matches for Turkish power Galatasaray from 2001-07. He came to the Bundesliga and was a starter for his first two seasons with Koln, but was recently demoted to a backup role.
The signing would be the latest in a series of seemingly counter-intuitive decisions by Union coach Peter Nowak regarding the goalkeeper position this offseason. Nowak started the offseason by declaring that Chris Seitz and Brad Knighton were on equal ground for the starting spot next season. Seitz was then made the 12th protected player during the Expansion Draft - despite little reason to believe he would be taken - then had his option declined and entered the Re-Entry Draft. Seitz made about $135,000 last year, which would have made him the 13th highest paid goalkeeper in MLS.
Now, the Union are rumored to be paying Mondragon Designated Player money, which would make him the highest paid player on the Union and likely earn him more than twice the salary of any other goalkeeper in the league. The average MLS starting goalkeeper made about $125,000 last year. Just three goalkeepers made as much $200,000. Kevin Hartman, who turned in one of the greatest seasons in MLS history last year, made just $80,000.
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