Seattle Sounders FC to announce signing of goalkeeper Kasey Keller

Kasey Keller, one of the most decorated American soccer players in U.S. national team history and a Lacey native, will soon be in goal for his local professional team.

Seattle Sounders FC has scheduled a news conference for this afternoon at Qwest Field, where the team will announce the signing of Keller as the second member of the new Major League Soccer franchise's roster.

MLS handles player contracts on behalf of its clubs, so Keller was signed by the league and will be allocated to Sounders FC, which opens play in the spring.

Sounders FC, according to MLS sources, has the right to the first player allocation as an expansion team. It's believed that Keller was signed as an allocated player, so the team can still acquire a foreign player and make him their designated player and his salary can exceed the team's salary cap.

Adding Keller is the most recent major news for Sounders FC, which was officially established as an MLS expansion team last November. Since then, the club has signed its first player, 24-year-old forward Sebastien Le Toux; instituted a unique membership program for fans; sold more than 16,000 season-ticket deposits, and unveiled a sponsorship partnership with Microsoft that includes the software giant's signature video-game brand, Xbox 360 Live, on team jerseys.

Keller, 38, most recently played for Fulham in the English Premier League. He has spent the past 18 seasons playing professionally in England, Spain and Germany, and is one of only two American players to have appeared in four World Cups. Keller has 102 caps, or international match appearances, and is the U.S. national team's all-time leader in World Cup-qualifying appearances and shutouts and overall wins.

Keller played high-school soccer at North Thurston and went on to the University of Portland.

MLS would not release financial details of Keller's contract. Le Toux signed for $84,000 in base salary, $96,000 in guaranteed money.

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com