Ten years ago Bellevue’s Marcus Hahnemann went straight from Seattle Pacific University, where he had been a three-time All-American and led the team to the 1993 Division II National Championships, to the newly-resurrected Seattle Sounders. It seems he didn’t need an adjustment period for this new level of play: in his first professional season, Hahnemann was the APSL’s leading goalkeeper, with an astounding .57 gaa. Not surprisingly, he was named to the APSL’s first team in the post-season awards. The following years were similar, except that the Sounders won the (renamed) A-League Championships in both 1995 & 1996. Hahnemann was again the league’s leading goalkeeper in 1995, and second-leading goalkeeper in 1996.

  With the A-League more or less mastered, Hahnemann moved on to the MLS in 1997, when he joined the Colorado Rapids. He came on as a sub in his first game, but went on from there to start the next 23 straight games. In 1998 he was named the Rapids’ Defender of the Year. During this time, he sent tapes of himself to Fulham (then in England’s First Division, now a Premier Side), who were impressed enough to sign him. Since his parents were both German-born, Hahnemann has a European passport, so he doesn’t need a work permit, but is still able to play for the US National Team (he’s made 4 appearances to date). This may have made his paperwork easier, but it didn’t get him much playing time. Fulham had first one, and then two, keepers ahead of him, but this made it possible to loan him out in the 2001-2002 season, first to Reading, then to Rochdale. These loans not only got him playing time, but exposure, as well.  He made a sufficient impression on the powers that be at Reading that they signed him as their own in 2002. He started in all 47 games for Reading in 2002-2003 in a season that nearly took them to the Premier League. The "Bald Yank" is now quite firmly ensconced at Reading, and it’ll be interesting to see what the future holds for him, as his first professional decade was quite noteworthy. 

Soccer Times: Is Hahnemann America's "Forgotten Goalkeeper?"

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