Sounders acquire central defender Ianni from Houston

Central Defender Played 3 Seasons for Dynamo; Member of 2008 Olympic Team

RENTON, WASH – Patrick Ianni, a member of the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, has been acquired by the Seattle Sounders FC from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for a conditional 2010 MLS SuperDraft selection, it was announced Monday.

Ianni, 23, is a 6-foot-1 central defender who played the past three seasons for Houston. He saw action in 17 matches, starting 10, in 2008. He also played nine more games for the Dynamo during SuperLiga, Champions Cup and CONCACAF Champions League play. Although he did not see action in Beijing, he played in three of five qualifying matches for the U.S.



Houston receives Seattle’s third-round pick in 2010. However, if Ianni plays in 20 or more MLS regular season and playoffs games, Houston will instead get the Sounders FC second-round selection.

“Ianni gives us a young, experienced central defender with a big upside,” said Sounders FC head coach Sigi Schmid. “He’s very strong in the air, which is something we need to add to our team right now.”

In his three seasons for the Dynamo, Ianni played 35 regular season games, starting 19 and scoring one goal. Houston won the MLS Cup in 2006 and 2007.

Ianni (pronounced ee-AW-nee) started for Schmid while with the U.S. U-20 National Team at the 2005 World Youth Championships. He was an All-American and Hermann trophy semifinalist in his only season (2005) at UCLA.

Following his freshman season at UCLA, Ianni signed with Generation adidas and was selected by Houston with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft.

His older brother, Tayt, played for Schmid and was a teammate of Seattle technical director Chris Henderson on the Bruins’ 1990 NCAA championship team. Tayt also played two MLS seasons (1996-97) for San Jose.


Transaction: Seattle Sounders (MLS) – Obtained D Patrick Ianni from Houston Dynamo for 2010 SuperDraft conditional draft pick

Position: Defender

Height: 6-1

Weight: 175

Hometown: Lodi, California

DOB: 4/15/1985 in North Babylon, New York

Last Club: Houston Dynamo (MLS)