Seattle Sounders FC has signed midfielder Lamar Neagle to a contract extension, the club announced Monday afternoon. Per Major League Soccer (MLS) and club policy, terms were not disclosed.
“Lamar has a tremendous work capacity and has proven to be a threat in our attack,” said Sounders FC Sporting Director Chris Henderson. “Lamar has grown up here in the Pacific Northwest and is a hometown favorite. He is a leader in our community and a great teammate.”
Neagle was named the 2013 Sounders FC Humanitarian of the Year and was nominated for MLS Comeback Player of the Year after setting career highs in appearances (30), goals (8), assists (4) and shots (61). He co-led Sounders FC with 20 points in 2013.
The Federal Way native and Thomas Jefferson High School graduate also ranked second on the team with four game-winning goals and added a goal in the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals at Santos Laguna.
The Humanitarian award recognized Neagle’s involvement in the community, including work with America SCORES and the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County. Neagle made more than 25 appearances in the community this season and started his own charitable program, The Neagle Foundation.
His work with America SCORES Seattle included attending meetings, donating soccer clinics and helping to raise awareness for their 60-60-60 campaign. He also set up a meeting with SCORES and Russell Investment Group representatives on his own.
A member of the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County as a youth, Neagle has returned the service, appearing at the Renton/Skyway Boys & Girls Club, as well as the annual breakfast. In starting The Neagle Foundation, he established a program to provide support to youth through athletics and academics while building stronger families and communities throughout the Seattle area.
As a first-grader, Neagle began his soccer career playing for the Federal Way Boys and Girls Club. And while a lot of his not-as-talented friends moved onto select soccer teams, Neagle remained with the Boys and Girls Club for years.
Neagle was traded back to the Sounders before the 2013 season from the Montreal Impact for Eddie Johnson. Before joining Seattle, Neagle had successful stints with the club in 2009 and 2011, scoring five goals with two assists in 23 appearances. He spent the 2012 season with the expansion Impact, where he scored two goals with two assists in 23 appearances. Overall, he has made 76 career appearances in four MLS seasons, scoring 15 goals with eight assists.
In 2010, Neagle earned Golden Boot and MVP honors in USL-2 for the Charleston Battery, and played five matches for Finland’s IFK Mariehamn, scoring two goals. He was a three-time Mountain Pacific Sports Federation first team selection while at UNLV.
