Chester, PA – The Philadelphia Union signed Bakary Soumare, a former Major League Soccer Defender of the Year finalist, on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old Soumare started his career in MLS with the Chicago Fire, and played 63 games with the squad from 2007-09. He was a finalist for defender of the year and was on the MLS Best XI in 2008, and was an all-star in 2009.
Soumare left Chicago in the middle of the 2009 season to sign with French side Boulogne, and the 6-foot-4 Mali international played 65 matches for the club from 2009-12. He joined German side Karlsruhe in January on loan and appeared in seven games.
The Union acquired the first spot in the allocation ranking and a second-round pick in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft from Vancouver Whitecaps FC in exchange for their 12th spot in the allocation rankings, a 2013 first-round SuperDraft pick and allocation money.
Philadelphia used the first spot in the allocation rankings to select Soumare, who entered the system because he returned to the league following a stint out of MLS.
Soumare will be eligible to play for the Union on Saturday against the Houston Dynamo.
Per league and club policy, terms of the agreement will not be disclosed.
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