SEATTLE — Sounders FC said goodbye to two players on Friday afternoon, as goalkeeper Terry Boss and defender Taylor Graham both announced their retirement, the club announced.
Boss, the 2008 USL-2 Goalkeeper of the Year, joined the Sounders midway through the 2009 season and played sparingly as the primary backup for Kasey Keller, who also retired at the end of the 2011 season.
The 30-year-old goalkeeper — whose the brother is NFL tight end Kevin Boss — made only one substitute appearance in MLS play, against FC Dallas on April 22, 2010, after Keller complained of blurred vision. He started eight times for the Sounders in the US Open Cup and the CONCACAF Champions League, posting three shutouts. His most impressive result between the posts came when a Sounders beat Mexican side Monterrey this past August 23.
WATCH: Boss' save vs. FCD in 2010
Boss suffered several concussion in 2011, including one during the second half of Seattle’s friendly against Manchester United. The Oregon native attempted to come back for the stretch run, starting two CCL matches in August, but was placed on the Disabled List on Sept. 9 after suffering another concussion while on national team duty with Puerto Rico.
"I don't know what the future holds, but I do know that I will proudly join the greatest fans in the world by supporting and wishing nothing but the best for the entire Sounders FC family," Boss said in a statement.
Boss’ retirement leaves Seattle with two promising young goalkeepers, Josh Ford and Bryan Meredith. Both players were drafted in 2010, with Ford serving as the third-string goalkeeper behind Boss and Meredith playing for the Kitsap Pumas of the Premier Development League.
Graham, 31, was one of the first signings for the Sounders ahead of their inaugural season in MLS in 2009. A standout defender for the USL-1 Sounders, Graham made one league appearance and nine appereances in the US Open and the CONCACAF Champions League in the last three years.
"It's always tough to say goodbye to something that I've been doing for so long," Graham said in a statement. "I love Seattle and I love the Sounders, but I'm ready for the next step in my life."
A product of Stanford University, Graham also spent time with Kansas City and New York.
Andrew Winner covers the Seattle Sounders for MLSsoccer.com.
