CARSON, Calif. (Friday, December 23, 2011) – The LA Galaxy announced today that the club has signed goalkeeper Nick Noble and forward Pat Noonan ahead of the start of the 2012 MLS season. Noble, who was originally drafted in 2007 by Galaxy Associate Head Coach Dave Sarachan, who was then the head coach of the Chicago Fire, has spent the last two seasons with Ljungskile SK of the Swedish Superettan (Second Division). Noonan joins the Galaxy after being selected by the club in the third round of Stage Two of the MLS Re-Entry Process earlier this month.
A nine-year MLS veteran, Noonan has scored 41 goals and added 33 assists in 173 career regular season games with the New England Revolution, Columbus Crew, Colorado Rapids and Seattle Sounders FC, who he played nine games for in the 2011 MLS season. A finalist for the MLS Rookie of the Year award in 2003 when he scored 10 goals for the Revolution, Noonan scored 37 goals in his five years with the club, helping them reach MLS Cup three times. He joined Columbus in 2008 and helped the club win their first MLS Cup, scoring once and adding two assists in 11 games. In June 2009, Noonan was traded to Colorado and appeared in 17 games for the Rapids, scoring twice. The 31-year-old forward, who was an All-American and won an NCAA Championship during his four years at Indiana University, spent the last two seasons with Seattle Sounders FC, scoring once in 21 games for the club while also helping the club win a pair of Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles and reach the quarterfinals of the 2011/12 CONCACAF Champions League.
In addition to his play in MLS, Noonan spent six months playing for Aalesunds FK of the Norwegian Tippeligaen in 2008, appearing in 11 games for the club. He has collected 15 caps for the U.S. National Team, scoring once. An alternate on the 2006 U.S. World Cup team, Noonan was given his international debut by Bruce Arena against Haiti on March 13, 2004. Just under a year later, Noonan scored his first goal for the U.S., tallying in a 3-0 win over Colombia at Titan Stadium in Fullerton, Calif.
While Noonan will be asked to help score goals, Noble will be asked to help stop them at the other end of the field along with returning goalkeepers Brian Perk and Josh Saunders. Originally drafted by Chicago in 2007 after starting for four years at West Virginia University, where he earned Big East Goalkeeper of the Year honors as a senior in 2006, Noble did not play in any league games for the Fire during his three years with the club. In December 2009, the 27-year-old signed with Ljungskile SK in Sweden and quickly established himself as the club’s top goalkeeper. In his two years with LJungskile, Noble appeared in 59 league games, keeping 21 clean sheets and helping his team to a 22-20-17 record.
Noble, Noonan and the rest of the Galaxy will return to action on Wednesday, March 7 when they take on Toronto FC in the first leg of their 2011/12 CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal, which will be played at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They will open the 2012 MLS season will three days later on Saturday, March 10 at The Home Depot Center in MLS First Kick 2012, presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods. The time, opponent and broadcast information for this game will be included in the entire regular season schedule, which will be announced soon. Tickets for that match are on sale now via the Galaxy Holiday Pack, which includes four tickets to the match and two championship mini-scarves. BUY NOW
