Keelin Winters will be staying in Seattle, just not as an allocated U.S. women’s national team player.
Winters has signed a new two-year contract with Seattle Reign FC as a free agent after being informed her salary would not be subsidized by U.S. Soccer this season, as it was in 2013. Winters became a free agent and renegotiated with the Reign to stay in Seattle. She had one goal and one assist in 21 games last season, starting 19.
Winters was sent to Seattle from Chicago before the 2013 season began in the big preseason trade early in NWSL history. Chicago was to be owed an allocated player from Seattle by the end of September, but The Equalizer’s Dan Lauletta confirmed that Chicago will be granted an extra subsidized U.S. player for 2014, with no further repercussions to Seattle’s roster.
“We are thrilled to be able to keep Keelin in Seattle,” Reign coach and GM Laura Harvey said. “We made the deal with Chicago believing this opportunity would arise, so we are quite pleased that it has come to fruition. “With Keelin, Hope Solo, Megan Rapinoe, Amy Rodriguez Steph Cox and Jess Fishlock now secured, we feel we are in excellent position to see much improved results next season.”
Rodriguez remains on the Reign roster and intends to play in 2014, having given birth in August. She is back to training and will be in Tom Sermanni’s U.S. national team camp in December for evaluation. Whether or not she is a subsidized player next year remains to be seen.