The Philadelphia Union announced today that the team had officially signed goalkeeper Chris Konopka to a contract. Per MLS and team policies, Konopka's contract facts and figures were not released.
Konopka, 26, has spent time with Sporting Kansas City, the Columbus Crew and the New York Red Bulls during short stints in MLS. He was given actual playing time in MLS while with the Red Bulls, giving up two goals in a 2-2 draw with the Chicago Fire last year.
"How did Konopka do? Not horribly, but he certainly didn't make the case that he was any kind of long-term solution to New York's goalkeeping problem either," said Matt Conroy, of The Vipers Nest and Once a Metro. "He let in two first half goals, both of which could have been prevented. The first took a deflection off his hand before dribbling into the goal, while he was caught in no man's land and victimized on the second."
The goalkeeper also spent time in Ireland, becoming the first American to win the Irish league double - a League of Ireland First Division championship and a Football Association of Ireland Cup in the same season.
The Union now have three goalkeepers on their 2012 roster, with Konopka most likely the third goalkeeper behind starter Zac MacMath and back up Chase Harrison.