TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Re-signing
The Houston Dynamo have re-signed goalkeeper Joe Willis, the club announced on Wednesday, adding a second ‘keeper to their 2018 roster following the signing of free agent Chris Seitz earlier this winter.
Willis, 29, started eight regular-season games for Houston in 2017, posting clean sheets in two of them. He also started the final three games of La Naranja’s unexpected run in the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs, stepping in for Tyler Deric after the Dynamo Homegrown was suspended by MLS following his arrest on Oct. 31 for a misdemeanor assault charge in connection with an alleged domestic incident.
“We are pleased that Joe Willis will be returning to the Dynamo for the 2018 season. He brings a reliable and steady presence to our group on the field and in the locker room,” said Dynamo VP and general manager Matt Jordan in a club release. “With this signing we are confident that we’ve strengthened our team in the goalkeeping position to create a highly competitive environment.”
A cult hero in some quarters thanks to a social-media meme earlier in his career, Willis has made 37 regular-season appearances (35 starts) since joining the Dynamo from D.C. United in December 2014. The St. Louis native was named the Dynamo Defensive Player of the Year in 2016, posting a career high of 89 saves that season. Willis also recorded his first career assist that year, becoming the second goalkeeper in Dynamo history to do so.
With this re-signing, Houston now have 24 players under contract for the 2018 season.
