Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez was selected by Austin FC in the MLS Waiver Draft on Thursday, meaning the Texas team can now offer him a contract and will retain the right of first-refusal on any MLS deal. The Sounders had previously declined his option for 2023.
Ocampo-Chavez first joined the Sounders organization in 2017 when he was recruited out of Merced, Calif. He made his Sounders 2 debut later that year as a 14-year-old while playing for the Academy. In 2018, he continued to stand out with the Academy and earned a USL contract. The Sounders signed him to an MLS contract in 2019 after a starring performance at the GA Cup; he followed that up with a standout performance for the United States during U17 World Cup qualifying and closed out the year by scoring six goals for the Tacoma Defiance in the USL Championship.