Houston Dynamo FC signed left back Brad Smith as a free agent through the 2024 season with club options for 2025 and 2026, the club announced today. Smith is the third player to join the Dynamo as a senior player this offseason.
“Brad is an experienced international left back with a history of winning in our league,” said Dynamo general manager Pat Onstad. “He brings an extra attacking element to our left back position, valuable competition in our backline, and a winning pedigree to our locker room. We are excited to welcome Brad and his family to Houston.”
The 28-year-old enters his sixth season in Major League Soccer. His teams have qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs in four of his five seasons in the league, winning MLS Cup in 2019 and finishing Runner-up in 2020.
Smith spent the 2022 campaign with D.C. United where he started 14 games before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
The defender played in 79 MLS regular season matches over five seasons in Seattle and D.C. United, plus another nine MLS Cup Playoff appearances.
Smith signed with the Sounders on loan from AFC Bournemouth in the English Premier League in 2018. He spent two seasons with Bournemouth and made his debut in a 2-1 victory over Morecambe FC in the 2016/2017 EFL Cup. He finished with nine starts and 11 appearances in all competitions for Bournemouth.
The outside back began his professional career with Liverpool FC when he signed his first professional contract on Jan. 1, 2013. He is a product of the Liverpool Academy and finished with 11 appearances at the senior level for Liverpool. He scored his first professional goal in a 2-2 draw with Exeter City in the Third Round of the FA Cup on Jan. 8, 2016.
Internationally, the defender has earned 23 appearances for the Australian National Team. He made his Socceroo’s debut in an international friendly against Belgium on Sept. 4, 2014. Most recently, he helped Australia qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. His last cap came in a 1-0 victory over Vietnam on Sept. 7, 2021, in the third round of the Asian Football Confederation World Cup qualifiers.
Smith is the third player to join the Dynamo as a senior roster player this offseason. All three players have won domestic titles prior to coming to Houston: Artur (MLS Cup 2020), Andrew Tarbell (MLS Cup 2020), and Brad Smith (MLS Cup 2019). Additionally, the club has signed Ifunanyachi Achara (2019 NCAA National Champion) and drafted Isaiah Reid (2021 NCAA National Champion).
