Pat Noonan leaves Revs for Norway

• by Ridge Mahoney  @ridgemax, Jan 23, 2008

Three years after goalkeeper Adin Brown played out his MLS contract and signed with Norwegian club Aalesund, he's about to be joined by another ex-Rev.

Pat Noonan, who started and earned an assist in the 2-0 USA win over Sweden Saturday at Home Depot Center, is joining Aalesund on a free transfer. The Revs elected not to pick up the option on his MLS contract, hoping it could sign him for a lower salary than the $225,000 he earned last season.

Terms of his deal aren't yet known. Calls to his agent Richard Motzkin were not returned.

Noonan bounced back from an injury-marred 2006 season (14 games, 1 goal, 3 assists) to play 27 games, score seven goals and register four assists last year as the Revs reached -- and lost -- their third straight MLS Cup. He failed to score in four playoff games. In MLS Cup 200, he7 misfired on a close-range volley late in the match.

He scored 10 goals in his rookie (2003) season, notched 11 in 2004 and scored eight two years ago. His 37 regular-season goals is third on the team's all-time list behind forward partner Taylor Twellman (91 goals), a
childhood friend while they were growing up in St. Louis, and former U.S. international Joe Max-Moore (41).

Noonan's departure means he will not be on hand when U.S. players re-convene at Home Depot Center Thursday to prepare for a Feb. 6 match against Mexico in Houston.

Also out of town is goalkeeper Brad Guzan, who is in Scotland discussing a possible move to Glasgow Celtic.