Ousted is happy to be in Vancouver, for now

• by Paul Kennedy  @pkedit, Feb 17, 2016

Dane David Ousted has been the best goalkeeper in MLS the last two years and he plans to stick around for two more, even if he admitted to still harboring ambitions of playing in Europe. He signed a two-year contract with an option for a third year with the Vancouver Whitecaps, a move that sunk home when he flew back into Vancouver with his family.

“We flew in," he said, "and my daughter looked out, coming into Vancouver, and she looked at me and said, ‘This is our city.’ As a father, you can’t deny something like that."

In the last two seasons, the 31-year-old Ousted has recorded 26 shutouts, seven more than the next MLS keeper. He tied Portland's Adam Kwarasey for the league lead with 13 shutouts in 2015 and he was runner-up for Goalkeeper of the Year, behind the Red Bulls' Luis Robles, and Save of the Year, behind Kwarasey.

Ousted admitted he remains a little torn about his future, but he said Vancouver was his No. 1 choice.

“I still have my wanting to go back to Europe," he said, "and try and play at an even higher level, but I’m also very aware of how happy I am here, of the way the club is moving forward and the way I want to be a part of that.”

Ousted played for Danish clubs SonderjyskE and Randers before moving to MLS and said those ambitions to play in Europe won’t change.

“The day that changes," he said, "I think is the day that I’m going to stop playing soccer because I always need to have my ambitions. I don’t think the Whitecaps are going to have the best keeper they can if my ambitions [are] not to play at the very highest level."

He said 'Caps head coach Carl Robinson was a big factor in his decision to remain in Vancouver and he liked their offseason moves.

“For me," Ousted said, "he’s a great manager, but he’s also got visions for this club going forward and I wanted to be a part of that. I think the years to come in this club could be very exciting.”