Military duty may call Cullen away from Sounders

Rich Cullen's days as a Seattle Sounder could be numbered.

Cullen, who took over as the Sounders' starting goalkeeper after an injury to Preston Burpo just 15 minutes into the season, might not have any control over the situation. If the Sounders get ousted from the A-League playoffs over the weekend by the Vancouver Whitecaps, he'll need some help and some luck to stay in Seattle.

The issue is his five-year commitment to active duty with the United States Air Force.

The commitment, which could be waived if he joins a top-level indoor or Major League Soccer club, would move Cullen from Tacoma's McChord Air Force Base to Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu by the end of October.

"I could become one of the first players in pro soccer to be let out of his commitment to the military," Cullen said.

The only sure thing is that Cullen will be in goal when the Sounders host the Whitecaps at 8 tonight in Game 1 of the first-round A-League playoff series at Seahawks Stadium. The match kicks off a two-game, aggregate series that concludes at 7 p.m. Sunday in Vancouver's Swangard Stadium.

"I'd love to continue here," Cullen said. "The wheels kind of have to be put in motion, and then I have to operate off faith.

"I haven't really brought it up with the Sounders much, because this playoff series is our focus."

Cullen, 28, was the first player from a military academy drafted by the MLS upon graduation from the Air Force Academy in 2000. He was a sixth-round pick by the Colorado Rapids. He didn't make the MLS club and went back to the Air Force Academy as an assistant for one season. Cullen's commitment to active duty ends May 31, 2005.

"After the postseason (with the Sounders), what I'm looking for is an invite to an indoor camp," said Cullen, who essentially witnessed last year's second-round playoff flameout to Vancouver as a backup. "I still want to play pro soccer. It's what I've wanted to do all my life."

Seattle management has the option to sign Cullen to another one-year contract, which would be his third such year-and-an-option deal with the team.

That could be the first step toward staying with the Sounders. The second would come if the Sounders loaned him to a Major Indoor Soccer League team or vice versa.

Tryouts have started for some MISL teams.

Cullen displaced incumbent starter Burpo, who broke his jaw during a collision with teammate Danny Jackson in the May 1 season opener at Portland. Burpo missed 14 games, and by then, Cullen had played too well to be replaced as the No. 1 keeper.

Cullen ranks third in the league lead in shutouts (10), second in goals-against average (0.75) and is tied for fifth in goalkeeper wins (13).

With the 30-year-old Burpo heading into his 10th year as a pro and rookie third-stringer Ryan Wittstruck never seeing the field, Cullen should be a priority for Sounders management to sign.

"He's even surprised me with just how good he's been," Sounders general manager Adrian Hanauer said. "He's unbelievably quick and has good instincts and reactions. I believe he could play MLS and certainly indoor. His game lends itself to indoor, because he's so quick.

"I'd be really surprised if he didn't catch on with one of the indoor teams."

Ideally, Hanauer hopes to have both Burpo and Cullen back in the fold in 2004. Burpo, who signed a one-year deal as a free agent before the 2003 season, will become a free agent again on Oct. 31.

"Rich is really important," Hanauer said. "He's a younger goalkeeper, one of the best in the A-League, and we'd love to keep him around. That being said, Preston could start for any team, too. We hope he's back, too.

"We are blessed with two of the best goalkeepers in the league right now. (Rich) has been nothing short of spectacular this year."