As he arrived in Seattle 10 years ago, an unsuccessful month on trial with FC Dallas in his rearview mirror, Sebastien Le Toux had little idea what awaited him in the Emerald City.

For the then-23-year-old French defender, it turned out to be just the chance he had been looking for.

“I didn’t really know what to expect, so I just went, and I really loved the people over there and the city, and it was a good opportunity for me,” Le Toux said. “They offered me a contract and it was OK for me to accept. I saw myself as saving some money and being able to live off it. It was a bit different but I was like, ‘I’m going to try this adventure.’ Luckily it went well for me the first year, I got good success, and from that I started my career in America.”

Good success might be an understatement. Moved to forward by the Seattle Sounders, Le Toux exploded onto the scene in the USL in 2007. The league’s co-leading scorer with 10 goals, the Frenchman earned USL First Division Most Valuable Player honors as the Sounders claimed both the regular-season title and league championship, and advanced to the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.