Alec Kann Bio
Alec Kann is an American former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. Born on August 8, 1990, in Decatur, Georgia, he built a career that spanned Major League Soccer and the United Soccer League across more than a decade. He is best remembered for steady shot-stopping work with Atlanta United and FC Cincinnati, where he spent the closing years of his playing days. Kann retired from professional soccer on November 26, 2024, after the FC Cincinnati organization formally announced the end of his career.
Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall, Kann used his frame and reach to cover the goal area and command his penalty box. He represented clubs on both coasts during his professional journey, taking on starting, backup, and loan roles as his career progressed. His path through college soccer, lower-division play, and the top flight of American soccer reflects the layered route many American goalkeepers take to reach MLS.
Early Life and Background
Alec Kann grew up in the Decatur area of DeKalb County, Georgia, where he attended Lakeside High School. He was a soccer starter for three seasons at Lakeside, and his senior year ended with a state title as part of a team that posted a 20–1–1 record at the AAAA classification in Georgia. Those high school years gave Kann early exposure to high-level competition and helped him attract attention from college programs in the Southeast.
After graduating, Kann committed to Furman University, where he played four years of college soccer between 2008 and 2011. Furman, located in Greenville, South Carolina, competed in a strong Southern Conference program, and the experience sharpened his positioning and distribution as a goalkeeper. While still a college player, he also took his first step into senior-level soccer by joining the Mississippi Brilla of the USL Premier Development League for the 2010 season, balancing his studies with offseason competitive matches.
That developmental stretch allowed Kann to test himself against older and more experienced attackers without giving up his college eligibility. The combination of a four-year college run and a taste of the PDL set the foundation for his move into full professional soccer after his senior year at Furman.
Path to Soccer
Kann’s route into the professional ranks began in earnest after his college career concluded. On March 23, 2012, he signed with Charleston Battery of USL Pro, joining a veteran club with a strong tradition in American lower-division soccer. Although he did not make a first-team appearance during the 2012 season, the environment gave him daily access to experienced goalkeepers and a clear view of the professional standards expected at the position.
That preparation paid off when, on March 19, 2013, Kann signed with Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire, marking his entry into the top American professional league. The Fire used him in a developmental capacity, and he gained additional match experience through two loans: first to USL Pro side Charlotte Eagles in June 2014, and then to United Soccer League affiliate Saint Louis FC in March 2015. Those loan spells were central to his growth, as they provided regular starting minutes that a backup MLS role rarely allows.
After Chicago declined his contract option following the 2015 season, Kann entered the 2015 MLS Re-Entry Draft and was selected by Sporting Kansas City in stage one, which kept his career in MLS. The combination of college play, USL seasoning, and an MLS contract positioned him for longer-term stability as he moved into his late twenties.
Alec Kann Career
Early Career (2012–2015)
Kann opened his professional career with Charleston Battery in 2012, learning the rhythms of a full USL Pro season even though he did not break into the first-team lineup. The stint provided daily training alongside established professionals and prepared him for the jump to MLS that followed.
With Chicago Fire from 2013 to 2015, Kann served in a backup role behind the club’s starting goalkeeper, while sharpening his craft during loans to Charlotte Eagles in 2014 and Saint Louis FC in 2015. Those loans allowed him to accumulate valuable senior minutes and proved that he could handle the workload of a starter at the USL level.
Sporting Kansas City (2016)
Kann was claimed by Sporting Kansas City in the 2015 MLS Re-Entry Draft and joined the club for the 2016 season. His time in Kansas City was brief, but it kept him in MLS and gave him a chance to work within one of the league’s most established coaching setups at the time. The experience added another layer to his professional résumé before he moved on.
Atlanta United Era (2017–2021)
On December 13, 2016, Atlanta United selected Kann in the fifth round of the MLS Expansion Draft ahead of the expansion club’s debut MLS season in 2017. He was part of the original roster build for a team that quickly became one of the league’s most ambitious expansion projects. He was loaned back to Charleston Battery in 2017 and then spent multiple seasons linked with Atlanta United 2, the club’s developmental side, from 2018 through 2021.
His most prominent spell came with the senior Atlanta United team, where he served as a backup goalkeeper behind Brad Guzan during a highly successful stretch that included deep playoff runs and a championship-caliber squad. Being part of that environment elevated his daily training standards and kept him ready for first-team opportunities. After the 2021 season, Atlanta declined his contract option, opening the door for the next chapter of his career.
FC Cincinnati Era (2022–2024)
On December 16, 2021, FC Cincinnati signed Kann to a two-year contract, adding veteran goalkeeping depth as the club pushed forward in its competitive rebuild. He split time between the MLS roster and FC Cincinnati 2, the organization’s developmental team in MLS NEXT Pro, across the 2022 through 2024 seasons.
Kann was part of the FC Cincinnati squad that emerged as one of the stronger teams in the Eastern Conference during the early 2020s, contributing in training and in spot appearances. On November 26, 2024, FC Cincinnati announced that Kann had retired from professional soccer, closing out a career that lasted from 2012 through the 2024 season.
Driving Style and Strengths
As a 6-foot-4 goalkeeper, Kann relied on his length to cover angles and dominate his six-yard box during crosses and set pieces. He developed a reputation for being dependable in shot stopping and for bringing a calm, veteran presence to goalkeeping groups that often featured younger players behind him.
Notable Events and Milestones
Key milestones in Kann’s career include his move to Chicago Fire in 2013 as his entry into MLS, his selection by Atlanta United in the 2016 MLS Expansion Draft as the club prepared to launch, and his signing with FC Cincinnati in December 2021. His retirement announcement on November 26, 2024, marked the formal end of more than a decade in professional soccer.
Alec Kann Career Wins
Across his time in USL and MLS, Kann built a résumé defined more by longevity and reliability than by headline statistics. His career arc moved through championship-caliber squads at Atlanta United and FC Cincinnati, where he contributed as a dependable presence in the goalkeeping unit.
MLS Highlights
Kann’s most significant MLS contributions came during his Atlanta United tenure from 2017 through 2021, a period in which the club became a consistent playoff contender. He served as a veteran backup behind starter Brad Guzan, supporting one of the league’s strongest defensive units during that stretch.
With FC Cincinnati from 2022 to 2024, Kann was part of a roster that rose to the upper tier of the Eastern Conference standings. His experience helped stabilize the goalkeeping room as the club invested in its long-term project.
Other Wins and Performances
Earlier in his career, Kann gained important experience with Charleston Battery in USL Pro and during loan spells with Charlotte Eagles and Saint Louis FC, where regular starts helped him grow into an MLS-ready goalkeeper. His time with Sporting Kansas City in 2016 added another MLS chapter before the move to Atlanta.
Alec Kann Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Alec Kann’s parents and immediate family has not been widely documented. He grew up in the Decatur area of DeKalb County, Georgia, and attended Lakeside High School, where his soccer career began to take shape before he advanced to Furman University.
Personal Life
Outside of professional soccer, Kann has been involved in private training, working with players in North Carolina to develop their skills. His commitment to coaching reflects the same attention to detail that defined his playing career, and it provides a pathway for him to remain connected to the game after retirement.
2025 Season Outlook
With Kann’s retirement announced on November 26, 2024, he is no longer an active player heading into the 2025 soccer year. FC Cincinnati moved into the new year with a reworked goalkeeping group, and his departure opened a roster spot for the organization to address during the offseason.
For Kann personally, 2025 marks the first year of his post-playing life. His focus is expected to center on private training work with players in North Carolina, where he has built ties through his coaching business. He also remains connected to the professional game through the relationships he developed across more than a decade in MLS and the USL.
Although his name will no longer appear on a matchday roster, his long career with clubs such as Atlanta United and FC Cincinnati leaves a lasting footprint on American soccer. The 2025 season will be a transitional year for Kann as he shifts fully into the next phase of his career in the sport.