Seattle Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan rose to his feet, scowled and flared his 5-foot-8 frame, towering like a king cobra over the Portland Timbers’ Sebastian Blanco. Roldan hissed at Blanco during the teams’ May meeting at CenturyLink Field and exhibited a fiery competitiveness that’s been omnipresent all season, an effort that’s culminated in a standout season for the third-year professional out of the University of Washington.
Roldan, 22, scored a career-high six goals and tied a career high with three assists from his defensive midfield spot alongside veteran Osvaldo Alonso. Roldan led Major League Soccer in duels and tackles won and has been a constant dose of reliability for Head Coach Brian Schmetzer for the last year and a half, playing as many as four different positions.
“He’s got a few more games under his belt for sure [than last year],” Schmetzer said. “But Cristian was very good last year too. His development, his tactical acumen was there last year as well. I have lot of high expectations for the kid, but he handles those expectations very well.”
Perhaps no one in MLS has had a more breakout season that Roldan, who received the ultimate reward for his production with his first senior United States national team call-up during July’s CONCACAF Gold Cup. U.S. Head Coach Bruce Arena had flirted with calling in Roldan since January’s camp, and after observing him for the first half of the MLS season, Arena had seen enough. Roldan started in central midfield in the group stage against Martinique and helped lift the U.S. to a 3-2 win.
As the Sounders head into the Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs looking to defend last year’s title, Roldan’s play will largely dictate the team’s success.
“Those experiences that he went through last year, that builds confidence,” said Sounders Vice President of Soccer & Sporting Director Chris Henderson. “You look at players from 25-30 years old, it’s their prime years, their game doesn’t go up and down a lot. It stays pretty consistent because they gain this experience like Cristian did.
“He is like a sponge,” Henderson continued. “He tries to learn from other players, experienced players, players next to him. He has the physical attributes, tactically he’s very smart. He has everything and now getting that experience and having that confidence has just elevated his game.”
Roldan said he prides himself the most on his tactical awareness and being a smart player first and foremost. If he does that, the rest will follow. The experience he garnered — he started 43 consecutive matches from June 2016 to July 2017, a match he missed for his first taste of international duty — is something upon which Seattle will rely heavily upon.
“It helps when you’ve played at the level he’s had when you can be consistent and other people are believing around you, that helps you stay at a certain level of confidence as well,” said Henderson. “It’s disappointing because I think he would have had a chance to make that World Cup team next summer if we would have qualified.”
For now, though, Roldan is focused on helping the Sounders repeat as champions, in any way he can.
“My tactical awareness has gotten better,” said Roldan. “Every day I focus on that...I have one full year of playoffs under my belt as a starter, and there are quite a few guys who haven’t been to the playoffs for a while, so this is just another way that I can help the team.”
