The shared journey to the Sounders FC First Team between defender Jackson Ragen and midfielder Paul Rothrock is almost too good to be true.
The Seattle natives have emerged as fan favorites in recent seasons. They’ve earned that affinity with their performances on the pitch. Ragen has become one of the top defenders in MLS, including a call-up to the United States Men’s National Team ahead of the 2024 season. Rothrock, meanwhile, is in the midst of a breakout season, pitching in six goals and three assists across all competitions.
But the bond they carry is something that was formed long before their contributions on the professional stage.
Ragen and Rothrock met at just seven-years-old on their neighborhood rec team, the McGilvra Mad Dogs. Since then, they’ve remained constants in each other's lives as both teammates and best friends.
From Mad Dogs, the Seattle locals moved to Westside United, where their path to professional soccer began.
“We had our coach, Stefan Cobb, who was a very intense first coach for the age we were at, but I think it helped us become great players in the end,” said Ragen.
Their growth continued at their next club Seattle United, where the two players led the team to two State Cup and Regional titles, and a Dallas Cup trophy.
With that success at SU came the opportunity to join Sounders Academy during their senior year of high school.
“We tried out for Sounders Academy together, and luckily got picked together as well,” said Rothrock. “But yeah, all those tryouts, we were together and hoping to be on the same team.”
The potential Rothrock and Ragen carried in their games was clear; but it wasn’t until they made headway into the Academy space, where their chemistry truly came to life.
“Both of us actually were on the bench the first couple games and then later in the season, we ended up having a pretty good run with the team, going on a number of games where we won in a row,” said Rothrock.
Him and Ragen recall the playoff match against Crossfire as a particularly significant moment.
“One of my favorite memories was that game, and myself scoring in extra time and getting the assist from Paul in front of a big crowd for what we were used to,” said Ragen. “And getting the assist from one of your best friends who you've grown up with, and then in a very big game was a really special memory.”
Rothrock and Ragen’s ability to work together seamlessly on the pitch coincides with their underlying belief for one another.
“I feel like our friendship has been a real anchor for me and my soccer career,” said Rothrock.
After Ragen and Rothrock went their separate ways to play collegiately at Michigan (Ragen), Notre Dame (Rothrock) and Georgetown (Rothrock), the two Seattleites were drafted in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft.
Their dream to have long-standing careers in MLS quickly suddenly felt out of reach at their initial postings.
“Chicago [Fire] picked me in the second round,” said Ragen. “Ultimately, they chose not to sign me, and I wasn't sure if I was cut out for pro soccer at all, at least at the MLS level.”
“That was a very low point for me.”
Rothrock felt similarly.
“Toronto drafted me in the late third round,” he said. “In my second week as a pro, I had to have hand and ankle surgery. I then did the second season with Toronto 2, had a better season with them, got a couple first team opportunities…but they didn't pan out how I would have liked.
“I was kind of in a weird spot after that and I didn't know where to go…. I didn't have a whole lot of interest from teams.”
But with the history the two players had at the Sounders organization, the opportunity to continue their careers at the professional level had not been taken away from them just yet.
With the help of former Tacoma Defiance Head Coach Wade Webber (now Director of Development), Ragen was able to sign to the second team, where his strong performances earned him a First Team contract a year later.
Rothrock followed shortly after.
“I called up Wade as well, and he was pretty honest with me that they didn't really have a plan for me or an idea of where to play me, but there was at least a spot on Defiance, and we'd see how it went,” said Rothrock. “And thankfully, things worked out.”
It was Ragen’s influence and positive outlook on his second chance experience with the club that ultimately pushed Rothrock to make the call to Webber.
“He actually kind of laid out the whole pitch for me of why it made sense for me to come back,” recalled Rothrock. “That was a pivotal moment for me, because at the time, I was looking elsewhere, and he was the first person to really challenge me, and say, ‘Why not come back here? Look what I've done.’”
While Rothrock’s initial entrance to Defiance came with no expectations, he too, made his way to the First Team at the end of the 2023 season, where he was able to reunite with his best friend and childhood teammate.
“I always wish that we went to the same college together, because it felt weird not playing together for those years, but I think we just always had each other, and we've always played on the same team for so many years now, and so it's kind of hard to put it in perspective,” said Ragen. “It just feels normal, it feels like how it should be.”
Rothrock and Ragen have carved out blossoming MLS careers through the continued encouragement of one another, but that can’t go without thanking those who have stuck by them throughout their whole journey.
Former Sounders alumni were amongst the most influential people in their path toward the First Team.
Whether it be Webber, who took a chance on them when they were ousted from the clubs that drafted them, or previous coaches like Jimmy McAllister who saw the potential of them at a young age, the two players would not be where they are today without the large support system in their lives.
“Jimmy would talk about the guys that he used to play with, and what it would take to actually get there, and I think we would hear that constantly from those guys,” said Rothrock. “And then to have Wade as well, as more of a recent player too, to get his guidance in some of those moments, was really important too.”
“All of our [previous coaches] helped us at different points,” added Rothrock. “They were always testing us.”
The infinite encouragement of their friends, family, and coaches is the driving force of their current success as professional soccer players.
“We're both really lucky with the support networks that we have,” said Rothrock. “And I know that for me, it has been a big part of building the perseverance and the resilience that I have had to have in my career.”
