At the beginning of the 2024 MLS season, there were few, if any, people who knew the name Paul Rothrock. The Seattle native signed with the Sounders’ MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Tacoma Defiance after a college career at Notre Dame and Georgetown and a short stint at Toronto FC.
In Seattle’s convincing 3-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday, some of the local fans even chanted, “Who are ya?” at Rothrock, who started on the left wing. And if they didn’t know his name before, they certainly did after.
Rothrock drew a penalty that Albert Rusnák converted to put Seattle up two goals in the 65th minute. Then Rusnák picked out a streaking Rothrock down the left flank two minutes later on a counterattack that Rothrock deposited to the far post to ice the match.
Rothrock now has five goals and two assists in 1,100 MLS minutes this season including three in his last four games. To most, Rothrock’s production looks like overnight success, a fairytale of a local boy done good. But he sees it differently.
“This is something that I’ve always been thinking about and dreaming about and had ambitions for, so it’s not a surprise to me,” said Rothrock.
In a 2-0 win over Minnesota United on June 15, Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer chose to sub Rothrock into the match after Alex Roldan went down with an early injury. Since then, he hasn’t been able to take him out.
“He was able to take that opportunity and do good things with it,” Schmetzer said of Rothrock. “I can’t give you a specific time as to when I penciled him in as an everyday starter, I’m not so sure I’m going to do it even now, but he’s certainly forcing my hand. I don’t think it would be wise of me to not start him.”
The Sounders’ other goalscorer on Wednesday night was even more improbable than Rothrock. Georgi Minoungou, who signed a First Team contract this season, started opposite Rothrock on the right wing and cashed in his first MLS goal to give Seattle an early 1-0 advantage.
Rothrock and Minoungou sprinted to the corner and celebrated with each other, with Minoungou, as he called it, shocking some electricity into Rothrock. It was a fitting celebration for a pair of players who have been energetic bright spots all season.
“We were waiting for this opportunity,” said Minoungou. “We knew that we were going to play together and give everything.”
When they were members of Tacoma Defiance last season, the two became quick friends and pushed each other every day in training. Often times they would stay and work after training ended, daring each other to head into the locker room first. They would fantasize about playing for the First Team together, doing exactly what they did on Wednesday evening.
“Georgi and I talk about where we were just a couple months ago,” said Rothrock. “It’s really special to be on the other side of that…Sometimes those dreams do feel big when you’re in certain situations, but we both thought we could get here.”
The Sounders signed Rothrock to a First Team contract in August 2023, and it was his promotion that pushed Minoungou even harder. He said seeing Rothrock make the leap made him believe that he could do it as well.
“You see a couple of young men who have bright futures,” said Schmetzer. “The stories that they are telling, the stories that they’re adding to the Sounders history are great stories. Paul, the local kid, who might have been on his way out [of professional soccer] until he figured out, ‘I better do something, or my career might be short.’ Now he’s one of our most influential players.
“Georgi is a kid who grew up in an environment that we can’t even imagine, who’s had to work all his life,” Schmetzer continued. “Now he gets an opportunity, even though it might have been a little bit later than some people might have thought. But he’s making the most of his opportunity now.”
With the Sounders’ postseason berth already clinched, their main focus over the last two games of the regular season will be to secure a home playoff match as one of the top four seeds in the Western Conference. Seattle will head to Colorado on Saturday to take on the Rapids (6:30 p.m. PT; Watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360AM) before a massive Decision Day derby against the Portland Timbers with the Cascadia Cup and playoff seeding on the line.
As Seattle heads into the home stretch and pushes for its third MLS Cup title, its fate may rest in the hands of two players who weren’t particularly sought-after in the beginning of the year. And, like in Vancouver on Wednesday, if no one knew their names then, they do now.
“There’s been a healthy competition and friendship that’s developed,” said Rothrock. “[Minoungou] is always playing with a smile on his face and I try to do the same. Hopefully we can continue to make that mutually beneficial for both of us where we’re competing with each other but also making each other better.”
