No Seattle Sounder is happier that Gonzalo Pineda has joined the coaching staff than midfielder Cristian Roldan.
Seattle announced on Friday the addition of former Sounder and Mexican international Pineda to head coach Brian Schmetzer’s staff. Pineda spent the final two years of his long and decorated career with the Sounders in 2014-15, scoring four goals and adding nine assists in 56 regular-season matches. He retired following the 2015 season at 33 years old.
After a year broadcasting with Spanish television giant Univision, Pineda returns in a coaching role, one he unofficially began as Roldan’s mentor during Roldan’s rookie season in 2015.
“I’m extremely excited to have the opportunity to be coached and still learn a ton from him,” Roldan said. “Gonzalo was always like that coach on the field. He’s very smart and has seen the game for a long time.”
Pineda was a pivotal piece in Roldan’s development into one of the league’s bona fide young defensive midfielders. Pineda would always repeat things to Roldan he thought he should work on and would do so until he got it right.
“I remember telling Cristian, ‘You know who’s coaching you, don’t you?’” Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said last September of Roldan and Pineda. “It’s Pineda, one of the best Mexican players of all time. [Roldan] goes, ‘I know, I know.’ His eyes bugged out when Gonzo started to talk to him. Gonzo was a big, big reason why Cristian is successful.”
During preseason of Roldan’s rookie season, he roomed with Pineda. After one of their matches, the two stayed up until midnight watching film of that particular game. Pineda nitpicked every part of Roldan’s performance, telling him what to look for on tape, where he did well and where he could improve.
“When he was on the field and playing for the Seattle Sounders,” Roldan said of Pineda, “he was always that guy helping out the younger players on our team and repeating the simple things and certain logistics of the game with us.”
Now that Pineda is officially on the Sounders’ technical staff, Roldan doesn’t expect much to change about Pineda or the way he carries himself. With Pineda having been a player himself not too long ago, Roldan expects Pineda’s transition to coaching to be seamless and effective.
“Now that he is an actual coach, he is a players’ coach,” Roldan said. “He’s a guy you can talk to. From day one, he’ll show how much he appreciates the job and how much he loves the sport.”
