The last time Seattle Sounders teammates and brothers Alex and Cristian Roldan faced off in a competitive match was in September 2014 in the Seattle College Derby, where Cristian’s Washington Huskies rolled past Alex’s Seattle University to a 4-1 win.
The Concacaf Gold Cup may soon change that. After handily advancing out of the group stage with their respective national teams, the Roldan brothers are on target to face each other in the semifinals of the tournament pending advancement from the quarterfinals, giving Alex his shot at settling the score.
Sons to a Salvadoran mother and a Guatemalan father while being born in the United States, the Roldan brothers have undeniable ties to one another’s national team and strong mutual respect in this tournament.
“I think his game is being recognized. Internationally, he is being wanted by a couple of countries and that’s always a good sign so I’m happy for Alex, I’m happy for him to compete at the international level,” said Cristian Roldan.
“I expect him to play his role with his team and do extremely well.”
After making his Gold Cup debut with El Salvador on July 11, Alex Roldan has met his brother’s expectations by scoring his debut goal through a game-winning shot against Guatemala, earning Player of the Match honors, and by being a pivotal piece of La Selecta’s 2-1 -0 group stage record.
“I am really proud to be in this group, we are building something big for La Selecta and I hope we can play a big role in the Gold Cup and in the qualifiers in September,” said Alex Roldan following the 2-0 win over Guatemala.
While Cristian opted for the United States and Alex decided to join El Salvador, the two have been following a similar international trajectory. Cristian also made his national team debut with a win in the group stages of the 2018 Concacaf Gold Cup, leading the U.S. Men’s National Team to a 3-2 win over Martinique. If this course remains, it will undoubtedly be a proud moment for the Roldan family and the Seattle Sounders to see the two face off once more.
"It would be an amazing story ... Fighting at this level would be something to keep in history," said Alex.
"I won those battles, you can remind him."
