Seattle Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan has laid the groundwork for what it means to be a team player since his arrival to the club in 2015.
“He's a coach's dream,” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer.
The Southern California native has played in numerous roles on the pitch for the Sounders, and has excelled at each spot. Whether it be on the wing, as a fullback, a defensive midfielder or at the No. 10, Roldan possesses an innate ability to help his team win regardless of his position.
“He is versatile,” said Schmetzer. “So, we love having him on the squad.”
Roldan’s made the most of his role in the central midfield since filling in for João Paulo at the end of August due to injury. In the last 10 matches, the team has only lost once with Roldan at the No. 6.
“Cristian’s always been a bit of a spark plug, someone who can put in the work and people can feed off them,” said goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
Operating in a deeper midfield role, Roldan uses his mobility to cover large swaths of ground defensively as he breaks up plays and wins back possession. On the ball, he’s able to maintain possession by dribbling out of pressure and playing penetrating passes.
Beyond the obvious qualities of his game, Roldan supplies a steadying veteran presence on the pitch. Along with his work ethic, Roldan has been someone who players have looked up to to guide them in the right direction on and off the pitch.
“As he's obviously been here for a long, long time, he's also now one of the guys that brings comfort to the squad and can have people settle down because he is experienced,” added Frei.
Even when Roldan is not having a consistent performance, his relentless grit spurs the team to match his intensity. This was especially noticeable in Seattle’s Leg Two match against the Houston Dynamo that advanced the team to the Western Conference Semifinals.
“Cristian always puts the work in,” said Schmetzer. “To be fair, at the end, he scored the [lone] goal when it mattered, and that was a joy to see. [His] first penalty [in the shootout] set the tone… So, obviously, in the statistical department, he had a great game. But I didn't think this was one of Cristian's best games.”
Roldan has been one of the quintessential components of the squad’s success this season. While there were moments earlier in the year where it looked as if the team was on the brink of disaster, the direction from the long-tenured Sounders helped push them to the No. 4 seed in the West to close out the regular season.
“Having had guys that have been here in the past, we've gone through these spells together, and so it's created a bit of, we've been here before, type of mentality,” said Roldan. “So there wasn't a huge panic in the locker room, which certainly helped.”
And with a do-or-die match against Western Conference powerhouse LAFC on the horizon, Roldan’s leadership will be relied upon to pilot the team to victory.
Schmetzer said it himself: “He's been here and helped us win a lot of games, a lot of big games, critical games.”
