Pedro de la Vega is having fun. It’s written all over his face, that beaming wide smile under his unmistakable flowy hair. Life is good right now for the 24-year-old Argentine Designated Player, and his football reflects that.
After a debut season in 2024, one that was perhaps unfairly burdened with the impossible task of replacing cub legend Nicolás Lodeiro as the No. 10 and was ultimately maligned by injuries, things are clicking for de la Vega. He came out of the gates flying in preseason and then scored three goals in two matches against Guatemala’s Antigua GFC in the opening round of the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Despite suffering a minor injury setback, de la Vega has returned to full throttle and is finding his groove. He’s reminding everyone across the league why he was considered one of the top youth prospects out of South America.
“We always try to enjoy during the games,” said de la Vega through a translator after a 3-0 win over Nashville SC last Saturday. “We train for that and to be in good moods and have fun while we play. But we always try to do that with responsibility. We know that we have responsibilities. We cannot avoid that, it’s something that we take very seriously.”
While he didn’t end up on the score sheet in Seattle’s road win over FC Dallas on April 12, it was his long-distance effort that rattled the post and resulted in Danny Musovski’s match-winner. Then in the Sounders’ victory against Nashville, de la Vega put in his best shift yet in league play. He went 62 minutes, scored his first MLS goal at home and added a secondary assist, all while orchestrating Seattle’s attack, especially in the absence of Jordan Morris and Albert Rusnák in the starting lineup.
“We have to entertain fans,” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer. “That’s just part of the business. I want our players at home to drive the tempo, to make sure we play upbeat, to make sure we’re running in behind and chasing and defending and doing everything we can to win games.”
De la Vega, as well as new acquisition Ryan Kent and recently Georgi Minoungou, provides the Sounders with dynamic ball progression and an innate ability to eliminate defenders on the dribble. De la Vega’s predilection to hunt for chances in the final third and combine with teammates has made all the difference in the last two matches, and it’s no coincidence that Seattle collected all six points.
“It was three goals that were out of team play,” said de la Vega of last weekend’s performance. “It’s something that’s important to be able to achieve as a team. It’s something that we practice every week. It’s always nice to have three nice goals.”
The Sounders and de la Vega will look to make it three wins on the trot when they head to Commerce City, Colo., on Saturday to take on the Colorado Rapids (6:30 p.m. CT; Watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
