Only a handful of players can say they have spent the entirety of their professional careers with one club.
Seattle Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan is one of them.
During Saturday night’s home match against the Houston Dynamo, Roldan was recognized as the club’s all-time appearance leader for field players (354).
“I think it's really special for me, not knowing where I was going to be 10 years ago, not knowing what my career was going to look like, and to be able to do it for 10 years for one club is pretty extraordinary,” said Roldan.
Since 2015, Roldan has been quintessential for the Sounders squad. Along with his 38 MLS goals and 49 assists, the California native contributed to both of the team’s MLS Cup trophies (2016, 2019) and the club’s first-ever Concacaf Champions League title (2022).
“I think the hardest thing in football is to maintain and be consistent,” said midfielder Danny Leyva. “So I think it's a big milestone…really happy for him, [I] congratulate him a lot, because he deserves it.”
His approach to every training session and every match has allowed him to continue to play a vital part on the Rave Green today.
“Just the grit, you know, the mentality to always fight, to not give up, and to fight for everything, for the club, for wins, for trophies,” said Leyva. “I think [he] just exemplifies it all.”
The recent achievement is a reminder of the professionalism, the discipline and the example he is to not only the young players, but for the whole team. Whether it be his work ethic or leadership, his presence on and off the pitch has ultimately made the group stronger in the last decade.
“He always tries to show us the ropes and give us advice to go down the right path,” said Leyva. “I mean, he's been through it all so being able to have him, not only as a teammate, but a close friend, someone we can go to and be, you know, trusting in and seek for advice, or whenever we have a problem or questions, that's really big for us.”
Despite his individual efforts in both attacking and defensive positions throughout his 10-year tenure, the veteran Sounder remains humble, acknowledging the club’s role in his longevity at the organization.
“It's a dream of mine to be able to lead the team in appearances altogether,” said Roldan. “But, you know, this club has given me a lot and hopefully I've given the club back some trophies.”
It’s been a successful run for Roldan thus far, and his time at the Sounders is far from finished.
“I'm not satisfied with 354, or how many trophies I have,” said Roldan. “I just want to win more here in Seattle.”
