While many Seattle Sounders players have returned this week following international duty with their respective countries, midfielder Víctor Rodríguez came back to Seattle after being away for a much different reason: the birth of his daughter.
At training on Friday, Rodríguez was all smiles.
“I’m very happy for the newest member of the Seattle Sounders,” he quipped.
Rodríguez and his wife welcomed their first child, Astrid, at home in Barcelona on Oct. 3. He flew to Spain on Sept. 28 and missed the Sounders’ road match against the Philadelphia Union on Oct. 1, but he’s looking forward to getting back onto the pitch this Sunday against FC Dallas (4:30 p.m. PT; FS1, FOX Deportes, KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360 AM | TICKETS).
Rodríguez spoke to Head Coach Brian Schmetzer when he returned earlier this week about getting back onto the pitch. The 28-year-old attacker’s previous game was his best one yet as a Sounder, as he opened his goalscoring and assist accounts in a commanding 3-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps.
“I’m 28, I’m a professional, I’ve been through many of these times in my career,” Rodríguez said. “I’m very excited to have my newborn daughter with us, but I’m a professional and I’m ready to get back to doing what I love on the soccer field.”
Rodríguez joked that he’s looking forward to getting extra sleep now that he is Stateside. He slept very little the last couple weeks as he helped his wife take care of the baby, but he said his family is doing well in Barcelona and he is focused on Sunday with a chance to clinch a playoff berth.
“They’re a very competitive team, we know they have a lot of talented attackers,” he said of FC Dallas. “We also know that we’re good enough to compete with them.”
