Question: Which Seattle Sounder grew up in California before playing college soccer in Seattle and ended up being drafted by the Sounders in the first round of the MLS SuperDraft?
Answer: There's two of them. And they are brothers.
Cristian Roldan, 22, and Alex Roldan, 21, both feature in the Sounders' midfield, with the younger Roldan joining his big brother a couple months ago. Cristian played for two seasons at the University of Washington, while Alex starred at Seattle University for four. Now the brothers, who live together in Seattle, are teammates in the pros. Sounds like a great reason to celebrate #NationalSiblingsDay!
Here's a look back at some of our favorite Broldan moments thus far:
DRAFT DAY
Alex: “I’m fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play with [Cristian]. Not many players get the luxury that I have right now of playing with their brother. Cristian has had a successful career here so far in the league, and I’m excited to learn from him. To be able to stay in Seattle, which is my second home, I’m fortunate and I’m blessed to have this opportunity.”
PRESEASON
Cristian: “I’m his roommate. If he has any questions, it’s fantastic that I’m there. On the field, we’re competitive guys. I don’t want to lose to Alex very often, so it makes for a really good dynamic...It’s great because I can bully him around a little bit and let him take the water bottles instead of me doing it.”
SEASON
Tough loss today, but we will strive to get better moving forward. Thank you to all the fans that made the effort in supporting us this week. Also happy I made my MLS debut. 👍🏼⚽️ #EBFG
— Alexander (@Alex_Roldan8) March 19, 2018
Alex: “I was glad to get my feet wet with the first couple minutes today and just try to bring some energy to the game.”