Who is Christian Roldan? Player history, position & USMNT stats

Christian Roldan is currently the USMNT's glue guy. His success with the Seattle Sounders as well as with the national team has a come from his gritty play and accurate transition passing as well as being a good example of being a teammate and putting in the work that success requires.

Christian Roldan was first called up by the USMNT in 2017, and was part of the USA's last 3 Concacaf Gold Cup teams, contributing to the confederation championships in 2017 and 2021. He had 2 of his 5 USMNT assists in the 2017 championship.

Roldan was used as a sub for in 5 matches and was on the bench for another 9 matches for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifying games. Overall, Roldan has made 45 appearances with the national team. While he has yet to score as a defensive midfielder, he provides an necessary link between the defense and attack.

Christian Roldan's player history

Seattle Sounders

Roldan has played with the Sounders in the MLS for his entire career. He was selected by Seattle as the number 16 overall pick of the 2015 Superdraft.

The defensive midfielder studied for two years and made 41 appearances at the University of Washington while scoring 10 goals and 7 assists before being drafted. An All-Pac-12 First Team selection, Roldan was also named to the NSCAA Third Team All-America team, the TopDrawerSoccer.com Best XI, and the NSCAA All-Far West Region team.

In 2013, Roldan was named the Soccer America National Freshman of the Year, and was ranked the No. 2 freshman in the nation by TopDrawerSoccer.com as well as the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and the All-Pac-12 First Team.

Has appeared in over 400 games since 2015 for the Seattle Sounders in all competitions. In May 2022, he helped Seattle become the first MLS team to win the Concacaf Champions League, defeating Pumas UNAM (Mexico) 5-2 on aggregate. He was named captain of the 2021 MLS All-Star Team and has helped Seattle to four MLS Cup finals, winning the league title in 2016 and 2019, and runner-up in 2017 and 2020.

While with the Sounders, Roldan has been an integral part of the club's success. The Sounders were the first MLS team to win the CONCACAF Champions Cup as well as the first MLS team to win all of the major North American trophies. This includes 2 MLS Cups, the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League, the Leagues Cup in 2025, and the Cascadia Cup in 2018.

At 5ft 8in, Roldan relies on his intelligence, effort, and skill to both make goalline defensive plays as well as make passes in transition to the attack and finish attacks when needed. Roldan is a key part of what has made Seattle the defensive juggernaut that makes it one of the elite teams in the MLS.

Roldan has been praised by the coach of the USMNT, Mauricio Pochettino, who referred to Roldan as a "glue guy" while describing his impact on the national squad. "His work in training and on the pitch is a good example for the younger players. What most don't realize is how much fluidity Roldan adds to the run of play, making it possible for others to shine. "

Christian's brother, Alex Roldan, has been playing for the El Salvador national team since their mother was born there. His older brother is the head athletic trainer for the LA Galaxy.

Christian Roldan is coming off his best professional season as a Sounders player. Besides logging the most minutes, he was a critical force on offense and defense this year as he worked to control the middle of the pitch for the Rave Green, and his efforts have earned him an opportunity to shine with the USMNT.

He has scored 46 goals for the Sounders and has accumulated 61 assists, but the value of a defensive midfielder has less to do with goals and assists and more to do with possession, creating linking plays and being part of a cohesive defensive unit. It was success in these areas that earned him the honor of being named to the MLS best 11 last season.

Expected contributions & USMNT stats

As a veteran player, Roldan leads by example. His work at training translates to success on the pitch. He is intelligent enough to put himself in great positions, and determined enough to give a bone-crushing challenge when needed.

His ball distribution mirrors his attitude toward his teammates as he wants them to do well and often puts them in position to do so. One of his best attributes is his ability to draw in others for a shared goal, contributing to team unity and purpose. That is why he was selected to represent the United States.

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