In a recent sit-down with national soccer writer Paul Tenorio of The Athletic, United States Men’s National Team Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino discussed the importance of cultivating one’s dreams and manifesting them into reality. It’s an excellent profile from one of America’s top sports writers, and the ethos that the Argentine manager espouses is relevant for both his players and the soccer story of Seattle.
“It’s so powerful, isn’t it? Believing that you can do it. Realizing that thoughts formed in your mind first, eventually manifest in reality,” said Pochettino.
Tenorio’s piece chronicles a dreamer who began his journey in a rural farming community in Argentina before ascending to the highest levels of the global game, reaching Spain’s La Liga, the English Premier League, the UEFA Champions League and now the FIFA World Cup at the helm of the United States Men’s National Team. Such a path requires self-belief, conviction and a deep well of commitment.
Continues Pochettino, “That’s where we truly dream great dreams, then we add heart, emotion and work. That’s what brings reality closer to our dreams. In some ways, reality is built first in our minds.”
After yesterday’s resounding 2-0 victory on the pitch at Seattle Stadium, it’s clear that the U.S. players are buying into Pochettino’s vision. With back-to-back Group Stage wins for the first time since 1930, and thanks to Paraguay's victory over Turkey on Friday night, the United States has already clinched the top spot in Group D, making some real noise on the world's grandest sporting stage.
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One of those players is Seattle’s own Cristian Roldan, who embodies the type of spirit and self-belief that Pochettino espouses. Roldan’s dreams have manifested into glorious reality right here in the Emerald City. He had a solitary college offer to play collegiately at the University of Washington, taking that opportunity with both hands and turning it into one of the best careers in program history on Montlake. He then took his chances at the professional level after being drafted by Sounders FC in 2015, integrating immediately into one of the top teams in MLS with the humility, work ethic and relentlessness that have become synonymous with his game. Since that debut season, Roldan has made 400 professional appearances in Rave Green, becoming club captain and representing his nation in two FIFA World Cups. His story is the American dream personified.
Roldan has become a soccer folk hero in his adopted hometown, becoming deeply connected to the greater Puget Sound community. And that feeling is reciprocated. Speaking on Thursday to media at training ahead of the Australia match, Roldan offered the following thoughts about the opportunity in front of the USMNT, “We haven't had a game here in a long time, and we've been desperate to host a World Cup game, a U.S. Men's National Team game, so they're going to feel the crowd, feel the energy, and it's about feeding off it.”
“It's incredible how many kids are playing soccer here,” Roldan added when asked for commentary on Seattle’s unique connection to the sport. “When you look at our roster here in Seattle, it's all homegrown kids, kids that grew up here, that watched Seattle through their history. So it is ingrained in our culture, and it's a beautiful thing to see.”
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The story of Seattle’s soccer scene mirrors that of Roldan. At every step, the community has bolstered itself with passion, belief and continued commitment to the sport. From the youth levels to the professional tiers of MLS and NWSL, Seattle has become one of the most robust and well-supported soccer communities in North America.
Praise for the Emerald City and its readiness for this moment has been effusive this week. Speaking to assembled media prior to today’s historic match, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber offered the following reflection: “MLS isn’t what it is without the Sounders, and that’s what I’m seeing outside. There’s just joy in the streets, and I’m not quite sure we’d have that joy if it wasn’t for the Sounders.”
Indeed, it was Sounders FC’s 2009 MLS arrival that heralded a new era for the professional game in the United States. Since that debut season, Sounders FC has never finished outside the top three in attendance, leading the league every year between 2009 and 2016 and routinely finishing inside the top 30 of all professional football clubs globally. On the field, no team has more wins, points or trophies since that debut season, providing an upwelling of pride and support from a community that has long loved the game.
As Garber stated on Friday, “Seattle was the boost that showed the world that there can be a popular, viable, and meaningful soccer team in the United States.”
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As the energy surged on the streets surrounding Seattle Stadium ahead of today’s game, longtime FOX Sports anchor Rob Stone remarked on network television, “Never seen anything like this in American Soccer.” He was right, and as the goals rolled in and the crowd roared with ferocity, the 2-0 win felt like a crowning moment that was years in the making. The Australia match was the first appearance in Seattle for the U.S. men since Copa America in 2016, and with such a robust homefield advantage, the team is now 7-0-0 all-time on the shores of Puget Sound.
After the match, Pochettino took time to acknowledge the community that backed his team proudly to victory. “After the game I was emotional because I think the atmosphere was amazing, the fans were amazing. The loud reception and the way that they support us and the way they celebrate the victory, they make you feel very emotional and the players are very emotional too.”
He continued, “I think it was an amazing and perfect connection between the energy from the stand to the team. I think that this makes us feel very proud because to connect with the people is what we wanted, and then if we want to achieve a lot of things, we need the support of our fans here in Seattle but also in the rest of the country. They are all supporting us and we feel that support and it’s amazing for the team.”
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Australia Head Coach Tony Popovich agreed with his opposite number’s assessment, “It was a wonderful atmosphere, credit to the home fans that came to support their team.”
Earlier this week, The Seattle Times made the case that today’s match was the biggest sporting event in Seattle history. With the raucous scenes all across the city – and especially surrounding Seattle Stadium in the hours leading into kickoff – the energy was palpable and the atmosphere charged. And as the first-half goals ignited celebrations and the decibel meter blew past reasonable levels, it became self-evident that this event truly stands apart. The first FIFA World Cup to be hosted in Seattle, the first time the U.S. Men’s National Team has played on home soil in the Emerald City in this tournament, and a signature win to send the Stars and Stripes top of the group and into the tournament’s prized Knockout Round.
For a community that paid its soccer dues over the past 50 years and built a distinct legacy in the Northwest corner of the United States, this was a moment that was dreamed long ago. Today it was realized.
