Last season the Sounders’ showcased dominance on the defensive end. Now, the team is looking to add more strength to the backline with its newest addition Jon Bell.
“I think that I can be a big help to his team,” said Bell. “It's already successful as it is, so for me, I feel like it's just adding more power to the team.”
Prior to joining the Rave Green, Bell was rostered at the New England Revolution for three seasons before joining Major League Soccer’s newest expansion team, St. Louis CITY SC in 2023. The 26-year-old defender has racked up 34 appearances (24 starts) across all competitions since entering the league in 2020.
Bell’s experience extends to the international game as well, recently earning his first cap with the Jamaican National Team in a friendly versus Guatemala back in November.
“I was amped,” said Bell. “Just a special moment for me to represent a country where my family was born and raised.”
His collegiate soccer achievements at the University of Maryland Baltimore County positioned him as the 38th overall pick in the SuperDraft four years ago, and now, his talents in MLS and at the international level have given him the chance to compete alongside some of the top talent in the United States and Canada.
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“[The Sounders] are a solid team,” said Bell. “To everybody else on other teams around the league, they see them as having a reputation of just always being dominant on the west coast.”
Bell added, “You don't see them finish lower than third in the league, so you know that it comes with discipline, and you have to respect it as an opponent when you play against them. And now to be a part of it, it’s about trying to see early on exactly why they're so successful.”
For four years, the Rockville, Md. native was on the outside looking in, but with the 2024 season ahead, Bell has the opportunity to represent the Seattle Sounders as another potential threat to an already dangerous team.
And he’s determined to make that happen.
“Whether it’s center back or left back, I'm just ready to be on that field and make a difference,” said Bell. “And each time I get a chance to go on the field, I just have to make the most of it and take that opportunity, full advantage.”
