Cristian Roldan's Brace and Thumb Suck Tell You Everything About the Sounders Right Now

The Sounders are playing like a team that knows how to punish mistakes, and St. Louis City just handed them a masterclass in how not to defend. Cristian Roldan netted two goals at Lumen Field on Saturday as Seattle dismantled City 4-1, and the way he celebrated the second one said everything about what's going on in his life right now. After burying a low right-footed shot in the 37th minute, Roldan tucked the ball under his jersey and sucked his thumb to announce he's expecting his second child. The U.S. international hadn't scored a brace since 2020 against LA Galaxy, so this one mattered.

Leaving the Back Post Open Twice Is Inexcusable

Here's the thing: St. Louis had one job after ceding the first goal due to a player left unmarked at the back post on a corner kick. Mark everybody the second time. They didn't. Roldan was wide open both times, and Albert Rusnák found him for assists on each goal. The first came in the 22nd minute when Roldan met the ball inside the box and headed it past City forward Cedric Teuchert and keeper Roman Buerki. The second was all about positioning and a clean finish. The 30,596 fans in attendance couldn't believe what they were watching. Roldan now has three goals on the season.

The Sounders Are Firing on All Cylinders

This wasn't just Roldan's night. Brian Schmetzer subbed on Paul Rothrock for Paul Arriola at halftime, and Rothrock immediately made an impact, drawing a penalty in the 48th minute after being fouled by City midfielder Conrad Wallem. Rusnák buried the spot kick to make it 3-0. Minutes later, Rusnák went down with an apparent leg injury and had to come off the field, replaced by Jesús Ferreira. Osaze De Rosario closed out the scoring in the 86th minute with a right-footed shot, his first goal of the season, with Ferreira notching his fifth assist in MLS competitions. Even with a short turnaround after Wednesday's CONCACAF Champions Cup match, the Sounders (5-1-1) fielded a lineup with fresh faces: Antino Lopez and Alex Roldan formed a new center back pairing, with Arriola and Snyder Brunell on the wings. Keeper Andrew Thomas was working toward his sixth shutout of the season before Eduard Löwen broke through in stoppage time.

Seattle stays home next week to take on FC Dallas. This team is rolling.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.