When Marlon Vargas joined Sounders Academy in 2016, he had one thing on his mind: Signing a professional contract with the club and, one day, suiting up for the First Team at CenturyLink Field.
The 17-year-old Sounders 2 midfielder was born and raised in Bakersfield, California, and he’s been playing the beautiful game for as long as he can remember. When it became clear he possessed a knack for soccer, he joined local club Central California Aztecs, which is a youth affiliate of Sounders Academy.
“[Aztecs] was great,” Vargas said. “I had been playing with them my entire life since I was super young.