Raúl Ruidíaz was not included in Peru’s roster for a pair of upcoming World Cup qualifiers that would have been played during the break between the end of the MLS regular season and the start of the playoffs.
Informed of this news, Seattle Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer couldn’t quite hold back his smile.
“We can train all together, as a family,” Schmetzer said.
It’s understandable why this news might come as a relief to Schmetzer. Although Ruidíaz has been regularly called into the Peru national team since joining the Sounders in 2018, it’s rarely seemed worthwhile.