With a new deal signed in Seattle, and a new coach to impress with the national team, the midfielder is poised for a big 2019 for club and country
The competition for places in the U.S. national team central midfield is going to be fierce in the coming months and years, with more quality options existing in that area of the field than any other in the USMNT pool.
Of all the names being discussed in that competition, one that isn't mentioned nearly as much as it should be is Cristian Roldan. The Seattle Sounders midfielder isn't generating the same level of excitement among fans like young European-based options Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams, and is more often relegated to the stacked list of MLS-based options like Michael Bradley, Will Trapp, Kellyn Acosta and Marky Delgado, but Roldan heads into 2019 as a strong candidate for a big year for club and country.