SEATTLE — Paul Rothrock wasted literally no time making a mark in Friday’s game. With his first touch, Rothrock pulled off a rather audacious nutmeg in which he pulled the ball through the defender’s legs with his trailing foot. As statements of intent go, it was pretty bold.
Rothrock’s performance only got better from there.
By the time his night was done, the 25-year-old Seattle native had picked up the game-winning assist and added a goal of his own. He was also 14 of 16 passing with four touches in the box, his energy providing the spark the Sounders needed to open Leagues Cup play with a 2-0 win over Minnesota United.
While this was Rothrock’s most prolific performance, it’s a continuation of a season in which he seems to be settling in as a legitimate difference-maker. In about 900 first-team minutes across all competitions, Rothrock now has four goals, two assists and one drawn penalty.
An even better illustration of his contribution is that the Sounders are 9-2-2 and have outscored opponents 20-9 in matches where he plays at least 15 minutes. In the five matches where he came off the bench to play significant minutes, the Sounders were trailing or tied in four of them. The Sounders won all four of those matches.
“Whether he’s starting or coming off the bench, he brings energy,” Sounders attacker Jordan Morris said. “We’re really happy for him because we see the work he puts in on a daily basis. Recently to have it paying off by scoring goals, getting assists, doing a lot of the little things that help us win games and doing whatever he’s asked.”
