Obed Vargas named No. 7 on MLS’s 22-under-22 list

RENTON — Obed Vargas has been a nearly automatic starter all season and is currently away from the Seattle Sounders to be with Mexico’s senior national team. Many pundits believe he could eventually attract an eight-figure transfer fee.

When informed that Vargas was ranked No. 7 on MLS’s 22-Under-22 list, Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer expressed a bit of shock.

“Only seventh? Come on!” Schmetzer said, only half-jokingly. “He’s No. 1 in my book. There’s some talented kids on the list but Obed’s trajectory is pretty good. He’s a talented player.”

Possibly hurting Vargas’ ranking is that he tends to excel in lower-profile parts of the game. He has the fewest goals and assists of anyone in the Top 8. Notably, Vargas is also the youngest player in the Top 17 on the list.

“Does he score a lot of goals? Get a lot of assists? Does he impact games in really visible ways?” Schmetzer asked rhetorically. “When you look at Obed and how he plays, what impact he has, he’s been tremendous.”

Vargas previously made this list in 2022 at No. 15 when he first broke into the team. Former Sounders Fredy Montero (2010) and DeAndre Yedlin (2014) were both previously ranked No. 1 on the list. There had also been speculation that Reed Baker-Whiting could make the cut, although he apparently fell just short.

Raúl Ruidíaz returns to training

Raúl Ruidíaz was a full participant in training, likely signaling that he’ll be available for the regular-season finale against the Portland Timbers. Ruidíaz has scored 13 goals in 18 career matches against the Timbers, more than he has against any other team.

“He’s doing great, happy to be part of the squad,” Schmetzer said when asked about the striker.

Fire alarm

Just as the Sounders were finishing up Wednesday’s training sessions, a fire alarm inside the Longacres facility began to sound. Soon, there were hundreds of people standing outside. There was no official word on what caused the alarm, but it apparently was not an actual fire as folks were quickly allowed back into the building.