Sounders international roundup: Nouhou starts twice

The November international window is finally closed, and the Seattle Sounders are ramping up in preparation for their Western Conference semifinal match against LAFC. The Sounders have had a lengthy three-week break after only needing two games to end the Houston Dynamo’s season in the first round of the playoffs. The window has allowed an opportunity for some of the team to rest and a needed chance for a couple of guys to recover from injuries, but a handful of Sounders had other work to do.

Several first-team players were called in for national team duty, while Tacoma Defiance and the Sounders Academy also saw players depart for camps and games during the window. Nouhou joined Cameroon for a pair of Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers, while Obed Vargas and Reed Baker-Whiting joined the Mexico and United States U-20 teams, respectively. Stuart Hawkins – signed to an MLS contract but played all season with Defiance – was called in for a US U-19 camp, while his Defiance teammate Osaze De Rosario represented Guyana in a Gold Cup Qualification play-in series against Barbados. Sounders Academy player Omar Hassan rounded out the batch of call-ups with a pair of games against Mexico with the US U-16s.

That covers who was where, but doesn’t tell us much about how they did. Let’s dive in!

Nouhou and Cameroon

Nouhou played 180 minutes for Cameroon across the final two games of their qualification campaign for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Cameroon opened the window with a 0-0 draw against Namibia. Nouhou was solid in the draw, completing 32/37 passes and succeeding on both dribbles that he attempted. He won the only tackle that he went into, and won 6/10 duels to go along with 10 defensive actions and one chance created, although he went 1/7 on crosses and 2/5 on long balls.

He was less impactful in the second game, a 2-1 win over Zimbabwe. His passing was very safe, completing 29/31 passes with 4 passes into the final third, but he wasn’t directly involved in much else. He tried 1 cross and 2 long balls, completing none, attempted zero tackles and only got into a single ground duel which he lost. He may deserve a small amount of blame for Zimbabwe’s goal, although he’s certainly not alone. In the 73rd minute Zimbabwe and Udinese winger Jordan Zemura was dribbling at a sort of scrambling Cameroon backline in what appeared to be turning into a 3-v-2 as Cameroon’s defense attempted to drop back. Nouhou continued to drop rather than stepping to confront Zemura, resulting in a teammate attempting to step up and help, which left Terrence Dzvukamanja open in a pocket of space. Zemura played a simple pass for Dzvukamanja, who got a first-time shot off before a defender could challenge him and put it in the back of the net.

Ultimately that goal didn’t matter much, except that it’s not a completely novel experience seeing Nouhou dropping off allowing an opponent a chance to shoot or play a final ball. Still, Cameroon finished atop Group J to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be played from Dec. 21, 2025 to Jan. 18, 2026. Nouhou returns to Seattle with games under his belt to keep him in rhythm and free of injury.

Obed Vargas and Mexico U-20s

The Mexico U-20s played in a pair of friendlies against Venezuela and Japan’s U-20 sides. Varbgas played about 60 minutes in the first match against Venezuela, a 0-0 draw. During his hour on the field he showcased some calm and tidy distribution from Mexico’s midfield, playing in a role not too dissimilar from the one he occupies with the Sounders. He had some quality technical ability with dangerous passes out to the wings that put teammates in threatening positions, but no real chances came from them as those players often tried the same skill move on repeat with no success.

Vargas got a bit more of a run against Japan as the two sides drew 1-1. His performance was largely similar, with one very notable difference. In the third minute of the game Obed received a pass along the left sideline in his own half. He beat one player with a quick turn, then another on the dribble as he carried the ball into Japan’s half before playing a perfect through-ball to send a teammate behind the defense and in to finish beyond the goalkeeper. The play looked a bit like a man playing among boys as Vargas flexed his quality and experience, hopefully providing him with some confidence ahead of his return to Seattle.

Obed did end up in a bit of a collision around the 40-minute mark and needed some attention from the team’s medical staff, but he remained in the game until the 77th minute and came through healthy, with just a bit of a black eye to show for the incident.

Vargas is age eligible for the U-20 World Cup next year, but it seems somewhat unlikely that he’d be released for the tournament whether he’s still in Seattle or not. As a result, the greatest value for him from this camp likely comes from further familiarity with El Tri’s set-up and the opportunity to spend time with and learn from Mexico legend Rafa Marquez at the camp.

Reed Baker-Whiting and U.S. U-20s

Reed Baker-Whiting joined the U.S. U-20s in Spain to play in a pair of friendlies against South Korea and France’s U-20s. He started in the first game, which the U.S. won 3-0, and subbed on in the 70th minute against France with the game tied.

Baker-Whiting played on the left wing against France, and provided a lot of defensive help both as part of a press and dropping back to help the fullback on his side. He showed good physicality throughout his time on the field, and provided simple moments of technical ability as his one-touch passing helped the U.S. create attacking moments and keep possession. He was somewhat involved in the winning goal, first sliding into the middle of the field during a France throw-in and winning possession, then letting a teammate carry the ball forward before the U.S. won a corner. On the ensuing corner he retrieved the ball to recycle possession after the ball went through the box, and the U.S. scored as a result of that play.

RBW isn’t displacing anyone in the Sounders starting lineup at this moment, but his performance showed that he’s still a useful, albeit young, tool in Brian Schmetzer’s kit. He seems more likely than Obed to be a potential contributor at the 2025 U-20 World Cup.

Osaze De Rosario and Guyana

Osaze De Rosario started and was a huge part of wins for Guyana in a pair of games against Barbados. The first, a 4-1 win, saw De Rosario score a goal and add an assist, providing the set-up for the equalizing goal and an insurance goal in the 60th minute.

Then he blew up in the second game to help clinch Guyana a place in 2025 Gold Cup Qualification. De Rosario had a first-half hat trick with goals in the 27th, 41st and 45+2 minute. Barbados had three goals of their own in the second half, but Guyana still won 5-3 thanks to goals in the 57th minute and at 90+5.

Concacaf prevents directly embedding the highlights, but you can watch them at this link.

A pair of quality headers and a nice run and finish showcased the range of finishes in De Rosario’s bag in that game alone. Osaze wasn’t always at his best for Defiance after joining this year, but there’s clearly a reason the team is keeping him around for next season. At 23 he’s still a relatively young player, and if he can continue to grow and develop, and play like he did this window for Guyana a bit more often, it wouldn’t be totally shocking to see him get a real look as at least a bench option at striker for the Sounders.

Omar Hassan and U.S. U-16s

The U.S. U-16s played a pair of friendlies against their Mexican counterparts. Omar Hassan started in the first of the two games, a 1-1 draw. The U.S. heavily rotated for the second game, and with little in the way of details available it’s unclear if he played or how much in that one. Hassan was not involved in the U.S.’s one goal in the opening game, but looked active and lively during his time on the field.

Stuart Hawkins and U.S. U-19s

Stuart Hawkins continues to be involved with the U.S. youth system, this time joining a U-19 camp that didn’t include any official games. Hawkins was an on-field leader and a fixture at CB in the Defiance defense this season. He’ll likely have a chance to impress during preseason ahead of a busy 2025 for the Sounders.