Walking onto the field at Raymond James Stadium Wednesday night, Cristian Roldan couldn’t help but smile.
The 22-year-old midfielder was making his first appearance with the U.S. Men’s National Team, a Gold Cup group stage match against Martinique, fulfilling a lifelong dream to represent the United States at the international level.
“It’s something that I never thought that I’d be able to achieve,” Roldan told SoundersFC.com. “It’s just a huge honor. It was extremely emotional and there’s no better feeling than representing the red, white, and blue.”
The third-year midfielder has turned heads over the past year with his timely tackles and ability to cover large portions of the pitch.