When the Sounders Academy U-17s won the U.S. Soccer Development Academy national championship earlier this month, Sounders FC General Manager & President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey made it clear that it was an important first step in solidifying the club’s developmental pathway. Phase two, according to Lagerwey, is for the prospects to translate their success at the youth level to USL with Sounders FC 2.
Four of the players who appeared in the national final -- Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez, Ray Serrano, Azriel Gonzalez and Marlon Vargas -- have already signed with S2, making them the most likely candidates to break into the starting XI.