NOTE: This is a feature in October's edition of Sounders Monthly. It is available free-of-charge at The NINETY, GuestLink Services locations, Soccer Celebration and Membership Central. You can also access it on the Sounders Mobile App.
It has been a little more than 10 years since the life-changing decision.
Osvaldo Alonso made the difficult choice a decade ago of defecting from Cuba to the United States, knowing such a move would mean leaving his family behind, but hoping that it would lead to a better life.
All Alonso has done since, as far as his profession goes, is piece together a successful career with the Seattle Sounders that is littered with accomplishments and championships – a career that has made him not only one of the best defensive midfielders in MLS history, but quite possibly the best defensive midfielder in MLS history.