TUKWILA, Wash. - Last week, four standouts from Sounders FC Academy -- Dylan Teves (U-16), Cam Martin (U-16), Paul Rothrock (U-18) and Jackson Ragan (U-18) -- were invited to train with the first team, signaling a continuation of the club’s commitment to developing elite talent internally.
When the club announced that six players from the youth system would participate in preseason with the first team, it signaled an intent to promote promising players through the ranks. And just eight matches into the 2017 USL campaign, the heavy reliance on Academy standouts like Shandon Hopeau and Sam Rogers with Sounders FC 2 provides further evidence of the organization’s desire to integrate premier prospects.