33 greatest players in Seattle Sounders history

Some of the players on this list accumulated stats that made the list, some displayed the skill or athleticism to put them there, some have the potential of providing the Sounders with future success, some are fan favorites, but most of them had multiple categories checked off.

So, who are the 33 greatest players in Seattle Sounders history?

1. Clint Dempsey

2013-2018 57 Goals, 29 Assists. Clint Dempsey was one of possibly 3 of the best soccer players that the United States has ever produced. He had an incredible touch on the ball, and excellent vision on the attacking end. He ended up being a captain on the National Team as well as having several magical seasons where he combined with Obafemi Martins to terrorize the opposing MLS defenses. Even the coach at the time, Sigi Schmid, admitted that when they connected passes in practice at times, he forgot to coach and just enjoyed watching them play. Dempsey stints on the National Team, and in Europe have established him as one of the top American-born soccer players ever.

2. Chad Marshall

2014-2019 12 Goals, 6 Assists. For Marshall, it was never about scoring goals, his emphasis was on winning. That is what he did. He won at the High School level with 4 titles with his club team, he won at the college level with Stanford making it to the national finals, and He won at a professional level. He scored the MLS cup winning goal in 2008 with the Columbus Crew and helped the Sounders win the MLS cup in 2016. He owned they skies and was always making the smart play and locked horns and shut out Josie Altidore to win his second MLS cup.

3. Stefan Frei

2014-Present Stefan Frei has 14 playoff clean sheets, and just played in his 400th match for the Sounders. The Rave Green fans recall his iconic save against Josie Altidore's shot that he had to reach back and claw the ball out of the goal on route to winning the MLS Cup. Frei is everything you would want from a goalkeeper. He is consistent, a good ball distributor, a good communicator, a good person, and can make the big save at critical moments. While he has not accumulated the accolades that he deserved, his consistency and performances are his true legacy.

4. Kasey Keller

2009-2011 Kasey Keller played 93 games for the Sounders at a time where their success was determined by their defense, which in turned relied on his spectacular play. Keller is in contention for being one of the top 5 goalkeepers who were born in the United States. With the lack of offensive firepower, the Sounders initial success in building the formation of the dynasty was squarely on his shoulders, which he would never acknowledge while serving as a Sounders broadcaster.

5. Obafemi Martins

2013-2015 43 Goals, 23 Assists Obafemi Martins was fun to watch. He celebrated goals by doing flips, and he scored often. He left the Sounders when offered a lot more money to play in China. While he was a Sounder, he was magical. His connection to Dempsey was more like ESP that put them on ESPN. He was everything you would want from a striker, he was fast, strong, technical, and he made the best out of his chances.

6. Nicolas Lodeiro

2016-2023 58 Goals, 90 Assists Nicolas Lodeiro made an instant impact on the Sounders, filling the void left by Martins with creative passing and imaginative plays that would make him the all-time Sounder assist leader. He had a tendency to roam around the field and had an extremely high motor. He was part of both of the Sounders MLS titles.

7. Jordan Morris

2014-Present 87 Goals, 28 Assists Jordan Morris was a Seattle homegrown player who was temporarily loaned out to play in Europe. Injuries sent him back to the Sounders. When healthy, Morris has made appearances with the National team and with the addition of his goals this season, has become the Sounders' all-time leading goal scorer. His pace gives him advantages to get behind defenses, and his shooting accuracy has continuously improved over the course of his career.

8. Raul Ruidiaz

2018-2024 86 Goals, 19 Assists Raul Ruidiaz is second only to Jordan Morris in goals, but the impact of his goals was immense. He was part of the Sounders' second MLS Cup trophy, their CONCACAF Champions League victory on his way to winning 5 Golden Boot awards. He is tied for first with 24 playoff goals and is 1st in game-winning goals. He scored in every way imaginable, including lofting chip shots over goalies, scoring from just short of midfield and of course he was deadly efficient inside the 18. Ruidiaz gave everything for the team, and that is how he will be remembered.

9. Fredy Montero

2009-2012, 2021-2024 79 Goals, 44 Assists In Fredy Montero's professional career, he grew up with the Sounders. When the Sounders joined the MLS as an expansion team, it was Montero who took on the goal-scoring responsibilities. When he left the Sounders he was the all-time leader in goals scored. When he returned to replace injured Jordan Morris and joined Raul Ruidiaz up front for the Sounders, he retook the all-time leading scorer title back from Clint Dempsey and provided the younger Sounders players with a mentor who was an experienced, savvy veteran.

10. Christian Roldan

2015-Present 39 Goals, 52 Assists Christian Roldan has been one of the most durable players in Sounders' history (with the exception of concussion injuries that had him out of the line-up for a stretch in 2023). One season, he played all but 7 minutes of the season, being subbed out when leading 4-1. Roldan played for the men's national team, as well as scoring the winning goal that clinched the playoffs for the Sounders in 2023. Roldan has been the connection between the defense and the Sounders' attack during both of the MLS Cup titles as well as the Concacaf title.

11. Osvaldo Alonso

2009-2018 21 Goals, 24 Assists Ozzie Alonso was the connection between the Sounders offense and defense from it's inception into the league until he departed from the team in 2018. The Cuban-born player was gritty and at times hot-headed and made some questionable challenges. He also had the ability to score and pass when the team needed it. A testament to his ability was a team that had a foundation of defense thanks to his contributions.

12. Kelvin Leerdam

2017-2020 10 Goals 8 Assists Kelvin Leerdam's goals and assist numbers were not what got him on this list. Even though he was often underutilized, he did demonstrate on occasion that he had the ability to score and his technical passing, including his throw-ins, were top notch. As a stand-alone defender, he was near flawless. In fact, the only reason he was not more productive was because that wasn't what the team needed from him. They needed a lockdown defender who was willing to pass the glory to others.

13. Albert Rusnak

Present 27 Goals, 16 Assists Albert Rusnak success with the Sounders started when he moved back to his regular attacking midfielder position. His early training with Manchester City can be seen in his technical ability and his efficiency. He has added to the overall talent on the club and was a big part of their CONCACAF title run. As he continues to score goals and manipulate the flow of the attack, he is likely to move up in this list before his time as a Sounder has finished.

14. DeAndre Yedlin

2012-2014 1 Goal, 10 Assists DeAndre Yedlin helped spark the transformation of outside defenders. He was able to use his speed and skill to stretch defenses and add to the attack. He only played in Seattle for a couple of seasons before being drawn to play in the English Premier League as well as making multiple caps for the men's national team.

15. Eddie Johnson

2012-2013 29 Goals, 5 Assists Eddie Johnson was sold on the idea of the Sounders by Clint Dempsey after the departure of Obafemi Martins but while they were playing together on the national team. Johnson did play for stretches in the English Premier League and in Greece before returning to the MLS. Johnson proved to be a powerful and quick 9, that worked well with Dempsey and produced a slew of goals, including being the league leader in headed goals, which helped build the Sounders' dynasty. While the Sounders couldn't afford to keep him, his years of service were rejoiced in time and again by Sounders' Nation.

16. Mauro Rosales

2011-2013 12 Goals, 34 Assists Mauro Rosales only spent a couple of seasons with the Sounders. One of those seasons, he led the league in assists thanks to his superior ability to cross the ball. He did help the Sounders win both the Lamar Hint U.S. Open Cup and the Supporters' Shield in 2016 as well as experiencing success with the English Premier League, the Argentinian Primera Division and playing internationally for Argentina including a gold medal in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games.

17. Joao Paulo

2020-Present 6 Goals 24 Assists Joao Paulo had been a professional soccer player for 10 years before joining the Sounders. He acted as a binding agent as the team suffered through injuries. His touch with the ball and distribution skills that he acquired growing up in Brazil, along with his toughness, led the Sounders to the CONCACAF title. He mentored current starter Obed Vargas and continues to do so while available as a skilled player coming off the bench in the deepest bench (skill-wise) in Sounders history.

18. Tyrone Mears

2015-2016 1 Goal, 3 Assists Another product of Manchester City, Tyrone Mears didn't score a lot of goals, or have tons of assists. He played defense. He was tough, skilled, and reliable. He could lock down any attacker and put himself in a position to win any ball coming in his direction.

19. Nouhou Tolo

2017-Present 2 Goals, 7 Assists Nouhou has only scored 2 goals in his career with the Sounders, but this fan favorite contributes so much to the team. He wears his emotions on his sleeve, and his athleticism is off the charts. He is considered the best 1-on-1 defender in the MLS, and his sweeping long strides when he makes a run down the sideline are unmistakable. Every team needs an enthusiastic, upbeat person on the team, but usually, they don't have the focus and ability that Nouhou exudes.

20. Pedro de la Vega

2024 - Present 2 Goals, 3 Assists Pedro de la Vega is a talented Argentinean player with strengths in dribbling and passing. He first two seasons were marred with injuries, but as he settles into the team, his joy of playing is apparent. His potential to contribute to a talented team is why he is ranked so high.

21. Steve Zakuani

2009-2013 19 Goals, 14 Assists Steve Zakuani had 2 fantastic seasons when the Sounders entered the MLS. He was injured in 2011, and never regained his previous form. When healthy, he used his speed and skills that he learned playing in the Arsenal Youth Academy and was a big part of the Sounders' attack. After his soccer career, he continues to do charity work, was part of the Sounders' game-day broadcast team, and coaches at Bellevue High School in Seattle.

22. Joevin Jones

2016-2017, 2019-2020 5 Goals, 27 Assists Joevin Jones played in two stints with the Sounders with a breif stint with Darmstadt in the Bundesliga in between. He also played for the Trinidad and Tobago national team in the 2015 World Cup. With the Sounders, Joevin transitioned from a full back to an attacking player, where he added a new element to his game which sent him to the German league just when he was making significant contributions to the offense. While with the Sounders, his talent was evident, even if the number of goals and assists were in other leagues.

23. Brad Evans

2009-2017 28 Goals, 29 Assists Brad Evans helped the Sounders win their first trophy, the US Open Cup for the Sounders. Most of his goals came at opportune times for the Sounders and at one point passed on the captain's armband so that Fredy Montero could have it. He would have been more of a goal scorer and distributor if he wasn't regularly hampered by injuries. He was popular with the fans and a mainstay on the team from its inception into the league, and helped establish the Sounder Dynasty.

24. Zach Scott

2002-2016 9 Goals, 3 Assists Zach Scott was known as Mr. Sounder, a name provided by Sigi Schmid because he played all of his club games with the Sounders once the Sounders joined the MLS and because of his personality. Having won the MLS cup title in his last season, he ended up winning 1 MLS title, 2 USL 1st Division titles, 4 U.S. Open cups and 1 MLS Supporters' Shield. If the Sounders had a founding father, Zach Scott would be it.

25. Roman Torres

2015-2019, 2020-2021 1 Goal, 3 Assists + a shootout clinching PK for the MLS title Roman Torres played with the energy of 10 men, and was the size of two players. His career was riddled with failed signings and a problem with testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. On the field, he was a dominant force and had the advantage for every ball in the air as well as being a lock-down central defender.

26. Lamar Neagle

2011, 2013-2015, 2017-2018 35 Goals, 17 Assists Lamar Neagle grew up in Seattle and spent multiple stints with the Sounders. He was flexible in which side of the field he was on as well as what position he played. He won 2 U.S. Open cups and an MLS Supporters' Shield with the Sounders and filled the needs of the team on multiple occasions.

27. Will Bruin

2017-2022 32 Goals, 15 Assists Will Bruin played six seasons with the Sounders and accumulated an MLS cup and the CONCACAF Champions League. Most of Bruin's goals came at the end of the games and made the difference between a loss and a tie, or a tie and a win. When healthy, he applied pressure on defenses and had a knack for getting the ball in the goal when targeted by his teammates.

28. Obed Vargas

2021-Preesent 2 Goals, 7 Assists Obed Vargas joined the Sounders as a teenager and has grown up in the system. While he played defensive midfield, he has been contributing more to the offense as the team diversifies their attack, which led to his 2 goals. With the majority of his professional career ahead of him, he could contribute to many more Sounders Milestones.

29. Ryan Kent

2025-Present 0 Goals, 3 Assists in 4 Games Ryan Kent has a fresh start in Seattle, and entering the prime of his career after having past success in Europe with the Rangers, he has shifted the way that the Sounders connect on offense and can beat his man 1-on-1 like few others in Sounders History. His potential is off the charts, but only time will tell if he can realize that potential.

30. Paul Arriola

2025-Present 2 Games Played Paul Arriola only managed 2 games thus far for the Sounders. His skill level gives him the potential to much higher on this list.

31. Marco Pappa

2014-2015 9 Goals, 13 Assists

32. Danny Musovski

2024 - Present 7 Goals, 1 Assist Danny Musovski has been on fire as of late. If he can perform at that level consistently, he will move up on the list.

33. Yeimar Gomez

2020 - Present 7 Goals, 0 Assists Yeimar is a physically dominant player that can be a force of nature on defense. If he can improve his passing consistency, he will likely move up on the list of Sounders best center backs.