RENTON — It didn’t take long for Brian Schmetzer to realize that Snyder Brunell had a bright future ahead of him.
During the 2024 Seattle Sounders preseason trip to Marbella, Spain, Brunell was one of just two academy players asked to join. On the final day, the Sounders had two matches scheduled against Danish club Odense BK, but were a little short on numbers. They needed Brunell to play in both.
The then-16-year-old played 30 minutes in the first game — replacing Josh Atencio in central midfield — and then started at the No. 10 spot in the second.
“He dug deep, he figured it out,” Schmetzer told reporters on Tuesday, shortly after Brunell’s first-team signing was announced. “He played against some really good European competition and he didn’t look out of place.”
Still just 18, Brunell has already logged more than 4,000 minutes with the Tacoma Defiance since he made his debut in 2022. In that time, he earned enough trust of coaches to regularly feature before he had even signed a professional contract, established himself as a team captain by the time he was 17 and even made a two appearances for the Sounders in last year’s U.S. Open Cup. This year, he has started getting youth national team attention, even starting two games for the United States U18 team during their undefeated run in the UEFA Friendship Cup last month.
Brunell is a classic No. 8, equally comfortable getting into a hard tackle as he is delivering the final ball on offense. It’s not so much that he has a specific skill that catches talent evaluators’ eyes, as it is his ability to fit in and do the engine-room work that helps a team function.
“He certainly has a lot of good starting points,” Schmetzer said. “He works hard and he’s a smart soccer player, which is something that I like. So, he’s got potential.”
That ability to fit in promises to get Brunell onto the field rather quickly.
As the Sounders get ready to begin Leagues Cup on Thursday against Cruz Azul, they will likely be looking for ways to get double-pivots Cristian Roldan and Obed Vargas some much-needed rest. Both players have already logged more than 2,300 minutes across all competitions this year.
“I believe that he’s going to have an impact very soon,” Schmetzer said. “Very soon means maybe these next three games. I’m gonna throw him in there, throw him into the fire and see what he’s got.”
Brunell feels he’s ready, even if that means facing Liga MX opponents in the Leagues Cup.
“Every game is the same opportunity for me to grow,” he said. “I don’t really think about it too much, just play the way I play. Physically, I am up to it, I can obviously improve, but I feel like I'm at a point where I can definitely hold myself, especially at a higher level.”
Focus on the future
Asked if there are any short-term needs he would like to see addressed during the now-open summer transfer window, Schmetzer said he felt confident enough in the existing depth to have a different perspective.
“I’d rather make sure that the dollars that we do have, we spend it on something that we think is a longer-term piece,” he said.
Health updates
- Paul Rothrock (hand) will be fitted with a cast and is expected to rejoin training as soon as Wednesday.
- João Paulo (knee) could still be out another four weeks after surgery to “clean up” his knee.
- Stuart Hawkins (quad) was able to be a limited participant in training, but will not return at least until after Leagues Cup.
- Stefan Frei (head) was able to do some training drills for the first time since his injury but remains in concussion protocol and has an unclear timeline to return.
