How Paul Rothrock won Brian Schmetzer’s heart

Paul Rothrock might be the least talented of the Seattle Sounders’ five starting-caliber wingers, but right now his spot in the lineup seems the most secure.

Yes, it helps that he has been productive; he’s scored or assisted in each of the past two games. What Brian Schmetzer really loves about Rothrock, though, is that he knows what he’s going to get every single time. The Columbus Crew game was a perfect example of what we mean.

Rothrock was always a willing runner, disrupting the Crew attackers and generally just making his presence known. For a coach like Schmetzer, this is exactly what he wants. On this week’s Tactical Short, we dig into the performance: