RENTON – No young player on the Seattle Sounders came into this season with more promise and expectation than Snyder Brunell.
In some ways, he’s delivered. Brunell has logged more than 1,900 minutes across all competitions, which includes 22 starts and 31 appearances. At times, he’s looked every bit like the dynamic two-way midfielder who burst onto the scene with two goals in less than 400 first-team minutes last year.
But in other ways, a lot of his potential remains untapped. Brunell has not been able to secure his spot in the lineup as he’s struggled to maintain a consistent level.
Combined, he’s shown enough to earn a call-up to the most recent United States U20 national team camp in Valencia, Spain. Brunell featured in both games, a 2–0 loss to Brazil and a 3–3 tie with Denmark, and wore the captain's armband in one while coming off the bench in the other.
"I get to see different perspectives," Brunell told reporters on Wednesday. "Coaches telling me stuff that maybe I didn’t see, or just always learning. I feel like these are always good moments for me to learn stuff away from this environment, see if I can add to my game."
Now back with the Sounders, Brunell is excited to help push them into the playoffs as they head out on a two-game road trip that will take them across the country for a match against the New England Revolution and then to FC Dallas a few days later.
"We’re a great team," Brunell said. "We’re just now hitting our stride, which is perfect timing. The team is really motivated. The vibes are high. Everything is good. For sure, we can get results out of these games."
