Paul Rothrock

Paul Rothrock Bio

Paul Rothrock is an American professional soccer player who plays for Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders FC. He was part of the Sounders academy system as a youth player and played college soccer for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Georgetown Hoyas. Rothrock was drafted by Toronto FC in 2021 and played for their reserve team Toronto FC II for two seasons before transferring to the Tacoma Defiance, the reserve squad of the Sounders, in 2023.

Early Life and Background

Born and raised in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, Paul Rothrock spent most of his youth career with Seattle United, a partner club of the Seattle Sounders Academy, leading them to two Washington State Cup titles, two Far West Regional titles, and two appearances in the U.S. Youth Soccer national finals. In his U18 season, he joined the Sounders Academy, helping the squad to a third-place finish in the USSDA National Playoffs. Rothrock attended Lakeside School in Seattle, where he was a two-time all-state player and tallied 43 career assists. He spent several years playing with future Sounders teammate Jackson Ragen, whom he met at age seven while playing for a neighborhood recreational soccer team.

Path to Soccer

On February 2, 2017, it was announced that Paul Rothrock signed a letter of intent to play college soccer at the University of Notre Dame. He did not play for the Fighting Irish during his freshman season and had few appearances in his sophomore year. After the 2018 NCAA Division I men’s soccer season, Rothrock transferred to Georgetown University. He had his first assist for Georgetown on August 30, 2019, in a 3–1 victory against Syracuse. He scored his first goal in a 5–1 win against UCLA on September 9, 2019. After his senior season in 2020–21 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he decided to turn professional.

Paul Rothrock Career

Early Career (2017–2019)

Paul Rothrock made his debut for USL club Seattle Sounders FC 2 on July 8, 2017, and scored his first goal in a 4–1 defeat to Real Monarchs. During his 2019 collegiate season, Rothrock played with National Premier Soccer League side OSA Seattle FC, making three appearances. He was drafted in the third round of the 2021 MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC. On May 18, 2021, he signed with their second team, Toronto FC II of USL League One. He made his debut for TFCII on May 26 against FC Tucson and scored his first goal on October 1 against North Carolina FC.

Breakthrough (2022–Present)

On October 17, 2021, Rothrock scored a brace in a 2–1 victory against Chattanooga Red Wolves SC. On May 4, 2022, he signed a short-term four-day loan with the first team, Toronto FC, ahead of their Major League Soccer match against FC Cincinnati. He made his MLS debut on May 8, 2022, as a late-game substitute. In January 2023, he signed with the Tacoma Defiance, the successor to Seattle Sounders FC 2, in MLS Next Pro. Through his first three games, he assisted four of the team’s six goals and scored his first goal on April 30 against LA Galaxy II. On April 26, 2023, he joined the first team, Seattle Sounders FC, on a short-term loan for their U.S. Open Cup match, scoring on his club debut. He became the first Sounders player to score in each of his first three appearances, as well as the first player to score while on a short-term loan. In August 2023, he signed a first-team contract with the club for the remainder of the 2023 season, with club options for 2024 and 2025.

Notable Works and Milestones

Paul Rothrock has made significant contributions to his teams, including leading Tacoma in goals and assists throughout the 2023 season. His performance has established him as a promising player in Major League Soccer.