A glimmer of hope — Cristian Roldan is Pochettino's 'perfect player'

Goal sat down with the midfielder as Cristian Roldan prepares for his 12th season in MLS, reporting that his late surge toward a second consecutive World Cup has been driven in part by the presence of a one-and-a-half-year-old girl who he wants to be able to watch him play.

It was 700 days or so in between call-ups, but Roldan returned in the fall as a late replacement, appearing against South Korea, starting against Japan and then assisting both of Haji Wright's goals in a 2-1 win over Australia. Mauricio Pochettino said, "He is what we need," and added that "Maybe Cristian Roldan is an example of how you want to build your perfect player."

Teammates and coaches praise Roldan's off-field leadership — Brenden Aaronson said, "When you see him at camp, it's like seeing a big brother" — and Roldan says he relishes that role while also wanting to make an impact on the field. He hopes his daughter can someday understand those moments, and that hope is keeping him going.