With deft ball control and pinpoint passing, MLS midfielder Obed Vargas of Anchorage is as smooth as a Sade song.
Anchorage’s Obed Vargas was a 15-year-old prodigy when he made his Major League Soccer debut for the Seattle Sounders in 2021.
Three years later, the starting midfielder doesn’t come off the field, rarely makes mistakes and has a habit of frustrating opponents as he plays beyond his years.
At 18, Vargas is already the most accomplished soccer player from Alaska. But more so, he’s blossomed into an extremely efficient facilitator in America’s premier professional league.
The Alaskan played all 90 minutes and earned an assist in Seattle’s 5-0 victory Saturday over Montreal. He played 90 minutes in each of his four appearances this season and ranks eighth on the team with 366 minutes despite missing two games due to concussion protocol.
You almost forget Vargas is only 18 because of the ease with which he plays the game, showcasing deft ball control and pinpoint passing. He’s as smooth as a Sade song.
His 89.6 passing percentage ranks fifth for the Sounders and he leads the team with 15 fouls suffered, which speaks to his playmaker prowess because opponents can’t take the ball away from him; they must foul him to stop him.
The assist against Montreal was his first point since Sept. 16, 2023, and the third of his career.
Vargas doesn’t rack up a ton of points, but that’s not necessarily his job as a midfielder. He specializes in setting up others and often times makes a play that sets up a pass that leads to the feed that might result in a shot on goal.
Vargas is one of just three MLS players from the state of Alaska, joining midfielder Ely Allen and goalkeeper Hunter Sulte of Anchorage. In 2008, Allen bagged a goal and assist in 13 games for the LA Galaxy in his only season in the league. In 2021, Sulte appeared in two games for the Portland Timbers.
In 2021, Vargas became the third-youngest player to appear in an MLS game when he was 15. He has since started 30 of 41 games and furnished a stellar 88.7 career passing percentage.