The Seattle Sounders have their eyes set on a bigger prize this season with the FIFA Club World Cup in their sights. However, it seems that midfielder Obed Vargas is slated to bring his talent on display in perhaps the biggest stage of his career with the hopes of showing his worth and earning some promising minutes.

Much has been said about how the Seattle Sounders when it comes to playing at a high, competitive level in the MLS, and the sixth seed team is showing that they have what it takes to play against the best teams in the world. As the CWC comes to the United States, Seattle is one of the representing teams, and Vargas is expected to be clear for takeoff in these games.

Considering how well he has played over the course of the season, it is worth noting that he’s still just 19. The Anchorage native has been on some good runs this season, and perhaps this is the time that he gets the exposure he needs to prove that he is a strong performer for the club.

Spotlight on Vargas

Vargas is expected to draw a lot of attention when the games begin as well, which comes this Sunday against Brazilian side Botafogo. There are rumors that European scouts and even sporting directors will be keeping an eye on him – more than any other player in the upcoming tournament.

“At this point, what I’d say is I don’t know if there’s a club in the world that doesn’t know who he is,” Sounders general manager and chief soccer officer Craig Waibel told reporters of Vargas after a recent training session. “I mean, anyone who’s got analytics, he’s triggered and kind of set off the red alarms.”

Considering that Anchorage isn’t much of a hotspot for soccer talent – with lots of hockey players focusing instead, it may be easy to sleep on what Vargas has to offer. But it is worth noting that Vargas is an accomplished player in his own right. After all, he’s won a total of four State Cups – even if it doesn’t offer the reality check compared to the competition in the mainland.

Grounded and Humble

Despite all the praises he has been receiving in his game, there are a lot of talks as to how Vargas downplays the value he brings to the table. After all, this seems to be what he’s all about – putting up a humble level of play to show how he remains grounded even he gets on the explosive level of play.

“It's not the same as everywhere else. Not as many teams. Not as much competition. There are maybe four or five teams in the whole state,” said Vargas on his upbringing. “And so that kind of always kept me grounded, kept me humble because I knew I was the best player here in Alaska. But I didn't know how far that was going to get me.”

Vargas is heading to his first FIFA Club World Cup, and it seems that the midfielder will be gaining some valuable experience that will make him a more rounded player on the field, which should help him improve his level of play too.

Discipline is a strong suit for Vargas. Heading into the Club World Cup, this seems to be a needed trait as the Sounders hope to come up with impressive performances in that campaign.