Sounders Academy product Marlon Vargas has signed a professional contract with Seattle Sounders FC 2, becoming the third Academy player this year to forgo NCAA eligibility in favor of a USL contract. He joins 2018 direct-from-Academy signees Ray Serrano and Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez, as well as 2017 signees Shandon Hopeau, Sam Rogers and Azriel Gonzalez, in what has clearly become an organizational priority.

Vargas joined the Sounders Academy in 2016 from the Central California Aztecs. The 17-year-old is a goal-dangerous midfielder who often set up on the left wing for the Academy. Vargas scored 14 goals in 19 starts for the Sounders U17/18s in the 2017/18 Academy season. He won the Golden Ball (tournament MVP) in the Premier Division of the GA Cup last month, scoring 4 goals and contributing 5 assists. That performance earned him attention in national youth soccer circles and he was named by MLS as one of the top 5 players to watch coming out of the GA Cup. He’s also capable of some brilliant play.

In honor of Marlon Vargas signing with S2, here's a thread of his most absurd plays with the academy. First up is this ridiculous sequence of dribbling against NYRB in the GA Cup final pic.twitter.com/tkH4muEFqV — Joseph Mondello (@JoeMondelloFC) May 12, 2018

S2 Head Coach John Hutchinson said of the midfielder, “Marlon is a very creative and imaginative player. He currently leads the nation in assists and will bring a unique skillset to our team.”

Attacking midfielders who can score goals and rack up assists are invaluable. Vargas has proven that he is that type of player at the youth level and he now has the chance to show he can do it as a professional.

CURRENT SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC 2 ROSTER

Defenders (5): Rodrigue Ele, Nick Hinds, Sam Rogers, Denso Ulysse, Ibrahim Usman

Midfielders (7): Antonee Burke-Gilroy, Jesse Daley, Azriel Gonzalez, Francisco Narbon, Ray Saari, Ray Serrano, Marlon Vargas

Forwards (5): Felix Chenkam, David Estrada, Shandon Hopeau, Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez, David Olsen

S2 plays T2 Saturday May 12 at 5:00 p.m. in Cheney Stadium