How Sounders’ Georgi Minoungou exudes joy, even in the face of adversity

RENTON — Can we talk about joy? It’s a question often posed to Georgi Minoungou. He’s one of those people where a light from within radiates through his smile.

Give Minoungou a ball and space and whoever is watching the Sounders winger finds themselves smiling, too. The quick touches, deceptive stepovers, fearless drives at defenders. Even if it doesn’t culminate in a goal, the excitement spreads from the field to the stands.

But it doesn’t stop there. Minoungou is cheerful through draining training sessions, sleepless nights with his newborn daughter and riding in traffic.

“Sometimes in the locker room my teammates ask ‘Georgi, what’s wrong with you? You’re always smiling,’” Minoungou said. “I’m just a happy guy even when I’m passing through a bad time. Today could be bad, tomorrow, you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

The common phrase was instilled in Minoungou by his mother Chancesline Bah. She raised him in a Christian household, not knowing how much he’d need his faith as he began his professional soccer career. From losing his vision and father to breaking into the first-team lineup, Minoungou’s journey from his Côte d’Ivoire home has been unpredictable.

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Joy and potential were all Minoungou had when he boarded a 20-hour flight from his home to Washington in 2022. He was rail thin, only spoke French and the one thing he knew about the area was it would be colder than West Africa.

Minoungou was familiar playing in chilly weather because his first professional stop was playing for MFK Vyškov, a second-tier team in Czech Republic. The club loaned him to MLS Next Pro side Tacoma Defiance and he signed a deal to remain with the Defiance in March 2022 at age 19.

Back home, Minoungou said he played street soccer where there were no rules, just get past your defender and score. He was the most creative in getting around his childhood friends, which his father, Severin, noticed and began coaching him.

Minoungou was known for his 1-on-1 skill set but admitted to being “bad tactically.” He spent hours with the Defiance coaching staff, including then-coach Wade Webber, studying film while also immersing himself in learning English.

Sounders defender Nouhou and former center back AB Cissoko were instant friends because of their shared African roots and French language. Nouhou is a Cameroonian international and Cissoko’s family immigrated to France from Senegal.

The players often gathered at Minoungou’s home for dinners. They bonded over Minoungou’s spicy chicken and rice. He learned how to make regional dishes from his family and is proud of his talents in the kitchen.

By winter, Minoungou had piqued the interest of Seattle’s first team and was invited to preseason training camp in Marbella, Spain. He was working with Sounders assistant coach Preki, who regarded Minoungou as a “special player,” but the experience abruptly ended because of an infection in his left eye that medical staff thought would have to be surgically removed.

“It just happened,” Minoungou said. “The doctor said I had a lot of blood in my eye, and I lost my left-eye vision. … It wasn’t easy but by the grace of God, I keep balling, and I keep playing my game. It gave me something to say, ‘Hey, Georgi, now you have this thing, and you have to give your best. You have to be different.’ I lost one but can be better than the guys who have two [eyes].”

Minoungou healed with the support of the entire Sounders team. Nouhou seemed to be at the hospital daily.

“It wasn’t easy for him,” Nouhou said. “The thing about him is he didn’t give up. Sometimes in life when you know what you want, you can’t give up. I think it still hurts him a little bit, but he’s going to be fine.”

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When Minoungou returned to the Defiance, he played with dark goggles. He had to rework how he’d play balls, angled his body for defending and be versatile with his shot attempts.

The winger made 24 appearances (13 starts), totaling three assists. The following season, Minoungou ditched the goggles and started 13 of his 16 matches for Tacoma and netted two goals with three assists. His play also garnered five short-term contracts to play for the Sounders as the first team waded through schedule congestion and injuries.

Minoungou’s style was a spark. He often played on the right wing with Paul Rothrock on the left to energize the Sounders. By August, Minoungou earned a full contract.

Before signing, his father, Severin, died of an undisclosed illness. Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer offered an opportunity for Minoungou to return home to be with his family, but they urged him to stay with the club.

“The best thing about Georgi is naturally he’s such a good person, such a happy person that it makes it easier for him to shrug off any of the negative things in his life,” said Defiance coach Hervé Diese, who was hired in 2024. “What I had to remind him is, hey, you still need to go through those moments. Those moments are going to make you stronger.”

The final months of the year were a blur. In September, Minoungou received his second MLS start, a win against Sporting Kansas City at Lumen Field. Rothrock scored in the match and celebrated with Minoungou by doing a dance dedicated to Severin.

In October, Minoungou scored his first MLS goal in a road win against Vancouver. He allowed himself to feel the pain afterward, writing, in part, in an Instagram post that his father “left before I could make you proud.”

“My dad has been pushing me through all of this stuff and the moment I signed with the first team, he didn’t have time to see all of these things,” Minoungou said. “To see the crowd say my name … my dad would be so happy to see his kid being in this big league and playing with a big team and players. He didn’t see all of that, who I’m becoming right now. It makes me feel so bad.”

By November, due to an injury to Rothrock, Minoungou started in Seattle’s Western Conference playoff final against the LA Galaxy. The Sounders lost 1-0, but watching Minoungou and Pedro de la Vega on the wings offered a glimpse of Seattle’s future.

Minoungou played in 14 MLS matches (four starts) overall last year, including four postseason appearances. In addition to the goal, he had an assist.

“That was wild,” Minoungou said. “I couldn’t believe I was going to play in a final. That’s why I say you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

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Schmetzer is clear that Minoungou, 22, is far from a complete player — and that’s a compliment. He’s started four MLS matches this season and has two assists, but the Sounders need goals and are leaning toward those who can provide scoring.

The club signed English winger Ryan Kent, who at age 28 has global experience and is known to score. He made his MLS debut in a 3-0 win against Nashville SC earlier this month — his first game since July 2024.

Minoungou is also in competition with Jesús Ferreira, de la Vega, Rothrock and Kalani Kossa-Rienzi. Lineup formation is a huge factor in who gets the nod in addition to performance during the week at training.

Ferreira has five assists to open the MLS season while the others have scored, Rothrock leading the wingers with two goals and two assists.

“Eventually Georgi has to get to the point where he’s scoring goals,” said Diese, who could have Minoungou on his gameday roster for Tacoma’s U.S. Open Cup match Tuesday. The Defiance will host the Portland Timbers at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila.

“Once Georgi starts getting those little moments that take him to an elite level, man, he’s going to be a very, very scary player,” Diese said.

Training is intense due to the competition for minutes. Yet, at the end of most drills, Minoungou cracks a smile as he teases a teammate or simply because he’s able to play.

“My mom raised me with this happiness, to always be proud of what you have,” Minoungou said. “It hasn’t always been easy. But I want to show to all kids, all players, that giving up is not an option. You’ve got to fight to get what you want.”