By Tony Álvarez
It was another nail-biter in Leagues Cup action—but the Seattle Sounders FC won’t be complaining. With a dramatic 2–1 comeback win over Club Tijuana at Lumen Field, the Sounders not only punched their ticket to the Knockout Stage, but did so as the top overall seed in the tournament. Meanwhile, the loss eliminates the Liga MX side, despite a valiant showing.
The intensity was there from the opening whistle, with both sides eyeing advancement and trading chances early. Seattle nearly broke through in the 16th minute, when Albert Rusnák unleashed a rocket that forced a big save from goalkeeper José Hernández. Off the ensuing corner, Yeimar Gómez’s header rattled the post, and a follow-up effort from Jesús Ferreira clanged off the crossbar—Tijuana’s backline was under siege.
But Xolos had their moments too. Five minutes later, Kevin Castañeda weaved past two defenders and fired just outside the box, forcing a diving stop from Andrew Thomas. Adoni Preciado pounced on the rebound, but Thomas smothered it again to keep the match scoreless.
Then, chaos struck. In stoppage time of the first half, Aaron Mejía was whistled for a handball in the box after an aerial challenge, gifting Seattle a penalty. Rusnák stepped up but saw his effort smash off the post. Three minutes later, it was Castañeda who made them pay—blasting a sensational strike into the top right corner after a scramble in the box, giving Tijuana a 1–0 lead at halftime.
But the second half belonged to the hosts. Needing at least a draw to move on, Seattle pressed forward with urgency. In the 56th minute, Ryan Kent floated in a cross from the left and Osaze De Rosario rose to meet it, nodding in the equalizer with a clinical header.
As both teams pushed for a decisive goal, the goalkeepers took center stage—Thomas and Hernández making key saves to keep the crowd on edge.
But in the 88th minute, the breakthrough came. Ferreira whipped in a corner, Cristian Roldán flicked it at the near post, and Danny Musovski crashed in at the far post with a powerful header to seal the comeback. The goal sent Lumen Field into a frenzy and secured Seattle’s perfect finish to Phase One.
With the win, the Sounders top the Leagues Cup Phase One table and head into the Knockout Stage brimming with confidence. Club Tijuana, despite picking up its first-ever Leagues Cup win earlier in the tournament, is now eliminated after finishing with just one victory in three matches. The Xolos will now turn their focus back to Liga MX play.
REACTIONS
- Seattle Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer:
- “We came out in the second half and lifted up the energy, the level was higher (…) the game was physical but that was because Tijuana needed a result, they put themselves in a position to get a result and our team came charging back, the game was physical.”
PLAYERS OF THE MATCH
- Seattle Sounders:
- Danny Musovski entered in the 82nd minute and six minutes was the hero of the match, scoring the game winner in the 88th
- Club Tijuana:
- Kevin Castañeda scored a screamer from outside the box to give Tijuana the lead just before the end of the first half.
GAME NOTES
- The Sounders finish Phase One as the only team to win all three games in regulation and get to a perfect nine points.
- Danny Musovski scored his first career Leagues Cup goal (on his 5th appearance), he has three goals in his last five games overall.
- After getting their first ever Leagues Cup win, Club Tijuana finishes 1-2 and is eliminated.
- Kevin Castañeda got his second career Leagues Cup goal, he also scored in last year's tournament.
CARDS/INJURY REPORT
- Yellow Cards
- Seattle Sounders: Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, Alex Roldan
- Club Tijuana: Domingo Blanco, Aaron Mejía, Josué Reyes, Jesús Vega, Alejandro Gómez
- Red Card:
- Club Tijuana: Ramiro Franco
LOOKING AHEAD
- Sounders are the only team to finish Phase One with a perfect record, after winning every game in 90 minutes; they have nine points, and are the number one overall seed.
- Club Tijuana only won one game in Phase One and are now eliminated from the Leagues Cup.
