The Sounders’ draw against Atlanta United resembled a Sergio Leone film. The innovative Italian Director is known for many classic movies. The title that best resembles the Rave Green’s draw with United is The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The Sounders left Atlanta with their five-game unbeaten streak intact and split the spoils. A let-off by the Sounders in the last three minutes of stoppage time squared what looked like a sure victory.
A BAD FIRST HALF
Brian Schmetzer rolled out his strongest line, which saw Andrew Thomas in goal, Jackson Ragen and Yeimar in the middle, with Reed Baker-Whiting at left back and Alex Roldan at right back. Cristian Roldan and Obed Vargas were the holding midfielders. Pedro de la Vega started at left wing, Jesus Ferreira on the right wing, with Albert Rusnák in between them. Danny Musovski is the lone striker up top. Lack of energy, cohesion, and determination saw Seattle play one of its worst halves of the season. Baker-Whiting struggled playing the left fullback on defense.
SLOW FOOTED
A bad misread by Whiting led to the game’s first goal. Baker-Whiting misread a long intended pass for Atlanta’s Miguel Almiron. Almiron collected the pass inside the Sounders’ goal box, cut inside, and passed the ball to midfielder Emmanuel Latte Lath, who played a perfect give-and-go with Luke Breenan. After receiving the pass, Latte Lath turned towards the inside post, hit a strike that deflected off Yeimar and floated over a sprawling Thomas and into the back of the net.
The goal was deemed an own goal. Seven minutes into the game, the Sounders were down 1-0. The space between the Sounders’ backline and midfield was as wide as the Grand Canyon. With space to roam, Latte Lath, Breenan , and Tristan Muyumba were having a field day passing and weaving through the Sounders’ back seven.
MIDFIELD SLOPPY
Making matters worse was the lack of cohesion among Vargas, Cristian Roldan , Rusnâk, and Ferreira . The four played defense, but in transition, they lacked energy, creativity, and the courage to run behind Atlanta’s centerback pairing of Derrick Williams and Stian Gregersen. Musovski stayed between the two but was on an island without a life line. The Sounders finished the half with zero shots on target, and the team’s first corner kick came in the first minute of stoppage time.
TACTICAL AND ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT
After an attitude adjustment and tactical adjustment, the Sounders showed some fight back and resolve. A delayed press allowed the team to pounce on Atlanta before they could launch their attack. The effect of the attitude adjustment was that the players were determined to win duel challenges and make runs at defenders with and without the ball.
“We changed different tactics, both defensively and offensively. Defensively, we were trying to push them into recovery zones. We weren’t pressing right away. So there was a slight change there, “ said Schmetzer in his post-game press conference.” The attacking movements, you know, there was space behind Miguel Elmeron. We needed to get a guy higher up the field on the right end, so the tactical adjustments that he made, the half dive, certainly worked. ”
PUSHED UP ATTACK
Minutes into the second half, the Sounders dominated possession with a purpose. Ferriera stayed tucked inside, which allowed Alex Roldan to push up in the attack. The movement on the Sounders’ right side shifted Atlanta’s defense, which allowed De la Vega to make a run on the left flank. When defending, the Sounders stayed compacted. A Yeimar clearance in the 53rd minute found a galloping De La Vega. The Argentine tapped the ball into space and raced down the left flank, beating United keeper Brad Guzan for his third goal of the season.
DETERMINED AND FOCUSED
The rejuvenated Sounders stayed on top of Atlanta, dominated possession, and were compact and clinical on defense. Feeling comfortable but sensing a need to inject more energy into the contest, Schmetzer made several changes in the 77th minute. Nouhou replaced Baker-Whiting, Kalani Kossa-Reinzi replaced Musovski, and Ryan Kent stepped in for de la Vega. After the reshuffle, Ferreria pushed up to striker with Rusnák underneath him and Kossa-Reinzi on the right side. The Sounders continued to exert pressure on Atlanta, and it looked to be a matter of when, not if.
THE UGLY
In the 89th minute, Rusnák gave way to Danny Leyva, and Osaze De Rosario replaced Ferreira. When came in the 96th minute of stoppage time when De Rosario headed a Nouhou cross to what looked to be the equalizer. Looks can and are often deceiving. Just three minutes after De Rosario’s goal Atlanta stunned the Sounders with an equalizer. Miguel Amiron’s perfectly weighted pass found an open Aleksey Miranchuk, whose left-footed laser beam found the top corner for the equalizer. Less than a minute later the referee blew the whistle to end the game.
“ So I do feel like we probably opened up the game in a slower manner. I think Atlanta a we’re on the front through it.I think that they’re feeling the pressure, you know, but for them, it’s do or die at this point where they are and standing, “said Cristian Roldan. ” So the combination of both that Atlanta came out hot and their moments that we need to be smarter in the first half, you know, being on the road, heavy legs. But in the end, I love the reaction,”.
THE BIG TAKE
The draw was a fair result for both teams. Atlanta could have multiple goals in the first half. Same can be said of the Sounders in the second half. The Sounders are a good team . What they are not is a championship team. Not to say they cannot become that. Championship teams find ways to win these type of games. Good teams split the points. The upcoming League Cup should provide Schmetzer with one more look at who will be his starting eleven in the stretch run of the MLS season. The game was good and the movie a classic.
POST GAME NOTES
MATCH NOTES
- At the time of writing, Sounders FC remains in fourth position in the Western Conference with 38 points (10-6-8) following today’s draw. The Rave Green are currently three points behind third-place Minnesota United and four points behind second-place Vancouver.
- Seattle is now 1-2-4 all-time against Atlanta in MLS regular-season play. Tonight marked the first matchup between the two sides since 2023. Sounders FC has yet to claim a full three points in Georgia.
- Pedro de la Vega’s goal in the 54th minute marked his second consecutive match with a strike, giving him six tallies on the season in all competitions and three in MLS play.
- Forward Osaze De Rosario recorded his first career MLS goal in dramatic fashion on Saturday, giving his club the go-ahead strike in the 95th minute of play. The 24-year-old signed for Seattle’s First Team on May 9 from Tacoma Defiance, making his first MLS start on May 14 at LAFC.
- Coming at 94 minutes and 26 seconds, De Rosario’s goal was the seventh-latest recorded strike in Sounders FC history. Atlanta’s Alexey Miranchuk scored the second-latest goal allowed in Sounders FC, recording tonight’s equalizer at 98 minutes and 45 seconds.
- Ryan Kent and Nouhou were credited with assists on De Rosario’s goal, their fourth and second of the 2025 regular season, respectively.
- Cristian Roldan made his 299th career appearance in MLS regular-season play for the Rave Green. In his next match, he will become the second player – and first field player – in club history to reach 300 career MLS appearances.
- Head Coach Brian Schmetzer made three changes to his starting XI from last Saturday’s match vs. San Jose, with Danny Musovski, Jackson Ragen and Alex Roldan replacing Jordan Morris, Jon Bell and Kalani Kossa-Rienzi.
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 2 – Atlanta United FC 2
Saturday, July 26, 2025
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Referee: Ramy Touchan
Assistants: Jeremy Hanson, Matthew Nelson
Fourth Official: Alexis Da Silva
VAR: Shawn Tehini
Attendance: 40,409
Weather: 88 degrees and mostly sunny
SCORING SUMMARY
ATL – Own Goal (Yeimar Gómez Andrade) 7’
SEA – Pedro de la Vega 54’
SEA – Osaze De Rosario (Nouhou, Ryan Kent) 90’+5’
ATL – Alexey Miranchuk 90’+9’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
ATL – Stian Gregersen (caution) 5’
SEA – Reed Baker-Whiting (caution) 72’
ATL – Tristan Muyumba (caution) 73’
SEA – Jackson Ragen (caution) 88’
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC – Andrew Thomas; Alex Roldan, Yeimar Gómez Andrade, Jackson Ragen, Reed Baker-Whiting (Nouhou 78’); Obed Vargas, Cristian Roldan – Captain; Jesús Ferreira (Osaze De Rosario 89’), Albert Rusnák (Danny Leyva 89’), Pedro de la Vega (Ryan Kent 81’); Danny Musovski (Kalani Kossa-Rienzi 77’)
Substitutes not used: Jacob Castro, Jon Bell, Kim Kee-hee, Georgi Minoungou
Total shots: 8
Shots on goal: 2
Fouls: 11
Offside: 0
Corner-Kicks: 4
Saves: 1
Atlanta United FC – Brad Guzan; Pedro Amador, Derrick Williams, Stian Gregersen (Enea Mihaj 66’), Ronald Hernández, Luke Brennan (Saba Lobjanidze 78’); Miguel Almirón, Tristan Muyumba (Will Reilly 78’), Bartosz Slisz, Alexey Miranchuk; Emmanuel Latte Lath (Jamal Thiaré 66’)
Substitutes not used: Brooks Lennon, Luis Abram, Cooper Sanchez, Jayden Hibbert, Matthew Edwards
Total shots: 13
Shots on goal: 2
Fouls: 13
Offside: 2
Corner-kicks: 3
Saves: 0
– SOUNDERS FC –
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