Sounders Come From Behind to Beat Tijuana 2-1, Securing Leagues Cup Quarterfinals One-Seed.

The Seattle Sounders just keep finding ways to win against Liga MX opposition.

The Rave Green picked up their third straight win in the first phase of the Leagues Cup on Wednesday night as they overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit to defeat Tijuana 2-1 at Lumen Field.

The Sounders have now won three straight competitive games against Liga MX teams for the first time in club history, and are the only team with a perfect record in the 2025 Leagues Cup.

First Half

The Sounders came out with the same high line that had won them their previous two Leagues Cup matches, while Tijuana sat back and looked to hit the hosts on the counter.

Seattle remained dangerous from corner kicks. In the 15th minute, an Albert Rusnak corner found Yeimar, whose headed effort struck the post before rebounding straight to Jesus Ferreira, but Ferreira’s follow-up header rang off the crossbar and away. The match’s best early chance, denied by a double-doink.

On a 44th minute corner kick, Tijuana Center back Aaron Mejia had the tall task of marking Osaze De Rosario on the far post, and in the process of trying to win an aerial duel, the defender’s arm swung up and made contact with the ball, drawing a penalty kick. 

Rusnak stepped up to try and give the Sounders the lead; however, his shot hit the left post, marking his first missed penalty of 2025.

Solid 1-on-1 defending from young outside backs Reed Baker-Whiting and Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, paired with good goalkeeping from Andrew Thomas, kept the visitors at bay until the last kick of the first half. A scramble following a long Tijuana throw resulted in the ball finding the feet of Kevin Casteneda via a Domingo Blanco Layoff. Casteneda, the Xolos number 10, hit a knuckling shot from the top of the box into the top right corner of the goal, opening the scoring.

For the first time in Leagues Cup 2025, the Seattle Sounders found themselves trailing, heading into halftime down 1-0, having struck the post thrice while creating five big chances to Tijuana’s zero.

Everything looked to be in the balance at the break. Seattle sat in 6th place in the table, with a draw all they needed to advance, and a comeback win needed to clinch the first seed.

Second-Half

The intention from Brian Schmetzer’s Sounders was clear to start the second half, as the outside backs pushed higher up the pitch, and the hosts tried to close in on an equalizer

The breakthrough came in the 57th minute. Ryan Kent beat his man off the dribble on the left wing and delivered a cross to the far post, where Osaze De Rosario was able to fly in and head home his third goal in his last four matches. De Rosario has been proving himself as an elite aerial threat, and more than justified his first career Sounders start.

Tension grew at Lumen field with the knowledge that Seattle needed at least a draw to move on, but the hosts were able to quell the fans’ nerves in the 86th, on another perfectly executed corner kick. Jesus Ferreira whipped a ball towards Christian Roldan, who flicked a header back-post for an easy Danny Musovski finish, 2-1.

The Sounders had completed the come-from-behind win, securing the first seed on the MLS side of the Leagues Cup first phase, and becoming the only team in the 2025 competition to start a perfect 3-0-0.

Post-Match Thoughts

“A lot of teams would have folded. But our team doesn’t fold. Our team doesn’t quit. Our team can overcome adversity, and they can persevere and survive.”

Head Coach Brian Schmetzer attributed the result largely to the squad’s change from the first half to the second. While both halves saw numerous chances for the Sounders, the Rave Green were able to recapture the scoring efficiency of their recent run of form when it mattered most.

“We came out in the second half and we picked up the energy. The level was higher, and that’s a kudos to the mentality of this team.”

Schmetzer praised in particular young striker Osaze De Rosario, who scored his third goal in four games for the team after being given his first start.

“That kid (Osaze) took a step forward… He was able to get to the next level… It was a great header…That’s going to be his calling card and what keeps him in this league.”

De Rosario has maintained a humble confidence through his first foray into first-team soccer for the Sounders, but cracked a smile talking about his adjustment to playing at an MLS level.

“It’s been a long time coming…I have to thank the coach for trusting in me, and I bring him the product.”

The Sounders will face the 4th place Liga MX side in the Leagues Cup Quarterfinals. Their opponent will be either Puebla, Juarez or Tigres, depending on the result of Juarez vs New York Red Bulls on Thursday.

MATCH NOTES

• With the result, Sounders FC finishes Phase One of Leagues Cup 2025 play atop the MLS table with nine points (3-0-0) and now advances to the Knockout Rounds. The Rave Green await their quarterfinal opponent following the conclusion of Thursday night’s remaining Phase One matches.

• Seattle is the only team in the tournament, MLS or Liga MX, to win all three of its Phase One matches in regulation.

• In all competitions, Seattle still has only lost one match in 2025 at Lumen Field against North American opponents. The Rave Green’s overall record on the Emerald Queen Casino Pitch is now 11-1-5 in North American play (MLS, Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup).

• Seattle is now 8-5-0 all-time in Leagues Cup play.

• Sounders FC is unbeaten in nine matches (6-0-3) since the conclusion of its FIFA Club World Cup run in June. The Rave Green have scored 22 goals in their past seven matches, a club scoring record over a seven-match span.

• Seattle’s all-time record against Liga MX opponents moves to 12-12-5 in competitive play, accounting for both Leagues Cup and Concacaf Champions Cup action.

• Osaze De Rosario’s goal in the 56th minute was his third in all competitions this year and second in Leagues Cup action, also scoring against Cruz Azul on July 31.

• Ryan Kent assisted De Rosario’s goal, his sixth in all competitions this year and second of the tournament, also assisting De Rosario’s goal against Cruz Azul.

• Danny Musovski’s goal in the 87th minute was his 10th of the season in all competitions, second on the team.

• Cristian Roldan provided the assist on Musovski’s goal, his team-leading 10th in all competitions. It is also his 67th all-competition assist since joining the club in 2015, second in team history.

• This marked the first competitive match between Sounders FC and Club Tijuana. The two sides previously played a friendly in 2015, which resulted in a 2-2 draw.

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 2 – Club Tijuana 1

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Venue: Lumen Field

Referee: Ekaterina Koroleva

Assistants: Felisha Mariscal, Shirley Perello

Fourth Official: Marianela Araya

VAR: Francia González

Attendance: 17,949

Weather: 65 degrees and mostly clear

SCORING SUMMARY

TIJ – Kevin Castañeda (Domingo Blanco) 45’+4’

SEA – Osaze De Rosario (Ryan Kent) 56’

SEA – Danny Musovski (Cristian Roldan) 87’

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

TIJ – DomingoBlanco (caution) 37’

SEA – Kalani Kossa-Rienzi (caution) 45’+7’

SEA – Alex Roldan (caution) 72’

TIJ – Aaron Mejía (caution) 77’

TIJ – Josué Reyes (caution) 83’

TIJ – Jesus Vega (caution) 85’

TIJ – Alejandro Gómez (caution) 87’

TIJ – Ramiro Franco (ejection) 90’+4’

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC – Andrew Thomas; Kalani Kossa-Rienzi (Alex Roldan 65’), Yeimar Gómez Andrade, Jackson Ragen, Reed Baker-Whiting; Obed Vargas, Cristian Roldan – Captain; Jesús Ferreira (Kim Kee-hee 90’), Albert Rusnák (Paul Rothrock 64’), Ryan Kent (Pedro de la Vega 80’); Osaze De Rosario (Danny Musovski 80’)

Substitutes not used: Stefan Frei, Jacob Castro, Cody Baker, Nouhou, Jonathan Bell, Danny Leyva, Snyder Brunell

Total shots: 26

Shots on goal: 10

Fouls: 8

Offside: 1

Corner-Kicks: 10

Saves: 4

Club Tijuana – Sebastian Hernandez; Jesus Vega, Josué Reyes, Ramiro Franco, Aaron Mejía (Unai Bilbao 78’); Domingo Blanco, Frank Boya, Joe Corona (Alejandro Gómez 64’), Kevin Castañeda; Leonardo Vargas (Shamar Nicholson 63’), Adonis Preciado (Gilberto Mora 64’)

Substitutes not used: Antonio Rodríguez, José Castro, Vitor Ferreira, Iván Tona, Ramiro Árciga, David Osuna, Pablo Ortiz, Joban González

Total shots: 11

Shots on goal: 5

Fouls: 17

Offside: 3

Corner-kicks: 0

Saves: 8