A monumental day was added to the folklore of Seattle soccer on Sunday, as the Sounders beat Inter Miami 3-0 in the Leagues Cup final to claim their first trophy since the 2022 Concacaf Champions Cup.
A record crowd of over 69,000 witnessed yet another Rave Green masterclass, as the hosts dismantled Miami behind goals from Osaze De Roasario, Alex Roldan and Paul Rothrock.
A final, and the first time in Seattle for Messi’s Inter Miami; this match was never going to be anything short of an instant classic, and a significant moment in the history of soccer in the Emerald City.
Pre-Game
El Cabra, the GOAT, Lionel Messi received a less-than-warm welcome to Seattle, being greeted with a chorus of boos whenever entering or exiting the field. The Rave Green faithful didn’t need to wait until kickoff to send a clear message: this was not Messi’s final, this was Seattle’s house, and Seattle’s moment.
“Everybody that came into the stadium got their money’s worth… Seattle has always supported their teams… Our fans were the loudest, and I’m super proud of that as a kid from Lake City.”
-Brian Schmetzer
Brian Schmetzer sent out the same lineup that had won the semi-final in LA, apart from Nouhou, who missed the match with a red card suspension and was replaced by 20-year-old academy product Reed Baker-Whiting. The young left-back prospect would have the monumental task of marking perhaps the best player in the history of the sport.
Sounders dominate first half
Seattle didn’t take long to get the crowd excited, as a free kick in the 2nd minute led to Jackson Raegen of all players sending a cross towards the head of Osaze De Rosario, who got his shot on net but not beyond Miami keeper Oscar Ustari.
The boos would continue every time Messi got on the ball. To the Soudners credit, he wasn’t getting on the ball with regularity early in the match, recording just three touches through the first 15 minutes.
Obed Vargas was rock solid throughout the game, getting an early pat on the back from Messi after denying Leo of a through-ball on a perfectly executed sliding tackle.
Jackson Ragen also checked in with a couple of clutch shot blocks, as the Sounders did well to make sure Andrew Thomas stayed untroubled in net.
“This doesn’t happen without the effort in front of me… I’m not taking any credit for this; this was 11 guys who worked incredibly hard for the win.”
-Andrew Thomas
The hosts would strike first in the 26th through the big man at the top of the formation. Jesus Ferreira fed it out wide to Alex Roldan who put a cross to the far post, where Osaze De Resario sprinted in to thunder home the headed opener. The biggest goal of the young striker’s career, just a month removed from scoring his first MLS goal, 1-0.
The Rave Green came inches from doubling their advantage in the 40th minute when Paul Rothrock wriggled free on the right wing and supplied service to Jesus Ferreira, whose effort from the top of the box rang off the far post.
At the halftime whistle, the game looked like the Sounders’ to win. Seattle controlled the first 45, accumulating 1.29 expected goals to Miami’s 0.39, and looked the more dangerous side going forward. A relatively free-flowing first half did not play to the benefit of Inter Miami, who swarmed head referee Juan Calderon Perez after he blew for the break.
Miami retakes momentum to start second half
It was Lionel Messi who had the first quality chance of the second half, as he found himself clear on net in the 48th minute after a nifty through ball from Luis Suarez, but skied his effort over the bar from less than ten yards out. An opportunity you do not often see Messi fail to bury.
Andrew Thomas was first called into action in the 55th, when a dangerous cross was deflected goalward off of Obed Vargas, forcing Thomas to sprawl down to his right and make the save.
The momentum to start the second half had firmly shifted in favor of the visitors, maintaining attacking-third possession and forcing quality defending out of Seattle’s backline.
“In the second half they were all over us, and they probably should have scored a couple goals.”
-Brian Schmetzer
The Rave Green dodged another bullet in the 60th. A backheel from Luis Suarez put Tadeo Allende one-on-one with Andrew Thomas, but the winger rolled his attempt wide right, prompting a stadium-wide sigh of relief.
A jolt of energy was much needed for the home side, and it came in the form of substitutes Danny Leyva and Kalani Kossa-Rienzi in the 61st minute, replacing Osaze De Rosario and Pedro De La Vega.
Paul Rothrock almost lucked into one in the 69th, deflecting a clearance just a couple yards in front of net, which barely squeezed past the right post.
Rothrock earned his next chance cleanly in the 74th, beating Sergio Busquets for pace on a lofted Reed Baker-Whiting through-ball, and ending up one-on-one with Ustari, but the Miami goalkeeper got big and made the stop.
Seattle puts it away
With ten minutes left in the match, Brian Schmetzer made another move, replacing Jesus Ferreira with Georgi Minoungou, a sub with immediate impact.
Just a minute later, Minoungou broke free down the left, receiving a ball from Danny Leyva and running straight at the defense before being taken down in the box by Yannick Bright, penalty. Georgi jumped to his feet, pumping his arms at the Emerald City supporters.
The celebrations could truly begin after Alex Roldan calmly stepped up to the spot, slotted away the pen, and sent nearly 70,000 green shirts into hysterics.
The cherry on top came at the 89th, when Paul Rothrock received an Alex Roldan pass at the top of the box, cut towards net, and finished inside the far post to put it beyond doubt. The Seattle Sounders, emphatic Leagues Cup Champions.
“Messi is arguably the greatest player the world’s ever seen, but we have Paul Rothrock.”
-Brian Schmetzer
Brawl after the final whistle
Emotions boiled over following the final whistle, with punches thrown and bodies thrown during a benches-clearing scuffle. Jon Bell threw a player to the ground after a claw in the face of Jackson Ragen, and Luis Suarez was seen spitting on a Sounders staff member.
“Unfortunately, that’s going to take some of the attention away from what was a great Sounders performance. I can take it as a compliment that some of their players were frustrated, but that shouldn’t be the story.”
-Brian Schmetzer
Despite one of the ugliest post-match scenes Lumen Field has ever seen, Seattle wouldn’t let it dull the celebrations, a truly iconic day in the club’s over 50-year history.
“The story of this game is not what happened after the fact, the story of this game is the Seattle Sounders.”
-Brian Schmetzer
Post match quotes
Brian Schmetzer made sure to shout out the young and local players that have made up this squad, from academy products like Reed Baker-Whiting, who put in a quality shift, to man of the match and Seattle University alumnus Alex Roldan:
“All of these local players that are making a name for themselves, it’s credit to them, and it’s credit to the Pacific Northwest because we have hardy people and talented people up and down our organization.”
-Brian Schmetzer
The Messi spotlight was unavoidable as always, but the Seattle Sounders did something special on Sunday: they made the greatest player of all time look normal. Messi missed the mark on all five of his shot attempts and went just 1/6 on completed dribbles:
He’s a superstar, and he deserves all of the accolades… Tonight our collective was just a little bit better than him… We out-dueled them, and that’s what we needed tonight.”
-Brian Schmetzer
Schmetzer could be seen holding back tears near the end of his post-match presser, talking about his 20+ years with the club, and the significance of the day:
The organization, top to bottom, the fans, they deserve this.”
-Brian Schmetzer
Osaze De Rosario provided the quote of the match during an energetic and wild-eyed post-game:
“I don’t know what Miami’s doing, but they’re not winning Leagues Cup this year.”
-Osaze De Rosario
Paul Rothrock was all smiles in the tunnel and was quick to laugh about the media attention he had garnered in the build-up to the match:
“I like pressure… I’m really glad Schmetz put that pressure on me, he looks like a smart guy now.”
-Paul Rothrock
The Sounders have only lost once in their last 15 games since the end of the Club World Cup, and the conversation should start about Seattle being an MLS Cup favorite.
MATCH NOTES
- With the win, Sounders FC earned its first Leagues Cup title and is the first team to win every major trophy in North American soccer (Lamar U.S. Open Cup, MLS Cup, Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup and Supporters’ Shield).
- The club has now won nine major trophies: four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cups (2009-2011, 2014), two MLS Cups (2016, 2019), one Concacaf Champions Cup (2022), one Supporters’ Shield (2014) and now one Leagues Cup (2025).
- This marks the second time the Rave Green have played in the Leagues Cup Final, also reaching the championship match in 2021, where they fell 3-2 to Liga MX side Club Léon.
- Sunday’s matchup with Miami marks just the second time the two sides have met across all competitions. Miami won the lone previous meeting 1-0 on April 16, 2022, in MLS regular-season play. Sounders FC travels to Miami on September 16 for a MLS regular-season match later this season.
- Sunday marked Seattle’s 12th major tournament final since joining MLS in 2009: five Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Finals (2009-2012, 2014), four MLS Cup Finals (2016-2017, 2019-2020), two Leagues Cup Finals (2021, 2025) and one Concacaf Champions Cup Final (2022).
- Osaze De Rosario’s goal in the 26th minute was his fifth strike in all competitions and his fourth of the Leagues Cup 2025 tournament, the most on the team and is tied for second in Leagues Cup play this year.
- Alex Roldan’s penalty goal in the 84th minute was his first tally of the season.
- Paul Rothrock’s goal in the 89th minute was his fourth of the season in all competitions and his first in Leagues Cup play.
- Alex Roldan was credited with an assist on De Rosario’s and Rothrock’s goals, his sixth and seventh of the season in all competitions.
- Jesús Ferreira bagged an assist on De Rosario’s goal, his 10th in all competitions and is now tied with Cristian Roldan for most all-competition assists this year.
- 69,314 fans packed Lumen Field to watch the international final on Sunday, making it the highest-attended Sounders FC home match in club history, beating the previous high of MLS Cup 2019 (69,274), making it officially the highest-attended soccer match in the history of Washington State.
- Sounders FC already punched its ticket to the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup by reaching the Leagues Cup Final, but with the win receives a bye into the Round of 16.
- The Rave Green have lost one match since playing in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ in June, holding a 10-1-4 record in all competitions in its last 14 games, including a 4-0-1 mark in Leagues Cup 2025 play.
- Seattle is 10-5-1 all-time in Leagues Cup action following tonight’s result.
- Rothrock also earned his 50th all-competitions start for Seattle in tonight’s match. The Sounders FC academy product signed with the club in 2023 following a season with Tacoma Defiance.
- Brian Schmetzer kept nearly the same lineup from Wednesday’s Semifinals win over the LA Galaxy, with just Reed Baker-Whiting replacing Nouhou, who was suspended for the Final following a red card on Wednesday.
- Seattle now has nearly two weeks off before returning to MLS play to face the LA Galaxy on Saturday, September 13 on the Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field (5:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, iHeartMedia Seattle, El Rey 1360 AM).
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 3 – Inter Miami CF 0
Sunday, August 31, 2025
Venue: Lumen Field
Referee: Juan Calderon Perez
Assistants: Juan Mora, William Arrieta
Fourth Official: Joe Dickerson
VAR: Érick Miranda
Attendance: 69,314
Weather: 77 degrees and sunny
SCORING SUMMARY
SEA – Osaze De Rosario (Alex Roldan) 26’
SEA – Alex Roldan (penalty) 84’
SEA – Paul Rothrock (Alex Roldan) 89’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
MIA – Sergio Busquets (caution) 69’
MIA – Yannick Bright (caution) 82’
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC – Andrew Thomas; Alex Roldan, Yeimar Gómez Andrade, Jackson Ragen, Reed Baker-Whiting; Obed Vargas, Cristian Roldan – Captain; Paul Rothrock (Kim Kee-hee 90’+1’), Jesús Ferreira (Georgi Minoungou 78’), Pedro de la Vega (Kalani Kossa-Rienzi 61’); Osaze De Rosario (Danny Leyva 61’)
Substitutes not used: Stefan Frei, Jacob Castro, Jonathan Bell, Cody Baker, Travian Sousa, Snyder Brunell, Albert Rusnák
Total shots: 11
Shots on goal: 6
Fouls: 11
Offside: 1
Corner-Kicks: 4
Saves: 1
Inter Miami CF – Óscar Ustari; Jordi Alba, Gonzalo Luján (Telasco Segovia 57’), Maximiliano Falcón, Ian Fray (Fafà Picault 72’); Tadeo Allende, Sergio Busquets, Yannick Bright (Benjamín Cremaschi 85’), Rodrigo De Paul; Luis Suárez, Lionel Messi
Substitutes not used: Rocco Ríos Novo, William Yarbrough, Noah Allen, Ryan Sailor, David Ruíz, Santiago Morales, Tomás Avilés, Marcelo Weigandt, Baltasar Rodríguez
Total shots: 11
Shots on goal: 1
Fouls: 12
Offside: 0
Corner-kicks: 8
Saves: 3
– SOUNDERS FC –
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