RENTON — Rarely has an MLS team been considered as prohibitive of favorites against their Liga MX opponent as the Seattle Sounders will be when they host Club Puebla in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday.
It’s not just that the Sounders were the only team to go 3-0 in Phase One of the tournament or that they are currently one of the hottest teams in North America, having gone 7-1-3 since the Club World Cup. It’s also that Club Puebla has been one of the worst teams in Mexico over the past two years, finishing no better than 15th in the 18-team Liga MX in any of the previous three tournaments and currently sitting 17th in the 2025 Apertura after starting the current campaign 1-4-0. Among those results were a 7-0 loss to Tigres and a 2-0 loss to San Luis, the latter of which prompted the departure of head coach Pablo Guede. He has been replaced by U23 coach Martin Bravo on an interim basis.
The Sounders, though, aren’t taking anything for granted.
“We can not take this game lightly,” Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said, noting that Puebla came to Seattle on Sunday and will have three days of training at Lumen Field. “We must play up to our potential because they’re a dangerous team and we want to make sure we make the most of this opportunity to get us into a semifinal.”
Schmetzer believes there are a few things that make Puebla a tougher opponent than their record suggests.
The biggest is the unpredictability that comes with a coaching change. Whether or not Bravo is there to stay, the players know they are auditioning for their future and will likely be motivated.
Puebla’s recently league struggles also serve to highlight this opportunity. A historic club that can draw its lineage back to 1944, Leagues Cup has been a rare opportunity to perform on an international stage.
In Phase One, Puebla wasn’t exactly a standout but they did take care of business. After New York City rolled out a rotated lineup in the opener, Puebla jumped out to a 2-0 lead before halftime and coasted to a 3-0 win. They fell 3-1 to the Columbus Crew in Game 2, but then bounced back with a 2-1 win over CF Montreal. In that game, they played up a man from the 23rd minute on and actually scored the winner while playing against nine men. Their two regulation wins were enough to tip them in a tiebreaker with FC Juarez, who also finished on six points but with just one regulation win.
The Sounders acknowledged those results, but expressed a belief that they are more worried about executing their style than reacting to what Puebla may do.
“I feel confident in our guys,” Sounders forward Danny Musovski said. “We’re in a good run of form and we’re at home.
“We want to win this tournament and Puebla is the team in our way.”
Other notes
- Albert Rusnák was able to do some light training outside, but Schmetzer indicated the midfielder will likely be unable to return before the weekend of Aug. 30.
- Kim Kee-hee, who missed Saturday’s game with a calf strain, will likely be available off the bench.
- The Sounders are offering discounted tickets for $20.
