Last Saturday night, Seattle hosted Real Salt Lake in their final 2025 regular season home MLS match. Despite having an entire starting lineup worth of players unavailable, the Sounders delivered a strong, cohesive performance, securing a hard fought 1-0 victory. From the opening whistle, Seattle displayed their intent to attack. Operating from a back-three defense, they quickly established dominance, pushing numbers forward. The free-flowing offensive movements created numerous big chances, resulting in an early goal that set the match tone. The narrative of the night, however, was as much about resilience as it was about flair. In a testament to the depth and versatility of the squad, the Sounders integrated both seasoned veterans and promising rookies into the lineup. This blend of experience and fresh talent didn’t miss a beat, despite the significant absences. The restructured backline showed an impressive level of cohesion and organization, consistently forcing RSL into predictable and ineffective play. The shutout reflected a total team effort, as every player contributed to the defensive strength, while the attacking unit continued to press and create opportunities. The victory capped off their home regular season with momentum, earned the full three points, and underscored Seattle’s ability to perform under pressure, no matter who’s on the field.
GOing all the way: Despite starting a team with 11 players missing, there was a lot to get excited about. Young players gelled and contributed, Seattle dominated the match in entertaining fashion, earning four big chances and a ton of great moments, and the tactical setup held the opponent to zero. This was a statement of depth and desire.
Minor AlarM’s: Once again, Seattle didn’t put away the opponent, even when dominating. It’s a weakness that they can’t translate their strong play into big leads that allow them to coast, as yet again a lower opponent had chances to steal points late.
Goalkeeper
Stefan Frei – 7 | Community – 7.0
Seattle earned another shutout from a rotated defense and the solid goalkeeping of Stefan Frei, who was credited with five saves on the evening. His consistent support of a stylish back three meant that Seattle retained an edge in possession throughout the match. RSL didn’t make Frei do anything amazing, but his steady hand kept the Sounders in full control of the match.
GOing all the way: Multiple times in the first half, Frei showed excellent feet, as the Sounders played through him in their possession build up. This is an underrated part of his game that was strong against RSL, and he added smart decision making on when to force it short and when to boot it out.
Minor AlarM’s: Stefan was a little shaky on some of his saves, spilling and having to pounce on them before an opponent could make him pay. He also got lost in the 95th minute as Seattle was trying to see out the match.
Defense
Jon Bell – 7 | Community – 6.2
Bell started on the left of the back three and looked strong, combining with teammates and shutting down any attempts from the opposition to attack his side. He had help from the workaholic Paul Rothrock, but Jon still managed 85 percent passing and eight defensive actions. His assertive step forward continually won possession and transitioned Seattle back into the attack via 7/8 duels won.
GOing all the way: A lovely pass up the wing in the 2nd minute nearly got Paul in for a goal and set the tone for a dominant left-sided attack. Jon and Paul were excellent in combination. (Where have I heard that before?)
Minor AlarM’s: Bell tried some aggressive forward passes and failed to complete any of them, just missing on a number of long ball attempts.
Jackson Ragen – 7 | Community – 7.0
Starting in the middle of a back three, Ragen ran the defense and pulled the right distribution levers all match long. His control of the ball and calm passing meant Seattle owned the possession lead in the first half and maintained a steady advantage throughout the entire match.
GOing all the way: The calm leadership and play from Jackson was essential for a mismatched team around him to come together and be as fluid as they were. Individually, he had a fantastic 96 percent passing, constantly turning RSL back and pushing the ball to teammates.
Minor AlarM’s: Ragen missed a tackle and conceded an unnecessary corner. These small things stood out because the defense was so solid otherwise.
Alex Roldan – 7 | Community – 7.4
Alex reprised his role as a center back and again shone. Looking completely natural, he had a fantastic 92 percent pass completion rate, added nine defensive actions, and didn’t miss a beat as a defender on the right center. Alex gave them another adept passer from deep areas as Seattle filled the field with possession players.
GOing all the way: In the 33rd minute, Roldan was across behind his teammates all the way to the left side of the field to defend well, covering and clearing the danger. A 41st minute recovery was also excellent, after he was initially beaten.
Minor AlarM’s: A number of half turnovers forced teammates to back him up, especially a rough possession loss in the 36th that needed Bell to help.
Midfield
Paul Rothrock – 7 (MOTM) | Community – 7.5 (MOTM)
Unleashed as a wingback, Rothrock somehow covered half of Seattle, running tirelessly from the left defensive corner to support Bell and popping up advanced to run in behind on through balls. He did a lot of everything, the usual high volume effort that put the Sounders on the front foot early and often.
GOing all the way: After nearly getting in on his own in the 2nd minute, it was the right side’s turn to create in the 4th, and as usual, Paul was charging in on the back post. When the ball came to him, he unhesitatingly finished to give Seattle a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Minor AlarM’s: In the 33rd minute, he had a pretty egregious turnover and no cover behind him. Luckily, Seattle didn’t concede. In the 68th minute, he was put in beautifully by Jesús Ferreira with a chance to double the lead and he missed his 1-v-1 with the keeper.
João Paulo – 6 | Community – 6.2 (off 60’ for Hawkins)
João Paulo has returned to the team after being mistakenly ruled out with a season-ending knee injury. His time on the field was clearly limited, but he showed great value for the Sounders, running the center of the park and distributing well. This was a successful outing for JP.
GOing all the way: Always looking forward, João stretched the field with dynamic passing, including a near-miss to Jordan Morris in the 7th minute that forced the entire RSL backline to take a step toward their own goal from then on.
Minor AlarM’s: As the match went on, JP was tiring, and his play started to get sloppy. Missed passes and tackles were clear indications that he was ready to be subbed.
Danny Leyva – 7 | Community – 6.8
Leyva got an opportunity to start as a central defensive midfielder and brought the effort, precision, and toughness needed in the role. That included a sparkling 81/88 passing on a team-high 110 touches, as he was a constant moving option to support teammates on and off the ball.
GOing all the way: It was brilliant vision and execution to dial up Morris deep in the box in the 11th minute, and Leyva’s pass would have been an assist had Jordan not been fouled for a PK. Danny’s corner kicks were excellent all night. He put in Pedro de la Vega in the 43rd, and crossed in the 69th to Morris. Leyva was dealing.
Minor AlarM’s: Miscommunications led to a few unnecessary turnovers, and Leyva was sometimes more aggressive at putting teammates into space than they were ready for.
Kalani Kossa-Rienzi – 6 | Community – 6.3
Playing as a wingback suited Kalani well, and he was often flying up and down the right wing, especially in an active first half. He was cognizant of both his offensive and defensive duties, making sure to combine with nearly everyone on the field. His 88 percent passing included two key passes, and KKR was close to creating a number of impactful plays.
GOing all the way: A fantastic wide run in the 8th minute was a precursor to Kossa-Rienzi being a threat on the wing, offering width to the Sounders’ attack. His ability to cut inside under control led directly to a great pass in the 16th minute, nearly creating a goal as the Sounders ran rampant.
Minor AlarM’s: A big chance in the 17th was squandered, with a lot of the goal available but missed by Kalani. He also missed a golden chance to find Jesús in the 28th.
Attacking Midfield
Jesús Ferreira – 7 | Community – 6.8 (off 92’ for Lopez)
Jesús played mainly in the left central channel, and was an excellent link to both the vertical Morris and wide runs on either side. His 85 percent passing was continually looking forward, connecting and holding possession while unlocking verticality with the multitude of willing runners around him.
GOing all the way: Constantly the link from the backline or central defensive midfield and the attack, Jesús controlled the match and distributed all over the field. His 69th minute ball over the top through the entire defense meant Rothrock was in alone.
Minor AlarM’s: An 84th minute foul was another in a long line of effort fouls in bad positions, this time with Ferreira making a poor choice and conceding a chance for RSL late in the match.
Pedro de la Vega – 7 | Community – 7.1 (off 80’ for Kingston)
Pedro moved to the right and was very effective, creating for himself and others and running more as a right-central playmaker next to Ferreira and allowing Kalani to run outside of him. PDLV’s positioning and movement was nearly impossible for RSL to track. This meant Pedro led the team with four shots and three key passes, being amidst almost everything successful for Seattle going forward.
GOing all the way: Getting a small touch on Morris’ cross in the 4th minute meant the ball redirected to Rothrock for the opening goal. Dialing his own number 12 minutes later, Pedro just missed wide. A brilliant 35th minute turn in traffic seemed almost unfair.
Minor AlarM’s: In the 43rd minute, there was a big chance for Pedro to double the Sounders’ lead and he got it all wrong, offering a souvenir to a fan.
Striker
Jordan Morris – 6 | Community – 5.8 (off 80’ for Musovski)
Jordan did his usual solid job stretching the defense, this time staying more central and allowing the space for teammates to spread the match wide. He also had excellent defensive effort all night, starting smart pressing by consistently cutting off half the field and then recovering centrally to help regain possession.
GOing all the way: In the 4th minute, it was Morris’ tremendous run and pass that created the first goal. Ten minutes later, his movement and touch created a penalty. When Seattle played through Jordan, big chances happened.
Minor AlarM’s: It would have been nice for Jordan to score his PK try, after he had been so electric in the first 15 minutes of the match. The keeper made a great save, and Morris remains without a goal since his return from injury.
Substitutes
Stuart Hawkins – 5 | Community – 5.8 (on 60’ for JP)
Young Hawkins finally returned to the field after a long injury absence and picked up right where he left off. He didn’t make any major missteps, and he fit in seamlessly with the defense around him.
GOing all the way: Calm, solid defending paired with clean and vertical passing, as Stu showed off his vision on a number of occasions.
Minor AlarM’s: Still a little gangly, Hawkins was beaten in the air in the 63rd minute, and he was slow to step up defensively in the 75th.
Peter Kingston – 5 | Community – 5.3 (on 80’ for PDLV)
Due to a hardship signing, Kingston was available for his first appearance as a first-team Sounder. He found this in the 80th minute, as Schmetzer showed confidence to insert this unproven player on late with the expectation to keep the full three points.
GOing all the way: In the 86th minute, Peter showed off great vision and nearly threaded a fantastic attempt to put Ferreira through.
Minor AlarM’s: A mistake in the 95th minute gave RSL a free corner, as Kingston unnecessarily kicked the ball out of bounds.
Danny Musovski – 4 | Community – 5.1 (on 80’ for Morris)
Moose came into the game in the 80th minute and got into some good spots, but again he struggled to immerse himself in the rest of the team’s energy. He didn’t complete any passes or connect well with teammates.
GOing all the way: Danny’s movement and pressure is consistently strong, and he won three of four aerial duels.
Minor AlarM’s: An 88th minute foul was not great. He earned a yellow card in a puzzling decision by Musovski.
Antino Lopez – 5 | Community – 5.2 (on 92’ for Ferreira)
Another Tacoma Defiance callup was Lopez, who found his own first Sounders minutes in a reserve role. Entering in the 92nd for Jesús, his time on the field was limited but was a great introduction to a high intensity game.
GOing all the way: The pipeline remains strong, with Lopez getting a chance to step onto Lumen Field as a Sounder.
Referee
Ricardo Montero – 6 | Community – 5.0
Montero came to Seattle after some fairly poor refereeing from his peers, and he was a vast improvement in the first half. He faded over the course of the match, and seemed to referee to the scoreline late. Otherwise, he was better than many of the match day referees the Sounders have seen lately.
GOing all the way: VAR was used effectively in this match. It brought back the ball in the 11th minute to award Seattle a penalty. It was used to verify that Morris was offside on a second half goal. It was used to remove a late game-tying effort from RSL that was also determined to be offside. Overall, a successful team refereeing job.
Minor AlarM’s: As the match ran on, the referee seemed to tire, missing more and more calls; he should have handed out some yellow cards that stayed in his pocket. The game didn’t get out of hand, and RSL didn’t take advantage of the biased calls, but that was due to their own ineptitude.
Real Salt Lake MOTM
Rafael Cabral quite literally had his fingerprints all over this one. After Morris won a penalty, the RSL keeper stayed active during his ensuing runup, and dove left to parry away, keeping his side in the match at 1-0. Despite keeping a clean sheet for 84 minutes, his side couldn’t find their way to a road point.
Upcoming: The last regular season match of the year, cross country against NYCFC, and Seattle has nothing but momentum to play for, while NYC will want to win. The Sounders could have an interesting lineup. Also, GO M’s!
