Lost to the Loons: Sounders drop deciding game in shootout

The Seattle Sounders saw their season come to an end in a shootout against Minnesota United after the game finished 3-3 in regulation. The shootout and the game that preceded it were wildly different from the two sides’ previous meeting in Minnesota, but the result remains the same.

After the Sounders stormed out to an early 2-0 lead thanks to a 5th minute Albert Rusnák goal and another from Danny Musovski in the 8th minute, Minnesota got goals from Joaquin Pereyra in the 19th, Jefferson Diaz in the 62nd and Anthony Markanich in the 71st before Jordan Morris equalized in the 88th. The two sides went to the spot to decide the result and it took 10 rounds, but Minnesota came out on top, winning the shootout 7-6. Obed Vargas had his potential game-winning penalty go off the post and Osaze De Rosario had his saved before Andrew Thomas put his attempt off the crossbar to seal the result. Thomas made two saves in the shootout to give the Sounders a chance to win it.

The opening goal for Seattle was a beauty. In the 5th minute, Nouhou was on the ball about 25 yards from goal and sent in a cross that Rusnák ran past to allow it to reach Musovski behind him. Musovski played the ball around a defender to Rusnák, who hit a first-time shot that put Seattle in front with the first shot of the game. It was only a few minutes before it was Musovski’s turn to put the ball in the back of the net, this time off of a defensive miscue on a corner. Rusnák played the corner shot to Jesús Ferreira, who hit a cross that defender Morris Duggan swung and missed on in front of goal, allowing the ball to fall kindly for Musovski to knock home in the 8th minute.

Seattle continue to push for a third, but it was Minnesota who scored the game’s next goal in the 19th minute. Yeimar was called for a relatively soft foul about 20 yards from goal and received a yellow card for his troubles, but to add insult to injury Pereyra stepped up to the free kick and put it over the wall and bent it into the back of the net beyond Stefan Frei’s reach to make it 2-1 and breathe life into Minnesota.

Both sides exchanged blows over the next 20 minutes or so, but the next real bit of excitement came from a conflict between Ferreira and Joseph Rosales. The Minnesota player went down softly but didn’t receive a call and appeared to have a little kick at Ferreira, who he felt had fouled him. The two exchanged words and then Rosales headbutted Ferreira, earning an immediate red card from referee Victor Rivas. Minnesota went down to 10 men for the remainder of the game, but didn’t seem to suffer much for it.

Seattle put real pressure on Minnesota to start the second half, but despite the man advantage they couldn’t find a way to punish their hosts. The best chance came when Cristian Roldan set up Rusnák for a shot at the penalty spot, but he pulled it off the post. That opened the door for the Loons to find an equalizer just over an hour into the match. The Sounders conceded a throw-in deep in their own end and Michael Boxall took it short rather than going for a long throw, got the ball back and sent in a cross that Duggan flicked on to Jefferson Diaz at the back post. Diaz headed the ball back across goal and beat Frei to make the score 2-2 in the 62nd minute.

Minnesota quickly added a third, this time from a corner kick. Anthony Markanich, the team’s leading goal scorer, was able to make an unmarked run to the back post despite Seattle’s man advantage and headed his team into the lead in the 71st minute.

Seattle went into desperation mode and started piling on the pressure looking for an equalizer. Brian Schmetzer pulled a centerback (Yeimar) in favor of a striker (Osaze De Rosario) and swapped Ferreira for Ryan Kent as the team moved to a very attacking 3-5-2. The Sounders stacked up the shots, and were eventually rewarded after a flurry of chances that resulted in a corner. Cristian Roldan made a clever flick that Morris was able to convert into a goal in the 88th minute.

The Sounders made two final changes, one of which was to bring Thomas on for the likely shootout. They had a couple of chances to get a winner during stoppage time, but couldn’t crack through and the game went to spot kicks to decide which side moved on.

Seattle got out to a 1-0 lead after Minnesota opened with a miss from Pereyra and a conversion from Rusnák. Thomas dislocated his left pinkie on his dive on Pereyra’s attempt and had to receive medical attention to get his hand taped and wrapped. After Rusnák converted his attempt, Morris put Seattle’s second attempt off the crossbar in what perhaps proved to be a bit of foreshadowing.

The two sides exchanged successful spot kicks until Thomas saved consecutive attempts from Markanich and Hassani Dotson, but both times the Sounders had the game in their hands they failed to capitalize. First Vargas took an overly-cute run-up that seemed to leave him stretching for the ball and he put his wide open shot off the post, then Osaze De Rosario had his attempt saved. In the 10th round Dayne St. Clair converted from the spot and Thomas stepped up after him and put his shot off the crossbar, as once again Seattle saw their chance for a win go bouncing off the woodwork.

Thus ends the 2025 season for the Sounders. Now comes what could be a busy and consequential offseason before another season that’s sure to be full to the brim as the Sounders return again to Concacaf Champions Cup action early next year.

Lineups

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. After a 4-2 home win in the previous game, Brian Schmetzer and the Sounders roll out the exact same lineup for the decisive match in the best-of-3 series. It's just the second time this year that they were able to repeat a lineup.

Key moments

5 - GOAL! Rusnák gives Seattle an early lead! Nouhou hits a good cross into the box that Rusnák dummies, allowing Musovski to get a touch to lay it off for a first-time hit that beats St. Clair! 1-0, Sounders

8 - GOAL! A short corner sets up a cross from Ferreira that Duggan whiffs on and it squirts through the box to Musovski wide open in the 6-yard box to punch it home. 2-0, Sounders

16 - Shot! Morris drives forward down the right channel with runners central and plays a pass to Rusnák who gets a shot off, but it’s right at St. Clair.

19 - Goal, Minnesota. Yeimar gets called for a soft, but unnecessary foul 20 yards from goal, and Pereyra curls the free kick into the back of the net to beat Frei. 2-1, Sounders

28 - Save! Cristian Roldan loses the ball under pressure from Yeboah and Triantis, and Triantis has a go from some distance that Frei blocks and is able to smother the rebound.

35 - Cross! A nicely worked sequence with Rusnák and Ferreira interchanging before Rusnák sends in a cross with Morris and Musovski both running at goal, but St. Clair catches it.

38 - Shot! Morris nearly makes it 3, as he stretches to connect with a redirected header from Ragen, but St. Clair is able to get a foot to the ball to keep it out.

41 - Save! Triantis gets a look at goal after Rosales works the ball down the right side, but Frei makes the save.

41 - Red card! Joseph Rosales is shown a straight red for a headbutt on Ferreira following some jawing between the two after Rosales took offense at a challenge. Minnesota is down to 10 men.

45+3 - Shot! Vargas looks for his third of the series as he lets one rip from outside the area, but his shot is always climbing and never tests St. Clair.

50 - Corner! Ferreira does well to control a ball then swing it out to Nouhou on the left, who hits a ball into the box that takes a deflection that sends it away from the runners in the box and out for a corner.

51 - Shot! Another good short corner and Ferreira finds Cristian Roldan with a driven ball on the ground and Roldan gets a dangerous shot, but it’s blocked by Duggan.

54 - Post! Ferreira plays Cristian Roldan in behind the defense who hits a cutback right to Rusnák, and his shot has St. Clair beat but goes off the post.

58 - Sub. Minnesota takes off Kelvin Yeboah and brings on Anthony Markanich.

60 - Sub. Seattle swap Danny Musovski out for Paul Rothrock.

62 - Goal, Minnesota. A throw in deep in Seattle’s end sets up a cross from Boxall that’s flicked on by Duggan for a header back across goal from Diaz to level. 2-2

71 - Goal, Minnesota. Markanich runs in at the back post to head home a corner and give Minnesota their first lead of the game. 3-2, Minnesota

74 - Subs. Jesús Ferreira and Yeimar both come off, and Seattle brings on Ryan Kent and Osaze De Rosario.

77 - Shot! Cristian Roldan has a look from outside the box after a Minnesota clearance, but St. Clair is able to stop the dipping shot.

83 - Subs. Minnesota takes off Jefferson Diaz and Robin Lod, bringing on Carlos Harvey and Hassani Dotson.

87 - Corner! Seattle have numerous attempts blocked, but eventually Alex Roldan hits a great shot from the edge of the box that St. Clair has to put over the bar.

88 - GOAL! JORDAN MORRIS WITH THE EQUALIZER! Rusnák sends in a corner that Cristian Roldan is able to flick and set up for a half-volley from Morris at the doorstep to level the score. 3-3

89 - Subs. Nouhou and Stefan Frei come off as Seattle bring on Georgi Minoungou and send Andrew Thomas between the posts.

90+6 - Sub. Wil Trapp comes out and Owen Gene enters the game for Minnesota.

SHOOTOUT

MIN 1: Pereyra takes the first spot kick for Minnesota, takes a slow walkup and then puts his shot wide of goal! 0-0

Andrew Thomas tweaks his left hand on his dive, and needs medical attention. After getting his hand taped and wrapped up, he’s ready to go again.

SEA 1: Rusnák opens the shootout for Seattle with a laser low as St. Clair dives the wrong way. 1-0, Seattle

MIN 2: Triantis comes up for the Loons’ second attempt and Thomas guess right, gets both hands to the shot, but just can’t keep it out. 1-1

SEA 2: Morris takes the second kick for the Sounders and despite sending St. Clair the wrong way, he hits the crossbar. 1-1

MIN 3: Gene steps up for the third kick, and although Thomas guesses right the shot is just out of his reach inside the post. 2-1, Minnesota

SEA 3: Ragen walks up for Seattle’s next attempt and pops his kick in over the dive of St. Clair to level it up. 2-2

MIN 4: Duggan steps to the spot and hesitates in his walkup to send Thomas, then puts his shot down the middle. 3-2, Minnesota

SEA 4: Kent takes Seattle’s 4th spot kick, calms himself and puts his shot in almost the exact same spot as Ragen. 3-3

MIN 5: Boxall has the next Minnesota attempt, sends Thomas the wrong way and slots the ball down the left. 4-3, Minnesota

SEA 5: Rothrock comes up for the spot kick with the game in the balance, blasts it into the left side and leaves St. Clair diving the other way. 4-4

MIN 6: Harvey takes the next spot kick for Minnesota and smashes it down the middle. 5-4, Minnesota

SEA 6: Minoungou has the 6th attempt for Seattle, sends it to the left and St. Clair gets his hands to it but can’t stop the shot. 5-5

MIN 7: Markanich is up next for the Loons and doesn’t have the power or placement to stop Thomas as the GK makes a good save. 5-5

SEA 7: Vargas has the game in his hands but gets too cute with a hop in his run-up and puts his shot off the post. 5-5

MIN 8: Dotson has the next attempt and Thomas saves him as well! 5-5

SEA 8: De Rosario comes up for the next Seattle attempt, and after St. Clair is shown a yellow, St. Clair comes up with another save. 5-5

MIN 9: Hlongwane steps to the spot and after a slow walk he beats Thomas. 6-5, Minnesota

SEA 9: Alex Roldan has a chance for retribution against St. Clair and takes it! 6-6

MIN 10: St. Clair takes the 10th kick for Minnesota and rolls his shot in as Thomas dives the wrong way. 7-6, Minnesota

SEA 10: Thomas follows St. Clair in the shootout and nails his shot off the crossbar to seal it for Minnesota. 7-6, Minnesota

Quick thoughts

The same old song: Difficulty controlling and seeing out games was something of a bugbear for the Sounders this season. I don’t need to list the numerous results that could or should have been different but for Seattle letting a lead slip through their fingers. The second game of this series looked like it could have been one of those games when the Sounders allowed two quick stoppage time goals to make the game 3-2, but it seemed like the way they limited any real threat from Minnesota in the second half and eventually grabbed a fourth goal was proof that they’d figured out how to see a game out. And maybe they did learn that lesson, but this game seemed to show the difference between knowledge and wisdom as they failed to put those learnings into practice. Up a man and a goal, the Sounders found themselves chasing the game. On one hand, it’s great that they scored three goals, but the inability to put the game to bed early meant that at best they’d have to hope for a combination of luck and execution – both of which they got to varying degrees – to see them through a shootout.

Something about mature dogs and new tricks: Brian Schmetzer received some questions and criticism for his decision to keep Stefan Frei in the game for the shootout in Game 1 of this series, given the difference in shootout performances between Frei and Thomas. He’s been asked about the topic repeatedly since then, indicating that he’d make his decisions based on the game in front of him. Well, today he opted to make the change and while the result didn’t go his way it’s clear that the choice was a good one. Thomas missed the final kick of the game, hitting the crossbar, but he wasn’t the first player to miss with the game in the balance and he did make two saves that both gave the team the chance to win the dang thing. Schmetzer deserves credit for trusting his players and staff with that decision.

An offseason of change, maybe: Although most of the big pieces are in place ahead of next season for the Sounders, there’s no small amount of potential change coming over the next few months. It’s not hard to imagine Obed Vargas moving to Europe this winter, Stefan Frei, Paul Rothrock and Jonathan Bell are all out of contract at the end of this year. The team has options for all of Nouhou, Yeimar, João Paulo, Ryan Kent, Musovski, Kim Kee-hee and just about every player on the supplemental roster. The DP spots are all full, but there are two open U22 spots and plenty of decisions to be made about who comes back and at what number, and who will see their roles change come 2026. The season’s over, but that doesn’t mean the news will stop.

Notable quote

Player spotlight

Cristian Roldan had 2 chances created, 1 assist, 109 touches, went 71/82 passing, and won 10/14 duels. He was back to his best in the biggest game of the season.