MARBELLA, Spain — The Seattle Sounders closed out the European portion of their preseason by splitting two results on Thursday.
The first game — which was played in a steady rain that nearly forced the cancellation of the day’s matches — ended in a 3-1 Sounders win over Sweden’s Hammarby IF, with Osaze De Rosario scoring a brace and Jesús Ferreira adding the other goal. The second game, which was played in a stiff wind, was a 3-0 loss Ukrainian side Metalist 1925. The most notable element of that match was Paul Arriola playing his first 30 minutes of the preseason after recovering from an ACL injury last year.
The Sounders finished their 18-day international trip with a 2-2-0 record, while getting outscored 8-6. Perhaps more importantly, though, was getting full 90-minute shifts for many of the players on the final day. The Sounders will now close out preseason in the Seattle area, culminating with a match against Louisville City on Feb. 15 before the MLS regular-season opener against the Colorado Rapids on Feb. 22.
Key performances
Osaze De Rosario — Given a chance to play 90 minutes with the presumed starters, no one came out of Thursday’s games looking better than the big Guyanan. De Rosario’s first goal was a play that showcased his best abilities, taking a ball in the right channel from Alex Roldan, beating one defender to put himself free on goal and then five-holing the goalkeeper. Clearly not satisfied, De Rosario continued to attack the goal, which was ultimately rewarded in the second half when he slammed home a cross from Nouhou. Beyond the goals, De Rosario never shied away from the physical battle he had with Hammarby centerback Victor Eriksson. Remarked Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer: “Osaze made the most of his opportunity today. I can tell you that right now.”
Paul Arriola — It was only 30 minutes in a 3-0 loss, but there might not be anyone feeling better about their performance than Arriola. While there were a couple nice moments — he put a ball on a platter for Paul Rothrock, whose close-range shot was saved — this was simply about getting back on the field and learning to trust his body again. It has been almost a year since Arriola suffered the second ACL injury of his career and he now appears to be on pace to be available for selection by the time the season opens. He also looks like he’s gained some significant muscle, especially in his quads.
Hassani Dotson — With Obed Vargas’ departure, the starting spot in defensive midfield next to Cristian Rolan is seemingly Dotson’s to lose. I don’t think he did anything to change that assumption against Hammarby. Facing a physical opponent, Dotson seemed more than comfortable patrolling the midfield and helping to solidify a defense that took a bit of a step back last year. While Dotson isn’t quite as offensive-minded as Vargas, he’s arguably a better defender and seems to be a nice fit next to Roldan.
Stats
MATCH SUMMARY VS. HAMMARBY IF
Seattle Sounders FC 3 – Hammarby IF 1
Thursday, February 5, 2026
Venue: Marbella Football Center
Weather: 55 degrees and rainy
SCORING SUMMARY
SEA – Osaze De Rosario 8’
SEA – Jesús Ferreira (Albert Rusnák) 63’
SEA – Osaze De Rosario (Nouhou) 65’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
HIF – Frederick Winther (caution) 41’
LINEUPS
Sounders FC Lineup – Andrew Thomas; Alex Roldan, Yeimar Gómez Andrade (Peter Kingston 80’), Jackson Ragen, Nouhou; Hassani Dotson, Cristian Roldan – captain; Jesús Ferreira, Albert Rusnák, Jordan Morris; Osaze De Rosario
Substitutes not used: Noah Newman, Mo Shour, Cody Baker, Joe Dale, Sebastian Gomez
MATCH SUMMARY VS. FC METALIST 1925
Seattle Sounders FC 0 – FC Metalist 1925 3
Thursday, February 5, 2026
Venue: Marbella Football Center
Weather: 58 degrees and partly sunny
SCORING SUMMARY
MET – Vladyslav Kalitvintsev 12’
MET – Ivan Kaliuzhnyi 24’
MET – Christian Mba 54’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
None
LINEUPS
Sounders FC Lineup – Max Anchor; Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, Cody Baker, Gallatin Sandnes, Reed Baker-Whiting; Snyder Brunell, Nikola Petković; Sebastian Gomez (Joe Dale HT), Yu Tsukanome (Paul Arriola 60’), Paul Rothrock – captain; Danny Musovski (Peter Kingston HT)
Substitutes not used: Noah Newman, Mo Shour, Antino Lopez
