The Seattle Sounders bounced back from their road loss to Real Salt Lake last weekend with a resolute 1-0 victory over St. Louis City SC, thanks to a 47th minute goal from Kalani Kossa-Rienzi. It wasn’t exactly the Beautiful Game, as the Sounders slogged through roughly 45 minutes of play on either side of the goal, only really creating two clear scoring opportunities aside from their goal, both of which came in the game’s final 10 minutes.
The start of the game was largely filled with big defensive plays from the Sounders following a 2nd minute shot from Jesus Ferreira. First Alex Roldan made a huge sliding tackle in the box to break up an attack in the 6th minute, then Andrew Thomas made a quality save to deny Marcel Hartel from curling one into the back post in the 13th minute before making a last-second intervention against Simon Becher in the 20th minute.
After the stout defending early on things took a turn for the worse for Seattle when Yeimar went down with a right leg injury and had to be subbed out in the 23rd minute. That substitution proved decisive, as eventual game-winner Kalani Kossa-Rienzi came on to play right back and Alex Roldan shifted over to play centerback alongside Jackson Ragen.
Over the remainder of the first 45 Andrew Thomas came up with a couple more big saves, and Roman Bürki made the first save he really had to work for as he denied Albert Rusnák a goal following some quality hold-up play by Osaze De Rosario to lay the ball off to him. In the end, the two sides went into halftime level at 0-0.
It didn’t take long for the Sounders to find their goal coming out of halftime in a reverse of their fortunes from the last game. This time around in the 47th minute Ferreira took advantage of a loose ball in the back from St. Louis, getting on the ball just inside the area and finding Kossa-Rienzi at the top of the box with a clean pass. Kossa-Rienzi’s first touch popped the ball up and he was able to control it before taking a touch to get around a defender, then another to set himself up before placing his shot just inside the post to give Seattle a 1-0 lead!
The hosts started looking for a way back in, and nearly found it on a few occasions. Some of them were the product of mistakes and misplays by the Sounders, like Hassani Dotson’s giveaway in the 55th minute when he opted to try dribbling through a crowd in Seattle’s half rather than playing one of several simple passes, ultimately leading to a scramble and Nouhou knocking the ball out for a corner. The Sounders had chances of their own, but whether it was Snyder Brunell receiving a pass from Rusnák in space but hitting his shot at the GK in the 80th or Danny Musovski miscontrolling the ball before having his shot blocked in stoppage time, they just couldn’t find a second goal.
Ultimately KKR’s goal proved enough to earn the Sounders three points and send them home with a song — specifically Jingle Bells — in their hearts. They now turn their attention to their Concacaf Champions Cup match on the road against the Vancouver Whitecaps on March 12.
Lineups
Snyder Brunell replacing Paul Rothrock, who is out with an ankle injury, is the only change for the Sounders as Jesús Ferreira lines up on the left and Brunell on the right.
Today’s lineup features Snyder Brunell effectively replacing Paul Rothrock with Jesús Ferreira moving to the right.
— Sounder at Heart (@sounderatheart.com) 2026-03-08T00:38:56.745Z
Key moments
6 - Tackle! Alex Roldan makes a fantastic sliding tackle inside the box to take the ball away from Becher after St. Louis have a dangerous counter attack!
13 - Save! Thomas makes the necessary save against Hartel as the attacker goes for the back post after a quick St. Louis attack.
20 - Denied! Thomas dives out to swat the ball out of the path of Becher! The attacker goes down looking for a penalty, but the play is clean.
23 - Sub. Yeimar goes down injured and leaves the game, replaced by Kalani Kossa-Rienzi for the Sounders as Alex Roldan moves to CB.
27 - Save! Another stop for Thomas, easily blocking and holding onto the shot from outside of the box from Hartel.
39 - SHOT! Albert Rusnák has a great look from the top of the box after a layoff from De Rosario, but Bürki gets a hand to the ball to push it out for a corner.
45+3 - Punch! Teuchert sends an in-swinging corner at goal that Thomas punches away. St. Louis have a look at goal from the rebound, but the ball goes out for a goal kick.
47 - GOAL! Kossa-Rienzi gets the feed from Ferreira, takes a couple of touches to find shooting room and slots the ball just inside the post beyond Bürki’s reach! 1-0, Sounders
Come for the goal, stay for the celly 🥶
— Sounders FC (@soundersfc.com) 2026-03-08T02:54:38.119Z
55 - Scramble. Dotson inexplicably tries to dribble through a crowd in Seattle’s half, gives the ball up, and eventually Nouhou knocks the ball out for a corner.
57 - Sub. St. Louis take off Cedric Teuchert, bringing on Sergio Cordova to play up top.
60 - Miss. The ball falls to Polvara in front of Seattle’s goal, but the CB’s unable to get a real shot as his touch sends the ball straight up into the air and the Sounders clear it for a corner.
64 - Subs. Paul Arriola and Danny Musovski enter the game for Seattle as Osaze De Rosario and Jesus Ferreira make way.
78 - Sub. Simon Becher comes off for St. Louis as Brendan McSorley comes into the game.
80 - Chance! Rusnák slides the ball over to an open Brunell as Seattle run at goal, but Brunell’s shot is saved by Bürki.
81 - Save! Hartel takes a shot from a dangerous moment, but Thomas comes up with a crucial save!
85 - Subs. Seattle make their final changes as Snyder Brunell and Albert Rusnák make way for Cody Baker and Nikola Petkovic.
88 - Sub. St. Louis removes Conrad Wallem and replaces him with Sang-Bin Jeong.
90+2 - Chance! Arriola and Petkovic play a nice give-and-go to eventually set up a golden opportunity for Musovski.
Quick thoughts
Centerbacks wanted: Seattle’s CB shortage has reached what many would call a crisis. After Yeimar suffered a hamstring injury that forced him out during the first half of tonight’s game, the Sounders are down to one healthy full-time CB on the roster. They clearly have guys who can play alongside Jackson Ragen, as demonstrated tonight once again by Alex Roldan, and Cody Baker can play the position as well. They could call up Antino Lopez, or current Academy player but frequent participant in first team training Gallatin Sandnes to help fill out the squad, but the fact remains that any of the now injured CBs already signed to the Sounders are likely weeks away and the schedule’s pretty full. Seattle may need to do some last-minute business to bulk up the back line.
Jesús Ferreira is feeling it: Jesús Ferreira has been involved in three goals through three games to start the season for the Sounders, nearly halfway to his total from last season. His assist tonight was equal parts attentive and persistent defending from the front as he jumped on a loose pass from the back as the Sounders counter-pressed St. Louis, and incisive passing as he picked out Kossa-Rienzi at the top of the box. That pass was the product of an element of Ferreira’s game that Brian Schmetzer praised following the game, pointing to his ability to see dangerous passes and his willingness to try them even if they don’t always come off. Ferreira’s output last season was respectable, but hardly what anyone would have hoped to see from a player who was one of the league’s brightest young stars not so long ago. This season he’s getting the production to go with his performances, and the Sounders are that much better for it. A funny side note: this was the second league goal of Kossa-Rienzi’s that Ferreira has assisted, accounting for half of KKR’s total goals.
Next man up: Seattle’s ethos runs deep, regardless of how generous your definition for “man” has to be to apply it to a given player. At 18, Snyder Brunell is old enough to vote, but he’s still arguably a kid. No matter, Schmetzer and his staff slotted him in on the right wing — some ways removed from his natural position as a center mid— to start the game in the absence of many of the team’s usual starting wingers as Ferreira flipped over to the left wing. Osaze De Rosario started up top before eventually being replaced by Danny Musovski. The goal scorer, KKR, started the game on the bench before coming on to replace Yeimar as injury forced him out and Alex Roldan from right back into his spot at CB. Paul Arriola came in and played a very strong 30 minutes, Cody Baker and Nikola Petkovic both came on to help close the game out. With four games in the next two weeks, even more players will be called upon throughout the organization, and odds are those guys will step up as well. It’s just what the Sounders do.
Notable quote
Jackson Ragen on the team’s depth: “I think the team did great. We have plenty of guys who can step up and do the job."
Player spotlight
Andrew Thomas – Opposite a Borussia Dortmund legend, Andrew Thomas was the best goalkeeper in the game tonight. He made 4 saves and had numerous other crucial interventions to keep his second clean sheet of the season.
