Revenge. That's likely to be the only word on the mind of Sounders fans – and likely privately the coaches and players – on Sunday. After an unceremonious exit from the playoffs in 2025 (despite outscoring their opponent 7-5, never losing a game outright and squandering chances not only in open play, but on two separate occasions during the final shootout), Seattle will look to do some damage to a Minnesota side under new leadership and fresh tactics.
Despite their MLS success, the Sounders weren’t strangers to struggle against Minnesota in the past. Going winless versus teams from the North Star State for over a decade, Seattle were – like now – quite hungry for revenge.
Date: July 31, 1998
Around the World
Two concurrent festivals take place in Butterworth, Penang, Malaysia – the Kwan Yin Goddess Festival and St Anne’s Church Anniversary. About 10,000 spectators try crossing the four-decade-old Sultan Abdul Halim Ferry Terminal Bridge – a primitive steel/concrete column and wooden floor structure – at once. Floorboards collapsed while the structure caved in, sending people above crashing down to be crushed by debris, and vehicles tumbling to the lower deck from above. There were 32 presumed dead, with another 1,634 injured in what was considered one of the worst infrastructure catastrophes of modern times.
Around the Country
"The Boy is Mine" by Brandy and Monica is the No. 1 charting song on the Billboard Top 100 for the eighth consecutive week. It would remain top until Aerosmith’s "I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing" would replace it on Sept. 5 after 13 straight weeks in first – the longest top-spot holder of the year.
Around the State
Mariners pitcher Randy Johnson sails off from Seattle to the Houston Astros for three players – Freddy Garcia, Carlos Guillen and John Halama. It wouldn’t be long before the team navigated the change to find some level of success, though, as the Mariners would make significant playoff runs in 2000 and 2001 with the three arrivals helping steer the ship in the right direction.
Seattle Sounders 2 - 1 Minnesota Thunder
In an attempt to compete with the nascent Major League Soccer, a lower-division league restructuring and merger occurred prior to the 1997 season – pitting Seattle and Minnesota against one another for the first time since the days of the original NASL more than a decade prior.
The first two meetings did not go well for the coastal side: Falling like the tide in a straight loss, and also in a dramatic shootout loss in which the standout University of Wisconsin ‘keeper Nick Pasquarello stood on his head to make 10 saves in regulation, with another four in the PK shootout. The Sounders converted none of their five shots, sending their final desperate kick wide right allowing Minnesota to win 1-0 – an eerie mirroring of 2025’s painful playoff knockout.
On Friday evening, July 31, 1998, some 7,478 fans piled into Blaine, Minn.'s National Sports Center. No longer the occasion, nor bearing the fanfare of a previous era, this was a large crowd for a Seattle team who had been starved for attention – averaging just 2,243 fans at their own home that season.
Immediately under pressure, Minnesota’s Amos Magee* thundered forward to rip two shots in two minutes – heading high and forcing a save from Dusty Hudock. The pressure ebbed, though, allowing Seattle a foothold back into the game where Peter Hattrup chipped a ball from just outside the 18-yard box barely wide. Momentum swayed back the other direction – Gabe Garcia forcing Hudock into another save at the near post, quickly followed by another Magee shot that sailed barely over the bar.
Seattle wouldn’t bend without breaking for long. Morgan Zeba would make a late-arriving run to sweep the ball in the net first-time after nice hold-up play from Gabe Garcia at the penalty spot. Likely feeling the anger from an imminent third defeat in a row at the hands of the Thunder, Seattle woke up. Sending in a flurry of shots, Mark Baena* and Patrick Beech each had close attempts – the latter forcing John Swallen into his first save of the evening.
The half concluded with an errant Seattle clearance leaving Magee to shoot center on goal – sailing high – followed by nifty movement from Patrick Beech to leave two Thunder defenders in the dust while smacking the ball off the outside of the post.
Changes came at half. Sounders Manager Neil Megson thought wiser of playing more than 45 minutes, subbing in Paul Gelvezon in his place. His wisdom was rewarded just four minutes later when the substitute made an interception and crossed the ball to the 18-yard box where Mark Baena was waiting. After a deflection, the ball found its home. Game on, 1-1.
Minnesota would crumble not long after. It was Baena yet again, striking the winner from the top of the box yet again after Beech intercepted another weak pass. A through-ball on a rope was sent between three defenders to an onrushing Baena – inevitable.
Feeling desperation seep in, Minnesota dominated the remainder of the game. Seattle crept deeper and deeper into their own half, using all their substitutes to keep lively legs on the field. Despite several efforts in the dying minutes, the Sounders managed their first win over Minnesota in the post-NASL era.
The game was chippy and physical – one that likely wouldn’t result in a win if replayed. The statlines reflected as much; but in the end, nothing matters but the goals:
Shots: Minnesota 20-9 Seattle
Saves: Minnesota 1-4 Hudock
Corners: Minnesota 8-2 Seattle
Fouls: Minnesota 4-18 Seattle
*Personality Spotlight
Mark Baena: A prolific scorer at all levels of his career, Mark Baena started as Team Captain at Sac State, scoring 20 goals. After finishing college, he moved to Germany, making 90 goal contributions in less than four seasons with 3.Bundesliga side TuS Hoisdorf. He returned to the US, eventually making his way to the Sounders just two months prior to this Minnesota match. He would end the 1998 season on the All A-League Best XI, and winning the A-League Golden Boot with 24 goals – some 14 more than the Sounders’ 1997 team-best. Don’t look up who he ended his career with.
Amos Magee: Another prolific scorer, Amos Magee set Wesleyan University’s goal record, setting himself up to a contract with the Thunder in 1992. He remained with the Thunder into the 1998 season, scoring plenty of goals and securing a bronze medal for Team USA at the 1993 Maccabiah Games in the process. After brief stints in MLS as a player, he would wander around the coaching ranks until returning to Minnesota with their new expansion side, where he has been part of their front office for the last decade.
After a decisive series win over the Vancouver Whitecaps midweek in Spokane, the Seattle Sounders turn their attention to Minnesota United FC. They will hope to avenge their unceremonious playoff knockout last fall with a strong win before pausing the season for the upcoming International Break. Tune in at 11:30am PST, 1:30pm local on Apple TV and Fox Sports.
‘Echoes’ is a series mirroring notable games: framing historical match-ups with a timely events lens.
