With Leagues Cup knockout math already settled and the first-team injury sheet looking like a hospital roster, the Seattle Sounders loaded up the school bus with a heavily Tacoma Defiance lineup against Chivas de Guadalajara. Sure, the stands were overwhelmingly red and white striped. Sure, Seattle started a lineup of players that would nearly all get carded. Sure, the team had nothing to play for, after winning the tournament trophy last year. And you know what? It was still genuinely fun.
Seattle rolled out a 3-4-3 formation, a system the Defiance players looked comfortable operating in, and immediately took it to the Mexican powerhouse. Playing on pure house money with low expectations, the kids earned a 13th-minute lead, made Mexican royalty sweat for over an hour, and gave everyone a look at the Seattle pipeline that continues to pump out quality. When a 2–1 loss leaves you energized about upcoming depth and nobody pulls a muscle that ends his season after 10 minutes on the field, you take the moral victory and head home happy.
Permission Slip: Trotting out four Tacoma Defiance loanees in a 3-4-3 system with nothing on the line had every chance to blow up in Seattle’s face. This fragile team had only recently overcome their worst ever losing streak, so embarrassing themselves against Chivas was a real possibility.
Show and Tell: A 13th-minute lead, Stewart Hawkins hitting 60-yard trivelas, and Stefan Frei putting on a babysitting clinic may not have been on your bingo card, but this match delivered. Seattle hasn’t turned out to be a Supporters’ Shield competitor in 2026, but there is genuinely a lot of quality to be excited about up and down the roster.
Bus Ride Home: Chivas’ depth and 24-shot volume eventually won out, but the young players proved the floor is higher than we thought. Lowered expectations and a match that didn’t matter in the standings made a loss okay (which is a hard thing to imagine as a Sounders fan), but this match was truly entertaining.
Goalkeeper
Stefan Frei — 6
Frei was the designated chaperone on this field trip, tasked with keeping everyone in line while making sure the bus was going the right way. Facing a barrage of 24 Chivas shots (12 on target), Stef put on a vintage reflex display. He was tested immediately with an 8th-minute diving stop, then tipped a dipping Hugo Camberos blast over the crossbar in the 32nd, and pulled off a massive 90th-minute reaction save to keep it a one-goal game. He had a few punches into traffic that got a little dicey, but logging 10 saves, especially considering his young backline, is veteran heavy lifting at its finest.
Permission Slip: Anchor a makeshift back three and ensure a heavy Mexican attack didn’t turn this exhibition into a rout. Frei did his job, showing leadership and quality.
Show and Tell: Huge saves to keep Seattle competitive until the final whistle weren’t enough to win, but they kept the pressure on both teams throughout the game.
Bus Ride Home: There were a couple of shaky punches under aerial duels, but 10 saves in a game with 20 percent second-half possession earns solid marks, and Stef was Seattle’s best player in this tournament.
Defense
Gallatin Sandnes — 7 (MOTM)
While not a debut for the Defiance loanee, this was his first start, and Sandnes looked excellent. Starting in the back three, He didn’t just survive — he scored. In the 13th minute, he crashed the six-yard box on a corner kick sequence, reacting instantly to Antino Lopez’s header knock-down to blast home Seattle’s opening goal. Defensively, he stuck to his assignments, communicated well across the line, and looked right at home for 90 minutes.
Permission Slip: Step into the starting XI on a short-term loan agreement and hold down the left side of the back three against Chivas.
Show and Tell: Gallatin smashed home the 13th-minute opener with pure striker instincts off a set piece. Err, I guess that would be centerback instincts.
Bus Ride Home: He was caught ball-watching on Santiago Sandoval’s 72nd-minute winner. This was an understandable learning moment against elite service and a reminder that quality players will make that pass and that run and finish that goal.
Stuart Hawkins — 7
Hawkins continues to show why the club thinks so highly of his ceiling. Operating in a 3-4-3 he knows well, Hawkins read transition plays cleanly, stepped up to win four duels, and looked composed under heavy siege. He consistently held the center of the backline well, distributing through the lines and solidly holding his formation. The highlight of the night came in the second half when he drove 60 yards out of his own defensive third and delivered a filthy, outside-of-the-boot trivela through ball to spring ODR on goal. That’s top-tier vision from a teenage center back.
Permission Slip: Play fearless, progressive defense against seasoned Liga MX attackers and look twice your age doing it.
Show and Tell: The 60-yard trivela counter-attacking pass that belongs on every highlight reel this week is great, both because of the quality of the pass, and the tactical understanding to pop up deep on the left wing in the first place.
Bus Ride Home: Got drawn inside slightly on Chivas’ 61st-minute equalizer, but overall an incredibly mature outing.
Ryan Sailor — 6 (Off 72’ for Kim)
Sailor was brought in to provide adult supervision in the back, and he did so at a higher than anticipated level. He matched well in early aerial duels against Ricardo Marín, but had some nervy moments when Chivas attacked with pace. In the 39th minute he was beaten inside, requiring an awkward lunging touch to concede a corner rather than a clean look on frame. He fought hard physically, but second-half lateral tracking caught up to him before his substitution.
Permission Slip: Act as the physical, veteran presence of a three-man backline.
Show and Tell: Strong early aerial clearances that helped Seattle protect their shock 1–0 advantage through the first half. Ryan was always up for a strong challenge and gave back any physicality with which Chivas attempted to gain advantage.
Bus Ride Home: Beaten inside in the 39th minute and struggling with recovery speed as Chivas overloaded the box, he wasn’t directly punished for these errors but they could become problematic with any increased playing time.
Midfield
Charlie Gaffney — 6 (Off 72’ for Kossa-Rienzi)
Gaffney was thrown into the fire at wingback and responded with relentless energy. In the 28th minute, he executed an excellent high press directly on the Chivas goalkeeper that rattled their buildup and nearly doubled the Sounders lead. Defensively, he was disciplined, constantly forcing Chivas buildup out wide rather than allowing them to cut centrally. His tank ran empty after all that tracking, but he gave everything he had.
Permission Slip: Provide two-way width and high-motor pressing down the right flank on a short-term callup, for a player most of us likely hadn’t seen before this start.
Show and Tell: His aggressive press and energy on the right flank disrupted Chivas and forced them into rushed distribution a number of times, highlighting his chaos effect.
Bus Ride Home: Charlie had limited attacking end product before running out of gas against second-half overloads; this was predictable against a team of Chivas’ quality.
Antino Lopez — 6
Lopez was deployed in a hybrid role, stepping into midfield to break up play and dropping back to support the back three. He had a massive hand in the opener, rising at the far post in the 13th minute to head a corner across the box for Sandnes’ goal. In the 26th minute, he made a stellar recovery tackle on defense to snuff out a dangerous break, and even tried a hopeful 41st-minute strike from distance. A versatile, productive shift from a player who has shown he can play a number of positions well.
Permission Slip: Bridge the gap between the young center backs and central midfield in the 3-4-3. Lopez did this perfectly, dropping when needed to support while possessing the ability to push forward in midfield as a pure controlling force.
Show and Tell: The 13th-minute headed assist and 26th-minute defensive recovery tackle were highlights, but the rest of the match was equally impressive. The central midfield held its own and showed a lot of cohesion.
Bus Ride Home: Had a couple of rushed clearances under second-half pressure, including at least one hopeful shot when there were other options, but for a supposed centerback this was an excellent showing.
Mark O’Neill — 6 (Off 84’ for A. Roldán)
O’Neill stepped into the central pivot and brought legitimate grit to the midfield. Alongside Lopez and Gomez, he disrupted Chivas’ central passing lanes during a well-executed first half. While Seattle ended up with barely 20 percent possession in the second half as Chivas poured numbers forward, O’Neill never hid from the ball and completed 82 percent of his passes under duress.
Permission Slip: Disrupt central passing lanes and provide a physical shield for the back three. Mark was asked to be a presence and get into tackles directly through the central channels.
Show and Tell: Tough tackling and calm short distribution to help Seattle control tempo in the opening 45. While he was very physical (and impressively so) there was also a calm composure and unexpected flair to a number of plays.
Bus Ride Home: Overrun in the middle during Chivas’ 15-minute second-half blitz before being subbed late. The opponent made some big changes and went for the win, ultimately earning it. Weathering that much of a storm was too much to ask.
Sebastian Gomez — 6 (Off 63’ for Peter Kingston)
Coming off his MOTM performance against Querétaro, Gomez looked exceptionally comfortable on the ball. He used quick body turns to escape tight spots and connected the backline to the front three cleanly. Schmetzer pulled him at the hour mark to keep his legs fresh for the return to MLS action; he may need to contribute as Seattle gets back to health.
Permission Slip: Provide press-resistant passing and central composure against a high-pressing Liga MX side. Gomez continues to show his maturity in matches like this.
Show and Tell: Silky footwork and sharp turns out of pressure during Seattle’s best transition sequences were highlights. What wasn’t seen was dogged defending and supporting in transition that limited Chivas from mounting their own consistent attacks.
Bus Ride Home: Subbed in the 63rd minute as Chivas began tilting the midfield territory, Sebastian has earned his chance to be more than a novelty.
Attack
Edson Carli — 6
Carli put in a complete 90-minute shift on the wing and did the unglamorous work well. It was his driven shot in the 12th minute that forced a save and earned the corner kick Seattle scored from. Beyond that, he showed great ball control under tight marking and frequently tracked back to form a five-man defensive line when Chivas pressed forward.
Permission Slip: Stretch the width in attack while providing defensive cover down the flank. He was surprisingly solid in meeting this defensive expectation.
Show and Tell: His attacking ability wasn’t on complete display, with Seattle getting mainly half chances, but Edson’s willingness to work in the channels and half spaces to combine was excellent.
Bus Ride Home: Spent the entire second half pinned inside his own defensive third with zero opportunities to attack, and there was a lot of learning curve being exhibited in real time.
Osaze De Rosario — 5
This was an active, physically demanding, and occasionally spectacular (both good and bad) shift from De Rosario. He showed fantastic hold-up play against Chivas’ center backs and even uncorked an audacious side scissor-kick attempt in the box. His 16th-minute direct drive at goal was a great piece of individual power, though denied by the keeper. The downside: he missed a massive chance in the 78th minute and had too many clear looks on the night not to come away with multiple goals.
Permission Slip: Lead the line, hold up long balls, and give the Defiance midfield an outlet. His job was directly vertical, pushing the line back as well.
Show and Tell: Elite hold-up play, a 16th-minute power run on goal, and a wild side scissor-kick try had the makings of a spectacular break out.
Bus Ride Home: Needs to be far more clinical; missing that 78th-minute golden look kept Seattle from snatching a 2–2 draw. Missing the earlier chances stopped Seattle from getting a “dos a cero” lead that they might have been able to hold onto.
Jesús Ferreira — 6 (Off 63’ for Rothrock)
Ferreira was the creative hub of the front three for an hour. In the 41st minute, he unlocked Chivas with a gorgeous threaded pass that nearly generated a second goal. However, there were some clear disconnects with his teammates, like a 53rd-minute pass into open turf with nobody making the run, and an awkward miscommunication with Osaze in the 58th minute on the counter.
Permission Slip: Provide veteran playmaking and leadership for an inexperienced attacking unit. That’s a bit humorous, since Jesús is so young himself.
Show and Tell: A number of excellent line-breaking passes to spark a dangerous transition attack highlighted this outing, but the formation asked a lot of the cohesion of the team, and he didn’t always have chemistry with those around him.
Bus Ride Home: A few creative giveaway passes to nobody and a frustrating lack of personal shot attempts before coming off in the 63rd minute can be written in stone on his ratings, to be honest.
Substitutes
Peter Kingston — 5 (On 63’ for Gomez)
Entered right as Chivas began dominating possession. Kingston had a nice 75th-minute cross into the box that caused panic in the Chivas defense, but his corner kick deliveries were poor and failed to beat the first man on a number of occasions. Seeing him grow into a reliable piece has been a great development for Seattle.
Permission Slip: Add fresh legs and vertical passing to a tiring midfield. Suddenly a trusted sub, Peter was offered as a solution to what Chivas was bringing in the middle.
Show and Tell: There are brief moments of technical excitement that give a glimpse of a ceiling that is as yet undetermined. Some of these passes he sees and attempts are clearly MLS-level play.
Bus Ride Home: Wasted two late set-piece opportunities with under-hit corner kicks, and was overmatched in the middle against veteran opponents.
Paul Rothrock — 5 (On 63’ for Ferreira)
Rothrock brought his usual brand of high-octane disruption off the bench. He immediately began pressing Chivas’ backline, combined well with Hawkins on the break, and helped create the late chance for De Rosario.
Permission Slip: Bring energy and direct pressing to disrupt Chivas’ late game management. Paul does Paul things.
Show and Tell: Quick combinations and an immediate injection of pace down the left channel meant Seattle wrested some control back after some heavy struggles.
Bus Ride Home: Couldn’t find a clean shooting lane of his own as Seattle chased the game late. Whereas others seemed comfortable in the tactical setup, Paul at times struggled to find balance between his offensive and defensive duties, but he still managed to inject positive momentum after arriving.
Kim Kee-hee — 5 (On 72’ for Sailor)
Entered to replace Sailor in the back, just after Chivas’ game-winning goal. Kept his positioning simple, cleared danger, and caused no further damage over the final 18 minutes. This is who he has always been, and his consistency in the role is appreciated.
Permission Slip: Bring veteran stability to the backline to close out the match safely — check.
Show and Tell: Clean passing and calm positioning under stoppage-time pressure — check.
Bus Ride Home: Entered right as Chivas completed their second-half comeback and it’s hard to tell how much he really offered.
Kalani Kossa-Rienzi — 5 (On 72’ for Gaffney)
Subbed on at right wingback and provided the exact opposite of what the younger players had been doing all evening. In the 85th minute, Kalani went on a wandering dribble, repeatedly trying to do too much on his own and turning the ball over instead of keeping the play simple and moving it forward. Sometimes we did see glimpses of the KKR attacking impetus we are used to.
Permission Slip: Provide fresh running and wide defensive stability for the final 20 minutes, allowing Seattle to pull back some control and late tying attempts.
Show and Tell: Pushed forward aggressively to give Seattle numbers in attack late, and while the team wasn’t ultimately able to find much danger, they looked better.
Bus Ride Home: An 85th-minute sequence where he over-dribbled into multiple defenders and killed off a promising late possession is indicative of Kalani’s recent performance. He has been trying too hard, forcing things, and instead of letting the game come to him, he seems to be putting pressure on himself to create.
Alex Roldán — 5 (On 84’ for O’Neill)
A late tactical cameo to help settle the midfield and pass the ball cleanly out of the back as Seattle looked for a late equalizer. This appearance also got a few more minutes for Roldan who has been slowly coming back from some persistent injuries.
Permission Slip: Provide veteran passing in the middle third during late stoppage time.
Show and Tell: His 100 percent pass completion on limited touches means he did what he was asked to do. But not much more.
Bus Ride Home: Too few minutes to change the scoreline, Alex continues to show that his versatility can be used all over the pitch.
Referee
Marco Ortíz — 5
Ortíz let the game flow, but his advantage play was frustrating. There were several times where he signaled advantage when Seattle was instantly swarmed and had no actual advantage to play. On the plus side, his lone yellow card to Luis Rey was well-deserved and borderline last-man contact.
Permission Slip: Keep a physical, high-energy match from spiraling out of control. With both teams having little to play for, it was a toss up whether either team would bring much fire.
Show and Tell: Correctly issued a caution for Rey’s cynical transition foul. As expected when young players are playing older, established veterans, there was not a ton of overly physical play.
Bus Ride Home: Consistently allowing “advantage” to play out when no advantage existed were lowlights, but otherwise neither team looked to test the limits.
Going Forward
It’s time for the Sounders to grab whatever vibe shift and momentum they gained in these last two results and put on a performance to be proud of against Vancouver on Sunday. Both teams are struggling, and it would be massive for Seattle to turn this corner and show out well.
