If you told any Sounders fan that Brian Schmetzer would roll into Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium with nine changes to the starting lineup, hand the captain’s armband to Paul Rothrock, start an MLS NEXT Pro teenager on a short-term agreement, surrender 70 percent possession to FC Cincinnati, and somehow fly home with a 1–1 draw, they would have checked you into a psychiatric facility. Seattle entered Saturday on an eight-match MLS losing streak — a historic, agonizing freefall that had sucked all the oxygen out of the once promising season. Yet against a top-tier Eastern Conference contender, that young lineup threw logic into a woodchipper.
This was not a tactical masterclass in spatial soccer dominance; it was more an exercise in survival and opportunistic larceny. Cincinnati spent the first hour treating Seattle’s defensive third like you would expect, unleashing shot after shot and creating enough chaos to win three separate soccer matches. Evander broke through in the 24th minute after Andrew Thomas and Paul Rothrock staged a heroic, multi-save goal-line stand, but Cincinnati never found the dagger. Between Thomas’s seven saves and teenage Stuart Hawkins playing like a ten-year veteran, Seattle absorbed blow after blow without hitting the canvas.
Then came the calculated late-game twist. Coach Schmetzer emptied his veteran cavalry off the bench, Nouhou executed a bone-rattling tackle in the attacking half to spark a counter, Albert Rusnák delivered a signature dime, and Kalani Kossa-Rienzi ghosted in to smash home an 83rd minute equalizer. If Danny Musovski hadn’t botched a wide open header in the 87th minute, Seattle would have pulled off the heist of the decade. However, we will take the point, celebrate the end of the long losing streak, and marvel at a night where gravity was temporarily suspended. A tie that felt like a win, this was a massive result.
The Furnace: Trotting out a patchwork lineup with nine Defiance alumni in a hostile road venue, Seattle spent the first 60 minutes pinned in a low block, surrendering 70 percent possession and absorbing wave after wave of Cincinnati pressure.
The Lifeline: Andrew Thomas stood on his head with six first-half saves, while Stuart Hawkins anchored the central defense to keep the deficit at a single goal when it easily could have been three or four.
The Reset: Brian Schmetzer’s second-half substitutions transformed the match, using Nouhou’s defensive disruption, Rusnák’s creative incision, and Kossa-Rienzi’s late run to steal a road point.
Goalkeeper
Andrew Thomas — 8 (MOTM) | Community — 6.6
Without Andrew Thomas, this match is buried 3–0 before the fans finish their kickoff beers. Facing a 17-shot barrage, Thomas tied his career high with seven saves, six of which came during a relentless first-half siege. He was composed under heavy aerial bombardment, smothered second-chance rebounds, and repeatedly bailed out his young backline. His long-range distribution remains a chaotic dice roll, but as a pure shot-stopper, he was the indisputable savior of the evening.
The Furnace: Under relentless pressure early, Thomas was forced into a diving, fingertip stop in the 15th minute to deny a Miles Robinson header that was destined for the bottom corner. This was a statement to the defense that if they did their job, he had their backs.
The Lifeline: Delivered a heroic sequence in the 24th minute, making back-to-back point-blank reflex saves on Bryan Ramírez and Kenji Mboma Dem before Evander finally blasted home the fourth rebound. This was a scramble and ultimately in the net, but Andrew was big. And tall.
The Reset: Came off his line aggressively in the 51st minute to stuff Tom Barlow on a clean breakaway, preserving the 1–0 deficit and setting the stage for the late comeback. Stuff like this tends to get lost in the statline but was just another of his big plays that allowed Seattle the chance.
Defense
Antino Lopez — 6 | Community — 5.5 (off 77’ for Rusnák)
With Nouhou rested on the bench, Lopez was pushed out to left back and asked to survive against Cincinnati’s dynamic wide overloads. He was clearly operating outside his natural central comfort zone, occasionally getting caught flat-footed in transition, but he battled hard. He won four ground duels, made three clearances, and avoided catastrophic mistakes on the flank before being sacrificed for attacking firepower late.
The Furnace: Chased shadows early as Cincinnati repeatedly targeted the vacated half-spaces behind him, leading to an awkward 28th minute missed clearance that nearly allowed Evander a second goal. This was desperation defending.
The Lifeline: Settled into the match after the 30th minute, tucking inside effectively to help Ryan Sailor and Stewart Hawkins deny central cutbacks. Having three centerback types slowed Cincinnati’s chance production.
The Reset: Shifted over to maintain shape until the 77th minute, completing 86 percent of his passes before subbing off to allow Seattle to chase the equalizer. This is a first year player now starting in yet another position, and playing well.
Ryan Sailor — 5 | Community — 5.5
Sailor brought plenty of physical muscle and aerial dominance to the backline, racking up five clearances and winning four aerial duels. However, his lack of lateral recovery speed remains a tactical liability. He picked up a needless 38th minute yellow card and spent several second-half sequences caught in two minds when attackers isolated him in space.
The Furnace: Looked completely overwhelmed during Cincinnati’s opening flurry, getting pulled out of position on the sequence leading up to Evander’s goal. His combination with the defense around him tended to break down often.
The Lifeline: Stepped up in the air during the second half, looking assertive and repeatedly heading away dangerous set pieces to relieve the siege on Thomas’ goal.
The Reset: Got caught in no-man’s land in the 51st minute, keeping Barlow onside on a breakaway that required Thomas to bail him out, but recovered to see out the point. Sailor has been harshly graded on some off-field choices, but as a player he has been okay.
Stuart Hawkins — 7 | Community — 6.2
If you tuned in without a roster sheet, you would have assumed Hawkins was a seasoned international veteran rather than an 18-year old making an emergency road start. Hawkins was magnificent, leading the team with five tackles, seven clearances, and two blocked shots. His positional instincts were immaculate; he repeatedly stepped up to extinguish fires before they reached the penalty spot.
The Furnace: Thrown into the deep end against Evander and a high-octane MLS attack without any veteran Sounders around him, Hawkins never blinked, winning his first three 1-v-1 duels with clean, decisive timing. This was a tremendous outing.
The Lifeline: Made a vital sliding interception in the 41st minute inside the box, cleanly taking the ball off the foot of an oncoming attacker without conceding a corner. He still goes to ground more than you might want for a guy with good recovery speed, but his timing was impeccable.
The Reset: Demonstrated passing composure in the final twenty minutes, calmly breaking Cincinnati’s high press with vertical ground balls into the midfield. He has shown some growing pains, but the ceiling is sky high.
Kalani Kossa-Rienzi — 7 | Community — 6.8 (MOTM)
Kalani started at right back, survived a grueling hour defending in his own defensive third, and then delivered the moment of the season. After seeing his 70th minute deflected blast gathered by Roman Celentano, KKR pushed higher, timed his 83rd minute back-post crash to absolute perfection, and calmly side-footed Rusnák’s cross into the net. Three goals on the season for a converted fullback is absurd value.
The Furnace: Endured a difficult opening 45 minutes on the defensive side, getting beaten out wide twice as Cincinnati generated nine first-half corners. His defense is an adventure in bending, but this time not so much breaking.
The Lifeline: Tracked back relentlessly in the 68th minute to strip the ball on the endline, preventing a dangerous cutback look. Kalani’s effort is there.
The Reset: Ghosted behind Cincinnati’s backline in the 83rd minute to bury a first-time finish off Rusnák’s service, scoring the goal that officially buried the eight-match losing skid. No matter where he plays, KKR has that nose for the goal that you just can’t teach.
Defensive Midfield
Snyder Brunell — 6 | Community — 5.7 (off 61’ for Musovski)
Brunell was handed the daunting task of anchoring the double pivot alongside Peter Kingston against an opponent that was dominating the ball. While Seattle had zero control of possession, Snyder was neat and tidy when the ball found him, completing 88 percent of his passes, avoiding costly central turnovers, and working hard to clog passing lanes.
The Furnace: Overrun by Cincinnati’s rapid ball movement during the opening half-hour, struggling to provide enough physical friction in front of the center backs, this was a battle of attrition.
The Lifeline: Won three consecutive second balls near the top of the 18-yard box late in the first half to halt sustained attacks. This defensive effort has to be solid if he’s going to be central in a match like this.
The Reset: Worked an honest, disciplined 61-minute shift before being replaced, as Schmetzer transitioned the team into a more aggressive attacking shape.
Peter Kingston — 6 | Community — 5.5
Kingston brought bite, grit, and a willingness to do the dirty defensive chores in central midfield. Operating as a destructive shield, he disrupted Cincinnati’s rhythm with four tackles and two interceptions. He picked up a tactical yellow card in the 75th minute for halting a counterattack, demonstrating the kind of cynical road pragmatism Seattle had sorely lacked during their losing skid.
The Furnace: Delivered a dangerous 2nd minute free kick into the box to create Seattle’s first half-chance, before settling in for 85 minutes of purely reactive defending.
The Lifeline: Broke up a dangerous 3-v-2 counter in the 56th minute with a perfectly timed sliding challenge in the center circle. He isn’t the most natural defender, but he brings xDawg in spades when asked to cover the middle.
The Reset: Battled through heavy fatigue in the final quarter-hour, maintaining defensive discipline in the pivot to preserve the draw. Seattle desperately needed his versatility against Cincy.
Attacking Midfield
Paul Rothrock — 7 | Community — 6.5
Wearing the captain’s armband for the first time in his hometown club’s colors, the Capitol Hill native led with his trademark intensity. While he struggled to find clean looks in the attacking third, his defensive tracking was immense, highlighted by a desperate goal-line block during the wild 24th-minute sequence that preceded Cincinnati’s goal.
The Furnace: Functioned essentially as a second left back during the first half, tracking runners 70 yards deep into his own penalty box to support Lopez. Understanding the difference in the defensive cover behind him was essential for Seattle to succeed. He missed a massive chance to tie the game before half.
The Lifeline: His heroic goal-line clearance in the 24th minute denied Ramirez’s rebound shot, as he sacrificed his body to keep the ball out of the net (again!).
The Reset: Swung in a gorgeous 82nd minute cross that forced Celentano into a fingertip save over the bar, sparking the corner sequence that produced the tying goal. You know P. Primetime does not quit.
Edson Carli — 5 | Community — 5.0 (off 61’ for Nouhou)
Signed on a short-term agreement from Tacoma Defiance, the 19-year-old made his first-team MLS debut as the central attacking midfielder. The game moved fast around him, but he never looked timid. He only managed 18 touches, but showed flashes of technical promise, and he nearly manufactured a dream debut moment right before halftime.
The Furnace: Found himself isolated between Cincinnati’s defensive lines, struggling to find rhythm against seasoned MLS midfielders, as you might expect.
The Lifeline: Settled a loose ball beautifully inside the box in the 44th minute and ripped a shot that Rothrock nearly deflected into the net for an equalizer. He worked hard all afternoon.
The Reset: Subbed off at the hour mark with his head held high, having put in 61 respectable minutes on short notice.
Sebastian Gomez — 6 | Community — 5.6 (off 90’+1’ for Kim)
Gomez brought energy and directness on the right flank, providing an essential outlet during Seattle’s rare forward excursions. He completed 81 percent of his passes, worked diligently to track back, and came alive in the final twenty minutes as Cincinnati’s defensive lines began to sag.
The Furnace: Starved of service for the first hour as Seattle failed to string more than three consecutive passes together in the attacking half, his inability to combine with Kossa-Rienzi was a big gap in the offense.
The Lifeline: Flew in with an aggressive 82nd minute header off Rothrock’s cross, forcing Celentano to tip the ball over the crossbar, yet again showing underrated aerial ability.
The Reset: Dropped an absolute dime of a cross into the six-yard box in the 87th minute that should have resulted in Musovski’s game-winning goal. The kid deserved better.
Striker
Osaze De Rosario — 5 | Community — 4.7 (off 77’ for A. Roldan)
Starting up top against Miles Robinson and Andrei Chirila with virtually zero midfield service is a miserable assignment. De Rosario competed with physical vigor, holding up clearances and drawing fouls, but he was unable to generate consistent danger on goal before making way in the 77th minute.
The Furnace: Created Seattle’s best opening chance in the 2nd minute, muscling his way into the box before seeing his header fly just wide of the post. This promise wasn’t realized much as he had the thankless job of banging around against multiple defenders.
The Lifeline: Drove at Cincinnati’s backline in the 19th minute, beating two defenders off the dribble before Robinson recovered to concede a throw. The script was there, but he wasn’t in the same act as his teammates.
The Reset: Exhausted his energy reserves pressing Cincinnati’s center backs, opening up transition channels before being subbed off for fresh legs.
Substitutes
Nouhou — 7 | Community — 6.2 (on 61’ for Carli)
Nouhou entered at left back and immediately brought his signature chaos energy. He completely locked down Cincinnati’s right wing and provided the definitive defensive play of the match in the 83rd minute, executing a crunching tackle in Cincinnati’s half to win the ball back and trigger the equalizing sequence.
The Furnace: Dropped into a frantic match state with Cincinnati pushing hard for a second goal to seal the win, and continually released Rothrock forward.
The Lifeline: Shut down Cincinnati’s wide combinations instantly, winning three consecutive 1-v-1 ground duels along the touchline in a chaotic but successful outing.
The Reset: Created the equalizer out of thin air in the 83rd minute, stepping up aggressively to snuff out a counterattack and winning the tackle that freed Kossa-Rienzi. Often criticized, Nouhou was brilliant in this moment, with a game changing effort that both prevented a likely goal for Cincinnati and allowed Seattle to tie the game.
Danny Musovski — 4 | Community — 4.3 (on 61’ for Brunell)
Moose came on to provide physical presence and a late transition threat, but his evening will be remembered for an 87th minute blunder. Handed a golden opportunity from Gomez to win the match outright, Musovski mistimed his header and sent it harmlessly wide of an open net.
The Furnace: Brought on to stretch Cincinnati’s center backs and give Seattle an outlet to relieve defensive pressure.
The Lifeline: Made a smart darting run across the box in the 83rd minute to drag defenders away from Kossa-Rienzi’s back-post channel.
The Reset: Committed a horrendous miss in the 87th minute, failing to put a clean header on frame from five yards out with the goalkeeper beaten. C’mon, man.
Albert Rusnák — 6 | Community — 6.1 (on 77’ for Lopez)
Brought on for the final 13 minutes to provide veteran quality, Rusnák delivered what was required. In the 83rd minute, he received the ball on the right flank, took a settling touch, and whipped a world-class low cross across the six-yard box for Kossa-Rienzi to smash home. That’s seven league assists on the year for the DP.
The Furnace: Entered a frenetic, fast-paced environment where Seattle needed someone to bring composure to the final third. He did exactly that.
The Lifeline: Connected on all eight of his pass attempts, instantly shifting Seattle’s attacking tempo into high gear, displaying the creation desperately needed.
The Reset: Delivered a pinpoint, inch-perfect assist in the 83rd minute to rescue a point and end the losing streak.
Alex Roldan — 5 | Community — 6.1 (on 77’ for De Rosario)
Roldan came on to solidify the defensive shape and provide experienced game management on the right side. He completed all of his passes and helped deny Cincinnati any late stoppage-time look.
The Furnace: Stepped onto the pitch with the game hanging in the balance at 1–0.
The Lifeline: Supported Kossa-Rienzi defensively on the right flank to prevent late crosses, also released KKR to be the offensive catalyst.
The Reset: Controlled possession calmly in stoppage time to ensure the Sounders secured the point.
Kim Kee-hee — N/A | Community — 5.6 (on 90+1’ for Gomez)
Came on in the first minute of stoppage time to add veteran height and close out the final minutes of extra time. Standard defensive cameo; there’s not much else to say.
Referee
Drew Fischer — 7 | Community — 5.9
Fischer let the match breathe and allowed plenty of physical contact, which worked in Seattle’s favor given their tactical low block. He whistled 14 fouls on Seattle to Cincinnati’s seven, but his card management was balanced, handing out justified cautions to Sailor and Kingston for stopping transitions, and Ramírez for unsporting behavior.
The Furnace: Allowed an intensely physical first half to play out without resorting to an avalanche of soft whistles.
Lifeline: Issued a yellow card to Bryan Ramírez in the 64th minute for kicking the ball away.
The Reset: Managed late-game substitutions and eight minutes of stoppage time efficiently, maintaining full control through the final whistle.
FC Cincinnati MOTM
Cincinnati’s number 10 is still a problem, just as he was when he played a bit closer to home. He took FCC’s dead balls, and typically looked to set up teammates rather than shooting directly. On his goal, he drifted forward with the play from a deep starting position before rifling home at the fourth time of asking.
Upcoming
The Sounders return to Lumen Field this Saturday to host the Chicago Fire. The Fire are having a very good season, but things are looking up for Seattle: the eight-match MLS losing streak is dead, a point was stolen on the road, a couple of injured players are getting ready to return, and we’ve signed a new striker, Dejan Joveljić. It’s time to start winning again.
