SEATTLE, WASH. – Sounders FC (12-12-10, 46 points) defeated LAFC (12-11-11, 47 points) 2-1 on Saturday evening on the Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field to clinch a place in the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs. Albert Rusnák scored in the first minute and set up Sebastian Gomez’s 31st-minute goal, and Andrew Thomas made seven saves as the Rave Green climbed from 10th place to finish eighth in the Western Conference on Decision Day, securing the club’s 17th playoff berth in 18 MLS seasons. Brian Schmetzer’s side next hosts Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference Wild Card match on Thursday, November 19 at Lumen Field (7:00 p.m. PT / Apple TV, iHeartMedia Seattle, El Rey 1360 AM), with the winner advancing to face top-seeded Vancouver Whitecaps FC in a Round One Best-of-3 series.
MATCH NOTES
- With the result, Seattle finishes the 2026 regular season in eighth place in the Western Conference with 46 points (12-12-10), clinching the No. 8 seed in the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs.
- Seattle hosts Real Salt Lake in the Western Conference Wild Card match on Thursday, November 19 at Lumen Field (7:00 p.m. PT / Apple TV, iHeartMedia Seattle, El Rey 1360 AM). The winner advances to face top-seeded Vancouver Whitecaps FC in a Round One Best-of-3 series.
- Seattle has now qualified for the postseason in 17 of its 18 MLS seasons (2009-2026), the most of any team since 2009.
- Saturday marked the 20th meeting between the two sides in the regular season, with Seattle now trailing the series 5-11-4. The win improved the Rave Green to 5-2-3 against LAFC at Lumen Field in the regular season. Seattle is also 3-1-0 against LAFC in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
- Albert Rusnák opened the scoring in the first minute, Seattle’s fastest goal of the 2026 season. It was his fifth goal of the MLS season and eighth in all competitions. The strike was the 44th of his Sounders FC career in all competitions, moving him past Obafemi Martins (43) into sole possession of seventh place in club history.
- Sebastian Gomez doubled the lead in the 31st minute, his fourth goal of the MLS season and fifth in all competitions. The 20-year-old has three goals in his last five games.
- Rusnák assisted on Gomez’s goal, his 16th assist of the season, all in MLS play, matching the club’s single-season record shared by Nico Lodeiro (2018) and Rusnák (2024). It was also his 54th assist for Sounders FC in all competitions, third in club history.
- Cristian Roldan assisted on Rusnák’s opener, his sixth assist of the MLS season. It was the 83rd assist of his Sounders FC career in all competitions, second in club history.
- Andrew Thomas played all 90 minutes, becoming just the third player in club history to play every minute of the regular season (3,060 minutes), joining Stefan Frei (2014, 2019) and Kasey Keller (2011). Thomas made seven saves on Saturday, bringing his season total to 127, sixth in MLS.
- Saturday’s crowd of 40,171 at the club’s annual Fan Appreciation Match was Seattle’s largest home attendance of the 2026 season.
- With the result, Sounders FC has qualified for Leagues Cup 2027, the annual Concacaf-sanctioned competition featuring 18 qualifying MLS clubs and all 18 LIGA MX clubs.
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 2 – LAFC 1
Saturday, November 7, 2026
Venue: Lumen Field
Referee: Filip Dujic
Assistants: Jeffrey Greeson, Nick Balcer
Fourth Official: Malik Badawi
VAR: Younes Marrakchi
Weather: Partly cloudy and 49 degrees
Attendance: 40,171
SCORING SUMMARY
SEA – Albert Rusnák (Cristian Roldan) 1’
SEA – Sebastian Gomez (Albert Rusnák) 31’
LAFC – Eddie Segura (Ryan Porteous, Leo Walta) 82’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
LAFC – Sergi Palencia (caution) 73’
SEA – Jackson Ragen (caution) 76’
SEA – Kalani Kossa-Rienzi (caution) 90’
SEA – Peter Kingston (caution) 90+3’
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC – Andrew Thomas; Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, Kim Kee-hee, Jackson Ragen, Nouhou; Hassani Dotson, Cristian Roldan – Captain (Peter Kingston 87’); Jordan Morris (Jesús Ferreira 24’), Albert Rusnák (Snyder Brunell 66’), Sebastian Gomez (Paul Arriola 66’); Dejan Joveljić (Paul Rothrock 87’)
Substitutes not used: Stefan Frei, Ryan Sailor, Stuart Hawkins, Caden Clark
Total shots: 5
Shots on goal: 3
Fouls: 15
Offside: 4
Corner-kicks: 2
Saves: 7
LAFC – Cabral Carter; Sergi Palencia, Ryan Porteous, Eddie Segura – Captain, Yevhen Cheberko; Mathieu Choinière (Jeremy Ebobisse 89’), Mark Delgado; Armindo Sieb (Jacob Shaffelburg 72’; Tyler Boyd 79’), Leo Walta, Denis Bouanga; Son Heung-Min
Substitutes not used: Thomas Hasal, Nkosi Tafari, Ryan Hollingshead, Kenny Nielsen, Igor Jesus, Sergio Vásquez
Total shots: 24
Shots on goal: 8
Fouls: 15
Offside: 1
Corner-kicks: 12
Saves: 1
