The Seattle Sounders defeated Liga MX’s Club Tijuana 2-1 on Wednesday at Lumen Field on Matchday 3 of Phase One of the 2025 Leagues Cup behind second half goals Osaze De Rosario and Danny Musovski. They erased a first half tally from Kevin Castañeda to help the Sounders clinch the top spot in the MLS table and advance to the Knockout Rounds.
Albert Rusnák nearly scored a beauty of a curler from the edge of the left side of the box in the 16th minute, but Xolos goalkeeper Salim Hernández made a wonderful diving save to push it over the end line.
On the ensuing corner kick, Seattle hit the woodwork twice. Yeimar’s initial header bounced off the far post before Jesús Ferreira’s follow-up headed attempt rattled the crossbar.
Sounders goalkeeper Andrew Thomas made a brilliant double save in the 21st minute, first denying Castañeda before stonewalling Adonis Preciado on the rebound.
Kalani Kossa-Rienzi had a couple chances on a counter in the 28th minute. Rusnák played the right back in behind and his first look at a cross was blocked before his second attempt on a shot was saved by Hernández at the near post.
Reed Baker-Whiting had a great run into the box in the 45th minute and was close to finding the opener, but Hernández denied Baker-Whiting from close range.
The Sounders earned a penalty on the ensuing corner, however, when Aarón MejÃa was whistled for a handball while jumping to try and clear the cross.
Rusnák became the third Sounder to hit the post in the first half when his penalty attempt pinged off the near post and back into the field of play.
Castañeda opened the scoring for Tijuana in the fourth minute of stoppage time when he drilled a first-time effort from 20 yards out that scorched the top corner.
Hernández made another huge save in the 47th minute when he came out to block a shot from De Rosario, who was played in behind the Tijuana defense.
De Rosario finally found the Sounders’ breakthrough in the 56th minute when he rose for a towering header off a cross from Ryan Kent that he headed whence it came.
Rusnák appeared to have scored in the 61st minute when he slotted in a lovely goal to the bottom far corner, but Obed Vargas was whistled offside in the buildup and the goal was waved off.
Thomas made a massive, tournament-saving stop in the 72nd minute to deny Shamar Nicholson from scoring at the end of a Xolos counter. Nicholson was played through at the far post, but Thomas made himself big to block the shot with his body and quell the danger.
Cristian Roldan had a great attempt from distance in the 77th minute, but Hernández dove to his left to parry it out for a corner.
The Sounders got their go-ahead goal in the 87th minute when Ferreira whipped in a corner kick that Roldan did well to flick on to the back post. Musovski timed his late run well and was there to head home the ultimate match-winner.
Nicholson nearly scored the equalizer in the first minute of stoppage time with a chance at the near post, but his effort was skied over the crossbar.
Paul Rothrock had an opportunity to put the game to bed in the fourth minute of stoppage time, but he appeared to be caught between two minds of a shot or cross and it was corralled by Hernández.
Vargas was in on a breakaway in the fifth minute of stoppage time, but he was pulled down by Ramiro Franco at the top of the box. Franco was sent off for Denial of a Goalscoring Opportunity. Pedro de la Vega then sent the subsequent free kick over the bar.
The Sounders have run their unbeaten streak to nine matches (6-0-3) in all competitions since exiting the FIFA Club World Cup earlier this summer.
Seattle will return to MLS action on Sunday in Carson, Calif., when it takes on the LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park (7 p.m. PT; Watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
The Sounders will play their Leagues Cup Quarterfinal match on either Tuesday, Aug. 19, or Wednesday, Aug. 20.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
Top of the table
The Sounders have guaranteed top spot in the MLS table as the only one of the 36 participating clubs in both leagues to finish with a perfect 3-0-0 record in their three matches. They join Inter Miami as the only other MLS club that has already secured a berth into the Knockout Rounds.
Musovski comes up clutch
Musovski was the man of the hour when he subbed on in the 80th minute before finding the match-winner just seven minutes later. The career year continues for Musovski, who already has eight goals in 1,150 minutes in MLS action.
De Rosario stays hot
De Rosario now has three goals in his last four matches in all competitions, rewarding Head Coach Brian Schmetzer for giving him his first career First Team start on Wednesday. He scored a late go-ahead goal against Atlanta United in the Sounders’ final MLS contest before starting Leagues Cup, as well as getting in on the score fest in Seattle’s 7-0 rout over Cruz Azul in their Leagues Cup opener.
