The Seattle Sounders kicked off the 2025 Major League Soccer campaign on Saturday as they took on Charlotte FC. The Rave Green had an active offseason as they acquired FC Dallas’ Jesus Ferreira and Paul Arriola. The offseason also saw the departure of club legend, Raul Ruidiaz and homegrown player, Josh Atencio. Coming off a strong campaign last year, the Sounders were looking to start on the right foot, in a campaign they hope involves winning silverware.
At midweek, Seattle got a positive result on the road in Guatemala, as they defeated Antigua FC 3-1 in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup Round-of-16 matchup. 2025 will be a busy year for the club as they will be participating in the aforementioned CONCACAF Champions Cup, Leagues Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
On Saturday night, there were familiar rainy conditions at Lumen Field. Just before kickoff, the Sounders’ supporter group, the Emerald City Supporters, revealed a tifo that read, “The Entire World Will Tremble at Your Might.” The phrase, which is part of a chant by the ECS, is a motivating statement for the team, as it prepares to compete in multiple international tournaments.
The match got off to a dream start for Seattle. In the 19th minute, Georgi Minoungou delivered a great ball into the box, which found the run of Jordan Morris, who coolly found the back of the net. Up until that point, the Sounders had been playing well on the offensive end, allowing them to keep Charlotte pinned.
Though Charlotte was not able to get out of their own half with confidence in the early going of the match, they found their breakthrough when Adilson Malanda scored a thunderous header off a corner from Pep Biel in the 35th minute. The goal gave the visiting side a confidence boost. The team grew more comfortable in the match and finished off the first half in strong fashion.
Despite the momentum swing, the Sounders retook the lead in the 49th minute, just after the halftime break. Albert Rusnak slotted a perfect through ball to Morris, who found himself one-on-one with Charlotte keeper Kristijan Kahlina. The netminder was able to get a paw on the ball but it still went in. With his second goal of the night, Morris is now tied with Ruidiaz for most goals (86) in Sounders history across all competitions.
“For a local guy to persevere, come through and now share that record… it’s a tremendous achievement by Jordan [Morris]”, said Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer regarding the Mercer Island native.
The second half carried on and Seattle were in full control of the match. Charlotte just could not get anything going and it seemed like, surely, Seattle was well on their way to collect all three points in the first match of the season.
Things turned sideways for Seattle in the 92nd minute, however, when Yeimar Gomez Andrade poked the ball into his net. Leading up to that, Jackson Ragen attempted to play the ball back to Stefan Frei, but he misplayed the ball and Charlotte took advantage. Idan Toklomati collected the loose ball and played into a dangerous area, reaching a helpless Yeimar.
Despite what had been a very strong game, it was a moment that would prove costly as the Sounders would have to settle for a 2-2 draw. For the visitors, however, the result is one that showcases resilient character.
“The character to come back twice is obviously a good thing and it is something that we can really look at as a positive. We don’t want to be doing that every single game. We want to control games with and without the ball,” said Charlotte center back Tim Ream.
During last year’s campaign, there were long stretches of time when the Sounders were stagnant in the final third. Yet, in this game, it was clear that the team put in the work in the offseason to improve on that issue. The side looked fresh, revitalized and dangerous, a welcome sight for a team that was a win away from reaching MLS Cup last year.
“We tried to balance the team. Last year, sometimes the right [side] was good and the left was non-existent and vice versa. We tried to make it a complete team,” said Schmetzer.
The backline admittedly had a couple of moments where they could have been better. Yet, overall, the team defended well and was able to mostly prevent Charlotte from creating chances against the run of play.
“You [have] to make sure that you don’t have any gaps, because a team like [Charlotte] likes to look in behind. I thought we covered quite well,” said Stefan Frei, the Sounders captain.
The result will certainly feel like a disappointment for Seattle, but there is reason to be optimistic. The side looked solid on both sides of the ball, which is a good early sign of a team that is preparing to embark on a long campaign. The foundation of a competitive team is certainly there. The team has to make sure, however, that the defensive lapses are part of early season jitters and not the start of a negative trend.
The Sounders quickly return to action on Wednesday at 7:30pm at Lumen Field, as they will be facing Antigua FC in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions Cup Round-of-16 matchup.
