Sounders Return to Training, Drop Shortened Practice Game vs. Belgium
The Seattle Sounders are back in action after 18 days away from training and games on account of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Life has changed considerably since the Sounders last dropped their last game on May 24 to LAFC to drop to 7-3-3 (6th in Western Conference), as they are sharing their Renton training facility with the Belgian Red Devils and are planning their training sessions around the national team's schedule. The Rave Green were compensated for their hospitality on Tuesday, as Belgium, fresh off a 1-1 draw against Egypt on Monday in Seattle, played a consortium of Sounders and Tacoma Defiance players in a shortened practice game.
The game featured two 30-minute halves, and the Sounders fell 2-1 in a match that former U.S. Men's National Team winger Paul Arriola described as a solid learning experience in this makeshift offseason program.
"It was a difficult game for us; we defended for a lot of the time," Arriola, 31, said. "We saw a few offensive plays that I think we did pretty well in, and then defensively it was a lot for us to handle. Typically we're a team in MLS that we kind of try and dictate the game and the tempo… yesterday we were put under a lot."
WATCH: Recapping Sounders Solid Start, And Late Troubles, Ahead of the World Cup
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali breaks down a 7-3-3 start to the Seattle Sounders’ 2026 campaign. The team started 6-1-1 before falling into a slump and entering the June FIFA World Cup break at sixth in the Western Conference.
The Sounders will be back in action on July 16 against their rival Portland Timbers, as Cristian Roldan (United States) is the only Seattle player rostered for the World Cup.
Sounders Hopes Dashed by Late LAFC Winner Before World Cup Break
It was all going to plan for the Seattle Sounders through eight games.
Sitting at 6-1-1 with the best defense in the league, head coach Brian Schmetzer’s squad looked to insert itself into the top of the Supporters Shield Race with a road game against flailing Sporting Kansas City and a three-match homestand coming.
Instead of thriving on the schedule, Seattle went 1-1-2 heading into a key road date with a struggling LAFC squad (7-5-3), fresh off three losses, on the final Sunday before the June World Cup Break.
Seattle managed to play a scoreless game through 85 minutes, bringing on offensive subs late to try and steal three points. But it was the home team that notched the win, as midfielder Timothy Tillman came out of nowhere late to slam a cross-goal service past Andrew Thomas for the win.
Seattle dropped to 7-3-3 and into sixth place out west with nearly two months to go before its return to play against Portland on July 16.
Sounders’ Home Unbeaten Streak Ends at 22, Pec Runs Riot for Galaxy
The Seattle Sounders had been through the wringer in a three-game week, but were facing an LA Galaxy team coming off a tough loss to Kansas City to close the stretch Saturday. Seattle, on the other hand, was riding high with a win over the top-ranked San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday, and set their lineup to rotate against the 11th-place Galaxy.
Unfortunately for Seattle, LA found its footing in this one, as star winger Gabriel Pec had a goal and an assist in transition late to bury the Sounders in a 2-0 shocker. The loss meant the end of a 22-game home unbeaten run dating back to last summer against European champion Paris Saint-Germain in the Club World Cup.
Seattle, as it has for the past few matches, spent plenty of time in LA's box with 30 touches in the 18, but couldn't cash in on 1.4 expected goals on mostly half-chances. The Sounders also took 15 shots and got five on frame with 58% possession, but the Galaxy's counterattacks late buried Seattle as LA generated 1.7 xG on nine shots.
Sounders Down Western Conference Front-Runner San Jose in Heritage Cup Classic
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali breaks down a 3-2 barn-burner between the Seattle Sounders (7-1-3, 3rd in Western Conference) and San Jose Earthquakes (9-2-2, 2nd in Western Conference).
Osaze De Rosario netted an 89th-minute game-winner as the game swung back and forth after an early Sounders mistake led to a second-minute San Jose goal. Albert Rusnák scored off a penalty kick late in the first half to equalize before Jesús Ferreira went coast-to-coast in a spectacular individual effort to give Seattle the lead.
The goals come at good times for Ferreira and De Rosario, who have both been lacking on the scoring edge as Seattle finally met its expected-goal mark after two frustrating draws against Kansas City and San Diego.
The win also meant history for the Sounders, who swept San Diego in the regular season for the first time.
Sounders Equalize Late, Survive San Diego with Draw Despite Missed Chances
It's becoming a theme, and the Sounders don't seem thrilled with it.
For the second straight game, the Seattle Sounders have taken a 1-1 draw in a game where they generated far more than one goal's worth of opportunities. Last time came at a struggling Sporting Kansas City squad, and this time was against a floundering San Diego FC squad (3-5-4, 11th in Western Conference), trying to pick up the pieces after a slow start.
In all, Seattle (6-1-3, fourth in Western Conference) took 25 shots, just four on frame, and generated 3.6 expected goals.
To create all of that, the Sounders forced eight corner kicks, crossed the ball into scoring chances 11 times, had seven of their shots blocked, and touched the ball 52 times in San Diego's box after doing the same over 40 times against KC.
But after all those chances that ended in poor decisions or a lack of quality in bringing them to fruition, the Sounders finally broke through in the 80th. They had trailed nearly all night thanks to an 18th-minute goal from San Diego's Marcus Ingvartsen as Nouhou failed to mark the Danish national in a run-of-play goal.
After multiple chances ended in a Seattle corner, though, Albert Rusnak found Cristian Roldan at the near post, who flicked the ball back to Danny Musovski through a sea of bodies in the box. Musovski did what he does best, tapping it in with precision just moments after hitting the crossbar on one of many frustrating opportunities on the night.
Sounders Draw with Struggling Kansas City Despite Wealth of Chances
The Seattle Sounders went into their Saturday matchup with Sporting Kansas City in great form.
Seattle was 6-1-1, in the thick of the Supporters Shield race, going to play the bottom-ranked team in the Western Conference, fresh off six straight losses at 1-7-1.
After Paul Rothrock scored his team-leading sixth goal in all competitions just two minutes in, it looked like the Sounders were about to repeat the 5-0 drubbing the Chicago Fire had subjected Kansas City to the week before.
But 16 minutes later, USMNT hopeful and Sounders legend Cristian Roldan made a lackadaisical pass deep in Seattle territory to let KC striker Dejan Joveljic strike a first-time shot past Andrew Thomas for what was the final goal of the game.
Yes. Seattle had scored just two minutes into the game on a fortuitous bounce forced by Jesús Ferreira to find a waiting Paul Rothrock in close, only to be held scoreless for the remainder despite 26 shots and three expected goals generated.
Ferreira and Morris Regain Scoring Prowess, Sounders Outlast FC Dallas
The Seattle Sounders, down the likes of Cristian Roldan, Albert Rusnák and Paul Arriola, continued their strong start on Saturday night. They downed a visiting FC Dallas squad 2-1, weathering dangerous set-piece opportunities and benefitting from a return to form from goal scorers Jordan Morris and Jesús Ferreira.
The result moves Seattle to 6-1-1 (fourth in Western Conference) with just four goals allowed in eight MLS fixtures. It also meant Seattle's 20th straight game unbeaten at home, as the Sounders haven't lost under the arches of Lumen Field since June of 2025… when they played European champion Paris Saint-Germain.
Sounders' Furious Concacaf Comeback Comes Up Short
The Seattle Sounders had a mind for a comeback heading back to Lumen Field for the first time since February 22.
Seattle lost 2-0 to Mexican side Tigres UANL in Monterrey last Wednesday in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals. With the tournament adhering to an away-goal tiebreaker, Seattle needed to avoid a Tigres goal to ensure its best chance to make up the multi-goal disadvantage.
The Sounders started strong, benefitting from a renewed Albert Rusnák, who scored in the 11th and 82nd minutes to break a cold streak in the scoring department with Cristian Roldan assisting on both.
Ultimately, a rally wasn’t meant to be as the Sounders won the match 3-1, but lost the 3-3 series on the tiebreaker, courtesy of a late first-half goal from Tigres.
Sounders Return Home For Second Leg with Tigres Trying to Repeat Comeback History
The Seattle Sounders aren't an easy club to faze.
The squad has won the MLS Cup, Supporters' Shield, U.S. Open Cup, Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup in its storied history since joining MLS in 2009. With that amount of credibility in its trophy cabinet, Seattle is respected across the continent as a perennial contender.
So when the Sounders went to Monterrey last Wednesday to face Liga MX side Tigres UANL at el Volcan (the Volcano), as their stadium is known, Seattle was always going to compete for a result.
But the Sounders, thanks in part to poor offensive quality and elite play by Tigres in tight spaces, dropped the first-leg matchup 2-0 to fall in a deep hole in this Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal fixture.
They'll attempt to repeat an iconic 2013 comeback when they do battle with Tigres again on Wednesday night in Seattle.
Sounders Stumble in Monterrey, Drop First Leg of Concacaf Quarterfinal vs. Tigres
The Seattle Sounders were looking for the sound of silence at Estadio Universitario in Monterrey, Mexico on Wednesday night. But in the 79th minute of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals first-leg duel with Liga MX side Tigres UANL, all they got was a deafening scene. Fans jumped in unison as their team had just scored a second goal to make it 2-0 and fought for a third, as the Sounders went on to suffer their first loss in any competition since February.
The Sounders will return to Lumen Field for the first time since Feb. 22 on April 15 to see out the second leg of the fixture, down 2-0 with a full week to lick its wounds.
Sounders Steal One in H-Town, Rothrock Stars Again
The Seattle Sounders are rolling.
Even as a lightning delay derailed the beginning of the game and the Houston Dynamo gave Seattle's offense fits all night, the Sounders refused to stop rolling.
Paul Rothrock scored his fifth goal in all competitions to break a scoreless deadlock in the 83rd, turning a solid draw into a stolen 1-0 road win on Saturday night, as Seattle carries its road warrior persona through early April with a six-game unbeaten streak in all competitions.
"It's not easy to win on the road, it's not easy to even get points on the road, a draw. But we came out with a gritty performance because the guys just grinded it out," Seattle head coach Brian Schmetzer said.
Indeed, the Sounders earned the points despite the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals matchup with Mexican giant Tigres looming on Wednesday. As such, Schmetzer rotated and leaned on a roster that has well over 11 starters, by his account, to get it done on a soggy night in Houston.
Sounders Draw with Minnesota in Scoreless Grudge Match
The Seattle Sounders played to a 0-0 draw with Minnesota United on Sunday morning, which eliminated Seattle in a dramatic three-game series last season.
The Seattle Sounders went into Allianz Stadium looking for a fifth consecutive win away from Lumen Field. They got about a third of what they bargained for, playing to a 0-0 draw with the Loons to move to 3-1-1 on the young season.
Minnesota played its usual low block, dropping five defenders back and daring Seattle to beat them without giving up transition chances. Both sides generated around one expected goal, as there were moments of brilliance, especially toward the end of the game.
In the end, the Sounders kept their fifth clean sheet of the year as they head into a short international break in the middle of the Western Conference standings.
Sounders Finish Off 'Caps, Advance to Concacaf Quarters
"SEEEEEAAAATTTTLEEE. SOOOUUUUNNDDERSS."
The classic chant of Lumen Field echoed through downtown — Spokane, that is — on Wednesday night.
The Rave Green had plenty to be happy about east of the Cascades — their Sounders are Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal-bound for the first time since 2022, when they won the continental tournament.
The Sounders did it by first beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-0 on the road last week before leveraging two late goals to win the second leg 2-1 at One Spokane Stadium on Wednesday as Lumen Field undergoes FIFA World Cup preparations.
Sounders Epitomize 'Bend Don't Break' in 1-0 Win Over Earthquakes
There were heroes everywhere in the Seattle Sounders' 1-0 MLS win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday afternoon.
Paul Rothrock led a depleted Sounders (3-1-0 W-L-D) front with strong runs that netted a 20th-minute goal, while keeper Andrew Thomas had arguably his best game in 2026 with seven saves.
But what Antino Lopez did in the 74th minute to preserve that scoreline will stand the test of time.
Arriola Picks Up Brace for Sounders in First Leg Domination In Vancouver
From the first moments of the Seattle Sounders' Concacaf Round of 16 clash with the Vancouver Whitecaps on Thursday, Paul Arriola tested his limits. The veteran, subjected to nearly a year of rehab after tearing his ACL in the 2025 edition of the tournament, earned his first start of the year for a Sounders squad mauled by injuries early.
He paid off the team's confidence in him, attacking Vancouver's backline with unceasing runs to the endline. His hard work manifested a brace, as Seattle won the first leg of the two-game series 3-0 in a stunner. Paul Rothrock added the other score after coming on for Arriola late, as it was truly a day to remember for the Pauls of Seattle.
Seattle will finish the series next Wednesday in Spokane as Lumen Field undergoes renovations for the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
It was a signature early win for Seattle, which downed a 3-0-0 Vancouver squad that had looked about as good as any team in North America heading into Thursday.
Sounders Continue to Struggle in Sandy, Suffer First Loss of 2026 vs. RSL
The Seattle Sounders ran into a familiar wall in Real Salt Lake on Saturday night, losing 2-1 against a short-handed young squad in Sandy.
Standing out for RSL was 18-year-old Zavier Gozo, who had a definitive hand in each goal, and keeper Rafael Cabral, whose six saves placed the 35-year-old firmly atop man-of-the-match conversations.
Cristian Roldan opened his 2026 scoring account with a header off a corner from Albert Rusnak, but his score started what turned out to be a doomed comeback attempt. By the end of the night, the Sounders extended arguably the most notorious current club streak — Seattle is now 0-13-3 at America First Field since 2011.
Sounders Overcome Tough Calls, Injuries in 2-0 Season-Opening Win
In one of the clunkier games of soccer ever played under the lights of Lumen Field, the hometown Sounders emerged with a 2-0 win over the Colorado Rapids to open the 2026 season.
Paul Rothrock took over early for an injured Jordan Morris, picking up a hustle-driven assist and a second-half goal to add to his local legend. Keeper Andrew Thomas wasn't tested much, but logged a clean sheet in his first game after being named the starter.
All in all, the Sounders were in another weight class from a younger Colorado squad, winning practically every moment of the game.
Sounders First Day of Training Camp Notebook: Anticipated Competition Begins
The Seattle Sounders returned to training on Monday as the team prepares for preseason trips to Portugal and Spain.
He's Back: Rothrock and Sounders Come to Unlikely Agreement; Ballard Stalwarts Join Club
Paul Rothrock came to a surprise re-signing in Seattle on Tuesday, but that’s not all from the Brougham End for the week. What else is Sounders GM Craig Waibel doing for roster construction as December rolls on?
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