Morris, Rusnák Shine as Sounders Down Minnesota to Re-Enter Playoff Picture
The Seattle Sounders improved to 9-8-9 on Saturday night by beating visiting Minnesota United 3-1. Jordan Morris scored the opening goal in stunning fashion, impacting the game for 90 strong minutes while Albert Rusnák added two assists in a wire-to-wire performance as a distributor. The result moved Seattle to ninth place in the MLS Western Conference, putting the Rave Green back in the playoff picture after a dreadful summer that saw Seattle lose eight straight.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali was on scene, and he breaks down the night’s action.
Joveljić Picks Up Brace in Debut, Sounders Manage Thrilling Draw With Solid Chicago
It was the kind of debut every Seattle Sounders fan dreamed of for their new striker, Dejan Joveljić.
Facing a Chicago Fire squad that signed European legend Robert Lewandowski recently, Joveljić scored a brace in a 90-minute game to combat two Chicago goals and secure a 2-2 draw. For a Sounders team that is just two games removed from an eight-game MLS losing streak, the 7-9-5 squad splitting points with an 11-4-6 and in-form Chicago squad was a solid result. For one, Joveljić’s big game marked Seattle’s first time scoring two goals in a game since May 13.
Still, a missed late chance from Albert Rusnák that would've put Seattle on top 3-1 was one of a few moments that left Seattle skipper Brian Schmetzer wanting more out of the performance.
"This draw feels like a loss. Because of the way we played, the potential that was there… we need to obviously close that game out," Schmetzer said. "It hurts, but that locker room feels like they have something."
The locker room certainly has a striker it can count on.
Joveljić scored in close in the 12th minute before giving Seattle the lead back on a showstopping shot to the top-left corner in the 48th. It was, almost without a doubt, the best strike by a Sounder all season.
Sounders Notebook: de la Vega Out For Season, Seattle Prepares for Tough Vancouver Side
For eight glorious minutes last Sunday at Lumen Field, Seattle Sounders fans finally got to watch their star winger Pedro de la Vega work the ball around the pitch with ease and finesse. He instinctively floated to the back post late in a 3-0 Leagues Cup win over Querétaro and, at one point, nearly tapped in a rolling pass from Jesús Ferreira before flicking his right leg up to magically keep the chance alive and show some of his much-needed quality.
But in the 85th minute, on a routine challenge, the 25-year-old Argentinian making his season debut after suffering a fractured kneecap last October went down. He didn't look to be in too much pain as the trainers checked on him, but he immediately went to the locker room with a left quadriceps injury. After the game, striker Danny Musovski said he saw the typically joyous de la Vega crying.
We now know why.
After training on Friday, head coach Brian Schmetzer revealed de la Vega's quadriceps "pull" is serious enough to end his 2026 campaign.
"Pedro has a very… significant left quad pull," Schmetzer said. "He is, you know, probably out for the remainder of the year."
Schmetzer confirmed surgery is on the table, but no final decisions have been made on that front as de la Vega comes to terms with his sixth distinct injury in three years with Seattle.
Sounders Injury Luck Worsens as Yeimar, Dotson Hurt in Training
The Seattle Sounders' luck just keeps getting worse.
Fresh off a five-game losing streak due in part to a rash of injuries, the Rave Green were looking to return standout center back Yeimar from a hamstring injury that's had him out since early spring.
But he and midfielder Hassani Dotson picked up new multi-week injuries at training this week, per coach Brian Schmetzer on Friday, to further dampen the spirits. Yeimar, who was coming off a hamstring injury and in line to return soon, picked up a calf injury to put him 4-6 weeks away from seeing the field
Seattle is 7-6-3 (eighth in Western Conference) as it heads into a rematch with a rival Portland Timbers side (6-8-3, 10th) this Saturday night at Providence Park.
Sounders Enter Unprecedented Territory with Fifth Straight Loss
The Seattle Sounders continued their tailspin on Saturday night, losing 1-0 to the last-place Philadelphia Union (3-10-4) on the road. The result extended Seattle's losing streak to five, the worst in MLS play under coach Brian Schmetzer.
The Sounders, who started the campaign at 6-1-1, now sit at 7-6-3 and in sixth place in the Western Conference with one more game before their Leagues Cup title defense begins on Aug. 5.
It was only the seventh meeting all-time between Philadelphia and Seattle, and the Sounders gave up a rare kind of goal in the 31st minute of Saturday's game. Union striker Milan Iloski scored his ninth of the season by running past a makeshift Seattle backline, which defended well all night, and floated a ball over keeper Andrew Thomas in an awkward moment for the first-year starter.
It's the first time since 2015 that the Sounders have lost five straight MLS games. Schmetzer started coaching the squad in 2016.
The 63-year-old skipper said he “isn’t killing” the players over this streak, as Seattle continues to try and survive missing at least five usual starters at once.
WATCH: Sounders Unravel for Worst Loss to Timbers in MLS Era
The Seattle Sounders, fresh off six weeks away from MLS play for the FIFA World Cup, came into a Thursday night home bout with their archnemesis, the Portland Timbers, looking to start the summer run strong.
Not only did they not accomplish that feat, but the Sounders (7-4-3, 6th in Western Conference) lost 5-1.
It’s already being labeled the worst loss to Portland in franchise history, as striker Kevin Kelsy bagged a brace. Seattle midfielder Hassani Dotson scored off a set-piece header late with the game far out of reach.
The Timbers (5-8-2, 7th) worked the wide areas to death, scoring three goals in seven minutes early in the second half to completely demoralize Seattle. The nearly 36,000 fans in attendance, a franchise best this season, left in droves.
After the game, head coach Brian Schmetzer took accountability as his team, down key pieces like Cristian Roldan and Alex Roldan, was simply out-competed in the biggest derby game of the season. Players cleared out of the locker room quickly postgame, seemingly opting to process the stunning result on their own.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali attempts to make sense of the landslide defeat.
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.
Storylines to Watch as Sounders Return to Training Monday
The Seattle Sounders will start the training for the 2026 campaign on Monday, looking to follow a spectacular 2025 season with more success. What should fans be watching as the team starts prepping for a new campaign?
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?
Explore our latest Seattle sports content by clicking on your favorite team(s) below!
