WATCH: Recapping Sounders Solid Start, And Late Troubles, Ahead of the World Cup
Video, Analysis, Preview Qasim Ali Video, Analysis, Preview Qasim Ali
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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.

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Sounders Hopes Dashed by Late LAFC Winner Before World Cup Break
News, Analysis Qasim Ali News, Analysis Qasim Ali

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.

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Sounders Equalize Late, Survive San Diego with Draw Despite Missed Chances
News, Analysis Qasim Ali News, Analysis Qasim Ali

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.

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Ferreira and Morris Regain Scoring Prowess, Sounders Outlast FC Dallas
News, Analysis Qasim Ali News, Analysis Qasim Ali

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.

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Sounders Overcome Tough Calls, Injuries in 2-0 Season-Opening Win
News, Analysis Qasim Ali News, Analysis Qasim Ali

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.

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Sounders Split Friendlies in Spain as De Rosario Shines; Backline Injuries Pile Up
News, Analysis Qasim Ali News, Analysis Qasim Ali

Sounders Split Friendlies in Spain as De Rosario Shines; Backline Injuries Pile Up

The Seattle Sounders have plenty to sort out in the way of getting their lineup ready for Feb. 22's MLS opener against Colorado. The team took steps toward answering some questions on Thursday, wrapping up their multi-week trip to Portugal and Spain with a pair of friendlies in Marbella, Spain.

Seattle claimed the first game against Swedish side Hammarby IF 3-1, thanks to an impressive brace from Osaze De Rosario and a score from Jesús Ferreira. The latter contest, featuring mostly young or reserve talent, didn't go so well as the Sounders lost 3-0 to Ukrainian side FC Metalist 1925.

Here are some quick storylines to come out of the team's final few days in Spain.

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