Sounders Notebook: de la Vega Out For Season, Seattle Prepares for Tough Vancouver Side
News, Analysis Qasim Ali News, Analysis Qasim Ali

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.

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Sounders Snap 7-Game Skid, Down Queretaro 3-0 in Leagues Cup Group Stage
News, Analysis, Game Day Qasim Ali News, Analysis, Game Day Qasim Ali

Sounders Snap 7-Game Skid, Down Queretaro 3-0 in Leagues Cup Group Stage

The Seattle Sounders finally got a result on Sunday afternoon, and they did it emphatically.

To snap a franchise-worst seven-game losing streak, the Rave Green took down Liga MX side Queretaro 3-0 in the second game of their Leagues Cup run, scoring in a variety of well-executed attacks.

Seattle's offense was fueled by Tacoma Defiance signee Sebastian Gomez, who made his first start on the right wing to total an early goal and an assist by the game's end. Designated player Albert Rusnak scored his first goal in three months late, while Danny Musovski scored one of two Paul Rothrock assists for the first goal by a Sounders starting striker in 2026.

Just as the good feeling peaked late in the second half, 2025 Leagues Cup MVP Pedro de la Vega made his season debut after rehabbing from a knee injury since last fall. After eight solid minutes in which he opened eyes with his individual quality on the ball, de la Vega went down with a non-contact left quad injury to put a dampener on the good vibes Seattle had meticulously accrued.

The Sounders, still on a six-game MLS losing streak at 7-7-3 and out of the playoff picture, out-possessed Queretaro at over 60% and put up over two expected goals, thanks in large part to an improved performance from a rejuvenated defending midfield.

All in all, Seattle addressed plenty of issues and filled in gaps caused by key injuries well, starting the path toward salvaging what's been a 2026 season gone awry.

"The focus was on (the team) believing that they could win," head coach Brian Schmetzer said postgame.

From all appearances, and a lighter locker room postgame, the Sounders have at least started the process of regaining that confidence.

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Sounders Notebook: Intrasquad Scrimmage Ends 1-1 as Portland Looms
News, Analysis Qasim Ali News, Analysis Qasim Ali

Sounders Notebook: Intrasquad Scrimmage Ends 1-1 as Portland Looms

The excitement of the FIFA World Cup has Seattle buzzing about soccer.

Belgium's round of 32 game against Senegal on Wednesday featured a wild comeback that saw the Red Devils pull it out 3-2 in extra time at Lumen Field, or Seattle Stadium, until Monday night. The local Seattle Sounders (7-3-3, 6th in MLS Western Conference) have been sharing a facility with Belgium for the last month, and many were witnesses to the high-level play associated with a World Cup knockout match, as even the Sounders equipment staff got to attend the game, according to head coach Brian Schmetzer.

“They’re excited to be around this whole occasion of the World Cup,” Schmetzer said. “Whether that lifts their play or whether that has a little added pressure, I’d say it’s probably the first… they’re excited.”

The Sounders didn't wait long to put that excitement toward their own development, as the Rave Green held an intrasquad scrimmage on Thursday afternoon that ended in a physical 1-1 draw. It’s all part of the buildup to Seattle’s largest grudge match of every season: A July 16 home game against the Portland Timbers (4-8-2, 13th in west).

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