> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # A Messi Revenge: Miami Gets Leagues Cup Retribution Against Sounders - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/messi-revenge-miami-leagues-cup-retribution-seattle-sounders/ - Published: 2025-09-17T06:53:44.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T05:58:12.000Z - Author: Qasim Ali - Tags: News, Sounders, Jordan Morris, Obed Vargas, Brian Schmetzer, Georgi Minoungou, Albert Rusnak, Kim Kee-Hee, Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, Paul Rothrock, Cristian Roldan, Stefan Frei \[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2047"\] ![ Seattle Sounders striker Jordan Morris dribbles against Inter Miami in an MLS match on Sept. 16, 2025, at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Jane Gershovich / Sounders FC Communications) ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/54792886874_d6c77d092a_k-format-original.jpg) Seattle Sounders striker Jordan Morris dribbles against Inter Miami in an MLS match on Sept. 16, 2025, at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Jane Gershovich / Sounders FC Communications) \[/caption\] The Seattle Sounders took just their second loss since the June Club World Cup on Tuesday night, falling 3-1 to Inter Miami in a rematch of the [August 31 Leagues Cup final](https://sunfish-smilodon-3p8h.squarespace.com/home/seattle-sounders-shut-down-messi-inter-miami-leagues-cup-final?ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com). It was quite the satisfying result for Lionel Messi and company, as Messi went from being pocketed by Seattle weeks ago to scoring his 20th goal of the year and notching an assist. Seattle, which fell to 12-8-9 (W-L-D), didn’t do itself any favors with its typically stout defense. Both of Miami’s opening goals came off Sounders mistakes in an uncharacteristically sloppy start. After a set piece in the early second half added the killing blow to make it 3-0, fans were left wondering how Seattle went from hunting down the most famous team in the league weeks ago to becoming the prey. ### Messi and Jordi Alba Flip the Script When a team loses a final, it's normal for them to slump for a while as they try and find their identity again. You'd figure Seattle was the team that lost the Leagues Cup final with how they came out of the gate. Careless turnovers and undisciplined play in the midfield allowed Miami to get out to an early 58 percent possession advantage and a 3-0 shot disparity, with all of those shots being on goal. Miami managed no shots on target in that Leagues Cup final, but were all over Seattle to start this home rematch. One of those came on a magical 12th-minute opportunity for Miami after a Cristian Roldan turnover. Messi, a savant in transition, worked into the box with longtime star teammate Jordi Alba running in space to his left. Messi slid a soft pass into Jordi Alba's path, and the former Barcelona star struck it with force over Frei to make it a 1-0 ballgame. Seattle was already in worse shape defensively than it had been through 90 minutes of action a few weeks prior. After a few non-threatening chances, Seattle found itself giving the ball away again in the 41st. Paul Rothrock lost a contest against Yannick Bright at midfield, as Bright pushed it ahead to Jordi Alba. As he'd done a thousand times before, Jordi Alba made eyes with Messi, who was waiting in between Seattle's frenzied backline, and delivered a perfect pass to one of the greatest scorers to play the game. Messi, who had struck a promising opportunity off the post minutes prior, refused to miss this time on a sliding chance near the goal. Obed Vargas, who would score later in the game, knew his squad would be in for a rough night when they gave up a second goal off a turnover. "It's tough playing away from home, especially when you give easy goals away. It's something we have to learn from and move on," Vargas said. Jesús Ferreira would get some decent looks from deep that resulted in relatively easy saves to account for a Seattle offense that managed just 0.3 xG in the first 45\. But the best look came on a steal late in the half from Paul Rothrock in which he ended up with a one-on-one with Miami keeper Oscar Ustari, who saved a shot to his chest with ease. ### Kee-Hee's Injury Leads to a Third Goal Schmetzer made changes at the half, bringing on Jackson Ragen for Yeimar at centerback and Albert Rusnák for Paul Rothrock. But Ragen's running mate, centerback Kim Kee-Hee, would suffer an injury in the early first half after having his hand stepped on while making a tackle. Instead of bringing a sub on at that thin position, the Sounders played with 10 as trainers wrapped up the Kee-Hee's digits. In that span, Inter Miami earned a corner kick with 10 Sounders on the field. Ian Fray skied up over Kalani Kossa-Rienzi in the 51st to head a perfect cross right over Frei, adding a demoralizing goal to make it 3-0\. Kee-Hee came back on, but that moment truly put the game out of reach. ### Something of a Silver Lining? Jordan Morris checked in for Osaze De Rosario at the nine while young Snyder Brunell came on for Cristian Roldan at the six in the 60th minute to get the two players some run. Morris saw the field for the first time in a few months on Saturday while he recovers from injury, so any playing time is valuable to help him get back on track. He did just that, fielding a pass on the right side nine minutes later and leaving it for Vargas for the young All-Star's first MLS goal since July 16. While the Sounders wouldn't get many more really opportunities and didn't seem to press especially hard after getting that goal, it's a positive to have Morris inching toward his peak physical shape. "I need to get that sharpness back, a lot of that comes with training, but progressing from last game to this game, I felt better, felt more confident," Morris said. By the end of the day, Seattle lost the xG battle just 2.4-1.8 and forced Ustari to make five saves. ### A Reality Check With a disappointing draw against LA three days prior and a demoralizing loss to Miami on Tuesday, it's safe to say the Sounders aren't riding quite as high as they were prior to hoisting the Leagues Cup trophy. That splitting of much-needed points forced Schmetzer to be more aggressive with his lineups on Tuesday, playing some guys more than he would have wanted to with another game coming on Sunday. Roldan didn't look like himself most times on Tuesday night, while the Sounders just looked out of sorts. Blame it on the short turnaround or Schmetzer pushing his guys too hard, but the bottom line is that the draw to LA has had lasting effects on this three-games-in-eight-days extravaganza. Pedro de la Vega, the Leagues Cup MVP, missed both games as he deals with knee tendonitis. Georgi Minoungou was plenty dynamic on that side, but Seattle needs their star on the left wing back. With other young high-energy guys like Kalani Kossa-Rienzi and Osaze De Rosario (who missed a pretty easy look off the post in the 56th) starting, this was a team that simply hasn't been in these situations enough. "They need a little more seasoning," Schmetzer said of his younger starters. "In some of the moments when we needed to be calmer with the ball, extend our possessions a little bit more in that first half … it didn't manifest like that." All this happened without a key star for Miami in Luis Suárez, whose antics of spitting on a Seattle staff member landed him an MLS suspension. The Sounders simply had to be better on the ball this time around. Combined with the fact that Seattle relented to allow [a lesser LA Galaxy squad to split the points on Saturday](https://sunfish-smilodon-3p8h.squarespace.com/config/?ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com), there’s decent cause for concern in the Emerald City. But considering his squad, which has still only lost two of its 17 games since the Club World Cup, won the last 39 minutes of the game 1-0, Schmetzer isn’t ready to panic. “Still proud of the team, they didn’t quit, got a goal in the second half,” Schmetzer said. “I don’t think it’s a step back, I just think this was going to be a tough game as soon as we saw the schedule earlier this year.” ### Up Next With one point to show for the last two fixtures, Seattle is now just a point ahead of fifth-place LAFC in the Western Conference. A tough Austin side, also just four points back of the Sounders, will look to close their playoff gap as they host the Rave Green on Sunday in Texas. Seattle will have just one training session before then.