> ## 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. # Musovski Redeems Himself with Hat Trick as Sounders Roll Sporting KC 5-2 - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/musovski-hat-trick-seattle-sounders-roll-sporting-kc-5-2/ - Published: 2025-08-25T06:03:05.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T05:58:32.000Z - Author: Qasim Ali - Tags: News, Sounders, Danny Musovski, Danny Leyva, Snyder Brunell, Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, Brian Schmetzer \[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="2048"\] ![ Seattle Sounders forward Danny Musovski takes a penalty kick during a game against Sporting KC on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash. (Maddy Grassy / Sounders FC Communications) ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/54743168690_5dee56593c_k-format-original.jpg) Seattle Sounders forward Danny Musovski takes a penalty kick during a game against Sporting KC on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash. (Maddy Grassy / Sounders FC Communications) \[/caption\] The Seattle Sounders (7-5-5 W-L-D, fourth in west) won't have to hear any questions about their offense for a few days. The Rave Green picked apart a visiting Sporting Kansas City (6-15-6, 13th in west) squad to the tune of five goals — three of which came from striker Danny Musovski. Musovski had plenty to make up for following his ejection from Wednesday's tight [Leagues Cup quarterfinal match with Puebla](https://sunfish-smilodon-3p8h.squarespace.com/home/sounders-quick-hits-thomas-saves-seattle-leagues-cup-quarterfinals?ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com), but his first MLS hat trick may have been just what the doctor ordered as Seattle played with an unusual XI. ### A Rotated Seattle Side Seattle skipper Brian Schmetzer hasn't been shy about his methods, considering his squad has played two games per week for a while now. With the Leagues Cup semifinal looming on Wednesday, Schmetzer had players like Nouhou, Jackson Ragen, Obed Vargas, Paul Rothrock, Jesus Ferreira and Pedro de la Vega watching the game from the sideline to start. Ragen, Rothrock and Ferreira all checked in, but this was a very different Seattle lineup to say the least. 18-year old Tacoma Defiance signee Snyder Brunell made his first MLS start while Jon Bell notched his first start since July 19 at centerback alongside Yeimar. Cody Baker also picked up a rare start in the backline while Kalani Kossa-Rienzi found his way into the XI for the first time since July 19 as well. With all that in mind, the squad looked completely connected except for a few hiccups on the defensive end. ### A Dominant Opening Stanza The Sounders scored three goals in their first game against KC in July and looked to do the exact same thing in August. Musovski came inches away from making definitive contact with a promising cross a mere 25 seconds into the game, and the hits kept on coming. Georgi Minoungou weaved through defenders to put a shot on while Musovski stole a pass intended for keeper John Pulskamp and missed the goal by a few feet — all in the first eight minutes of action. Kossa-Riezi kept the pressure on in the 11th, following up a strike from 12 yards out with another perfect shot to the top right corner of the net to start the scoring. By the 17th minute, the Sounders sat at 67 percent possession and built a 1.37 to 0.08 expected-goal advantage (per MLS). A quick strike on a well-timed runout from Sporting in the 36th minute left the Sounders wondering how they could possibly be tied with a team they were utterly dominating. But not for long. ### The Moose Returns Danny Musovski nearly cost the Sounders a chance at a trophy on Wednesday in the Leagues Cup quarterfinal against Puebla. The striker was tossed out of the game after losing his composure when addressing a referee. His actions let a struggling Puebla side back into the game, with Schmetzer sitting Musovski down for a talk about how his actions cost the team. Well, Musovski did the opposite of holding the Rave Green back on Sunday night. In first-half stoppage time, Musovski made good on the multiple shots he'd already generated in the game by leaping for a short-range chip from Reed Baker-Whiting. The "Moose," as he's affectionately known by the fanbase, put plenty of mustard on it to send fans to the concession booths at halftime feeling a whole lot better about a 2-1 lead. When they came back with snacks in hand, they were treated to another Musovski header in the 50th minute. Danny Leyva, who notched a rare start at as the center attacking midfielder, delivered a line-drive cross into the box as Musovski was simply too physical to be denied and willed the ball through from six yards out. His two headers on either side of the halftime break turned out to be much-needed, as a 1-1 game quickly spiraled into a shootout that Seattle had plenty of ammunition for with Musovski in this form. Musovski put the finishing touches on late, nailing a penalty kick drawn by Danny Leyva in the 75th to ice the contest. Leyva allowed Musovski to take the penalty with his first hat trick in reach. "I wanted to come out with a lot of energy today and kind of, and I know I didn't make up for (last game), but the least I could do was my best for this game," Musovski said. With 15 goals on the season, Musovski is officially having a career year in the Emerald City. Schmetzer is starting to warm back up to his striker. "Musovski may not be out of my doghouse yet, but he had a great performance. That was a game that we needed; we couldn't drop points because the west is so tight," Schmetzer said. ### Is It Safe to Say the Funk is Over? Yeah. Seattle put up 22 shots en route to 3.4 expected goals (per MLS), getting more quality looks than it had in perhaps the last two games combined. The Sounders had scored 26 goals in eight games prior to last Saturday's loss to Minnesota, but failed to score in that game or the following match against Puebla. Schmetzer clarified that he was fine with the looks his squad was getting, but that the quality just wasn't there. And as is the case with issues of touch versus issues of system, sometimes seeing a few go in during a favorable matchup can resolve everything. "We have an identity. We know what we want to do, we know how we want to play, it's just sometimes it doesn't always happen," Schmetzer said of the slump. "In this particular game, because of the way Kansas City set up and the way that the game played out with the timeliness of the goals, we came out on top." When Brunell added the fourth Seattle goal of the game in the 61st on a slick dish from Minoungou, it just felt like one of those nights for the Sounders. "Snyder Brunell is gonna be a star in this league," Schmetzer said, as he praised the young players like Minoungou for staying ready. The two goals allowed weren't great, as Kansas City caught Seattle asleep on a Cody Baker own goal in the 53rd, but the theme of this summer's Sounders has been scoring at will. They saw five go in on Sunday; that may be all it takes to push this team back on the trajectory it had been on. "Performances like that are going to push Albert (Rusnák) and Jordan (Morris) and (Ryan) Kent and Pedro (de la Vega) when he comes back on the field and (Paul) Rothrock. It's going to push the whole group when you get guys playing like that," Schmetzer said of his team's quality. ### Up Next The Sounders will have plenty of key players rested for what should prove to be a heated grudge match with the LA Galaxy on Wednesday night in the Leagues Cup semifinal. The game will be in LA, on account of the Galaxy's better MLS finish last season, while the Sounders will play in the Leagues Cup final on Sunday against Orlando or Inter Miami if they handle business with the defending MLS Cup champs. The final will be in Seattle if Orlando and the Sounders both win their respective semis.