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

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Seattle Sounders midfielder Sebastian Gomez celebrates after scoring a goal against Queretaro during a Leagues Cup group stage game on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash. (Sandra Agbotse / Sounders FC Communications) [/caption]

SEATTLE, Wash. — 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.

Sounders Deal with Press Well, Build-Ups Far Improved

As Cristian Roldan and Hassani Dotson, Seattle's sole veteran defending midfielders, both recover from injuries likely to sideline them through August, the Sounders have turned to young talent like Peter Kingston and Snyder Brunell.

But without veteran leadership, Seattle's midfield has struggled to deal with opposing presses, often losing the ball in dangerous spots in a 3-0 midweek rout at Toluca. So when Schmetzer slotted usual full back Alex Roldan in the defending midfield spot alongside Defiance signee Peter Kingston against Queretaro, the thought was the group would have a bit more composure to it. It did, as Roldan was solid in the quiet things that make Seattle's midfield great: connecting the ball and bottlenecking transition chances.

"It's just a testament to Alex having a lot of experience connecting a few passes; it's all about Peter Kingston's enthusiasm for the game," Schmetzer said of the double pivot. "So when Cristian (Roldan) comes back, and Hassani (Dotson) comes back, we play with the right amount of intensity, you can control games from that position."

Dealing with an early Queretaro press, Seattle struggled for moments before piecing things together in the fifth minute. Gomez burst down the right side, showing the on-ball quality that made him the choice for Schmetzer despite never notching a prior start. He laid it off for Rusnak at the top of the box, who sprayed a pass to Rothrock at the left endline.

Gomez kept his run going to find a perfectly weighted Rothrock cross, which he finished with a near-post shot.

First Start, First Goal 🥹

What a moment for Seba! pic.twitter.com/3KUm9QcTS3— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) August 9, 2026

"I know Paul, he likes to put in those crosses, and you know, when he put in the cross, it just kind of happened in slow-mo," Gomez said. "It was a great feeling when it hit the back of the net."

Schmetzer will never complain about drawing first blood.

"Scoring early," Schmetzer said when asked how this game differed from those of the losing streak.

For the second goal, Kingston played a visionary through ball to Rothrock on the left wing, putting him behind Queretaro's defense. From there, Rothrock drew the keeper out and delivered a cross to Musovski for a one-touch finish from 12 yards out — the epitome of a Sounders goal when this offense is at its best.

Seattle was controlling the ball in the midfield far better than it did in its devastating loss to Toluca on Wednesday — the Sounders were outshot 38-4 in that one. They continued to keep Queretaro out of dangerous spots into the second half as Jesus Ferreira came off the bench.

Ferreira played Musovski open down the right wing in the 68th, as the striker found Gomez in the area moments later. With no window to shoot, Gomez laid it off to Rusnak for a blazing shot to the bottom left corner to make it 3-0.

"I saw the guy in front of me, and it was a little bit hard of an angle," Gomez said. "I know (Rusnak) scores that like nine out of 10 times, and yeah, he does, so it was great."

In a word, the Sounders were clinical in their build-ups. They exploited a wide-open Queretaro team throughout the game with opportunistic through balls and dribbled through pressure well to sustain possession.

Young Guys Show Up: Is It Sustainable?

Gomez came through, Kingston was solid, as was Antino Lopez at center back, along with Defiance guys making their Sounders debuts late in Mark O'Neill and Edson Carli.

While Gomez finished with two goal contributions, he had moments of looking raw, giving the ball away in Seattle's territory at one point. Early in this game, a poor Queretaro shot in a 1-on-1 with Sounders Leagues Cup starting keeper Stefan Frei saved Seattle from an equalizer. Three minutes later, a deflected Queretaro shot was kick-saved by a diving Frei, saving Seattle again.

Needless to say, there's a world where Seattle doesn't come away with three points in this one, and Schmetzer knows it. While the final score will bring comfort to GM Craig Waibel as he is yet to make a move in this summer transfer window, the Sounders are far from perfect as a roster.

Alex Roldan patched up the midfield decently, but the volatility of playing young guys like Kingston and Snyder Brunell will likely continue to cost this team games going forward — something Seattle can't afford with a playoff spot in mind. This was a good day for the young guys. But growth is seldom linear, and Seattle will have to deal with the ups and downs that come with this baptism-by-fire method Schmetzer's staff has been forced into by injuries.

"What I liked is just (Gomez's) technical ability under pressure. You know, it's got to be consistent technical ability under pressure… before he gets to be a true impact starter in MLS," Schmetzer said. "But he shows flashes."

De la Vega's Injury Luck Worsens

While Schmetzer didn't have an update on de la Vega's left quad injury postgame, Musovski noted that he saw the 25-year-old Argentinian winger crying postgame after smiling for most of his eight solid minutes.

The injury comes after the designated player broke his right kneecap on Decision Day last season, marking the sixth distinct injury he's suffered in three years with the club. Gomez has emerged as a real option on the wing, with Paul Rothrock providing two assists as the Sounders presumably go on indefinitely without Paul Arriola (calf) as well.

"He'll get through this," Musovski said of his teammate. "Even though he only played five or 10 minutes, I thought he was so good, and we really missed him."

Something to Build On

"What would I say to the fans? Honestly, nothing. We have to first put a performance that is worthwhile or a performance of how the Sounders should play and how we played the start of the season. And once we do that and we get another win… then we can talk," Rusnak said on Saturday.

The Sounders have taken that first step toward rebuilding some trust with the fans, still sitting in limbo in MLS standings ahead of what should be a brutal run to the playoffs. With the current Leagues Cup format, allowing only four of the 18 MLS teams to advance to knockouts, the Sounders have an astronomically low chance of advancing even with a win over Chivas at home on Wednesday.

But they took advantage of an opportunity to put the losses behind them and addressed plenty of pain points as the Sounders look to get healthy in the lead-up to an eventful fall.