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Sounders Offense Explodes, Hangs Four Goals on Minnesota United to Force Game 3

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Seattle Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas celebrates after a goal during Game 2 of the MLS Cup Playoffs First Round series against Minnesota United on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Wash. (Mike Fiechtner / Sounders FC Communications) [/caption]

SEATTLE, Wash. - The Seattle Sounders put over two expected goals on Minnesota United in each of their prior two matchups as Game 2 of their best-of-three MLS Cup Playoffs First Round matchup with the Loons got underway on Monday night. They had failed to score in either game, prompting questions of whether Seattle's offense could force Minnesota's vaunted five-man backline to concede.

The Sounders made that conversation moot, taking down the Loons 4-2 after getting out to a 3-0 lead and forcing a decisive Game 3 in Minnesota this coming Saturday night. From counter-pressing to pushing their pivots further up the field, to running the rare two-striker look, head coach Brian Schmetzer finally figured out United to get his first win over Minnesota this season.

The Early Onslaught

The Sounders came out with plenty of energy, attacking a United defense content to sit on its haunches and let Seattle come to it. Knowing they needed to strike first, Seattle's star pivots Cristian Roldan and Obed Vargas found themselves playing up the field.

In the eighth minute, Jordan Morris, playing alongside Danny Musovski in a double-striker formation, earned a corner to be taken by Albert Rusnák. His delivery was tipped to Vargas, who shot a deflected ball with intention to get that sought-after first strike.

Seattle wasn't done there, as C. Roldan won a contested ball and played it into Jesús Ferreira. His header was tipped in by Morris to send Lumen Field into a pure frenzy. Seattle's counter-press, as exhibited by C. Roldan, became a theme as the night wore on.

20 minutes later, C. Roldan worked the right side again, delivered a ball to Ferreira again, but this time the elite playmaker made a heady extra pass to Musovski for an easy finish.

Pandemonium wouldn't start to describe the scenes in Seattle as the Sounders offense showed it was alive and well.

The Loons Realize There's a Game Going On

Practically everyone in attendance knew Minnesota was built to play from ahead.

Every second that United Keeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair held the ball to put off goal kicks and waste time was a moment for the 30,085 fans in attendance to serenade him with boos. Even after Seattle went up 2-0, Minnesota practically refused to press and let the Sounders get into their offense at the top of the opposing third.

But when that third goal went through, United skipper Eric Ramsay’s squad bared their fangs.

With first-half stoppage time set to span eight minutes, Minnesota completely blindsided the Sounders with a press that reached well into Seattle’s half. This brought on a new level of fray for Sounders ball carriers, who had to endure multiple dispossession bids each time they touched the ball.

One minute into stoppage, a sloppy pass from Vargas to Morris gave new Minnesota United addition Nectarios Triantis a perfect chance in transition, which he used to slip past Seattle keeper Stefan Frei to put a dampener on the party in Seattle and make it 3-1.

United did a whole lot more than dampen things a few moments later, doubling Yeimar and forcing a turnover which led to a breakaway goal from Robin Lod to turn the game upside down and make it 3-2. The Sounders were able to avoid an equalizer as the first half closed with a far different vibe than it had just minutes prior.

Seattle Calms It Down and Puts the Game Away

With the sheer panic of the first half stoppage time blunder looming over the Rave Green faithful, the Sounders came out with renewed energy in the second half.

Morris said after the match that the messaging in the locker room was positive, as the playoff-seasoned Sounders knew they still had the upper hand if they chose to take it. That’s exactly what they did, navigating the press with a more measured apporach and refusing to turn the ball over in precarious situations. When Seattle did lose the ball, it leaned on its strong counterpress to prevent Minnesota from getting that one golden chance in transition again.

Schmetzer then put on impact work-rate guys like Paul Rothrock and Kalani Kossa-Rienzi to reinforce the attack and add some chaos of his own. Rothrock took advantage of his chances, winning a ball on the left side and leaving a pass for a cutting Vargas in the game’s dying moments. Vargas delivered a deflected strike to the right side to put Seattle up 4-2 with four minutes to play, effectively ending the match and forcing Game 3 with a brace.

Takeaways: Vargas, Sounders Pounce With Their Season on the Line

This was never going to be an easy game to score first in, much less to go up 3-0 in.

You can give Schmetzer credit for his decision to utilize the two-striker look that had Seattle's offense looking dangerous late in Game 1 to start this one, but the truth is that Seattle was just relentless all over.

"The intensity in our intent to try and score goals is probably the biggest takeaway," Schmetzer said postgame. "We had guys flying forward … Cristian (Roldan), who certainly is a holding midfielder, he was down the right wing channel like he used to be."

Indeed, both of Seattle's star pivots in C. Roldan and Vargas played this game further up the field. For Vargas, who is generating plenty of attention from European squads and could have games like this close some lucrative deals, he knew it would take all 10 men upfield to score against this vaunted low block.

"Minnesota sits back a lot, so we need to get more numbers higher up the field to be more dangerous. The moments were there for me to go forward," Vargas said.

Vargas, who was inches from a hat trick on a perfectly struck ball to the left post at the end of the first half, certainly showed his class as an attacking midfielder, but the unsung heroes were all over the pitch. Rothrock's work rate late generated multiple chances, including Varga's second goal, while A. Roldan's work rate made Seattle's first-half counter-press as productive as it was.

Kossa-Rienzi came on to replace A. Roldan, who was taken off by Schmetzer as a precautionary measure due to a groin injury, and was a key piece of why Seattle didn't fold to the renewed pressure from the Loons in the second half. Kossa-Rienzi made a few heady plays, but his quality as a ball handler broke the press singlehandedly at moments, leading to a shot on target from Ferreira in the 49th despite United’s tough press.

From that point on, Minnesota wasn't able to disrupt Seattle quite the same, and the Sounders went on to only allow one shot on target in the second half.

For Game 3, the only tangible takeaway is that this two-striker look is necessary to help punch a hole in Minnesota while C. Roldan and Vargas need to play higher and lend their league-leading class on the ball to this offense more often. If Seattle can limit turnovers and anticipate when Minnesota will go from its typical dormant state to its frenzied press, there's a real path to success in the coming decisive game.