Seattle Sounders traveled to Mexico City to take on Pumas UNAM in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions League and came home with a dramatic draw. After going 0-2, the Sounders lost two penalties in the second half to reply to the hosts and level the game 2-2. The two penalties, one deep in the stoppage that required VAR advice, felt like more than a little poetic justice. Pumas opened the scoring with a soft penalty in the 38th minute – although it was unlikely to be changed in review regardless of how it was called up on the field. Both teams had chances in the first half but the best fell to Pumas, requiring Stefan Frei to make some impressive saves. One of those saves came on the penalty kick, but Frei was judged to have gone off his line early and the subsequent replay was scored.
The Pumas doubled their lead early in the second half when a series of defensive errors left a wide-open Crosser to send a ball in goal. Yeimar jumped but mistimed and Juan Dinenno got up and headed home to secure his brace. Seattle kept pressing but mostly seemed to regret a missed chance just after Pumas’ second goal when Raúl Ruidíaz got a look from just in front of goal but his shot went right to a defender on the line. Regardless, in the 73rd minute Ruidíaz forced his defender to handball and Nico Lodeiro took the spot from the penalty spot. After some antics from the opposing goalkeeper, Lodeiro smashed his penalty into the side netting and punched the goalkeeper despite putting a finger on it. Deep in stoppage time, Cristian Roldan was kicked in the penalty area and the referee took one look at the video and called for a second PK for the Sounders. Lodeiro featured here too and left no doubt as he shot the ball over the GK as the game went past the originally allotted 6-minute added time.
A full 10 minutes after the end of regular time, the referee blew the whistle to end the first leg and send the two teams back 2-2 to equalize in Seattle. A heated exchange broke out between the players after the final whistle, with the main focus apparently being the continuation of the words between Lodeiro and the Pumas goalkeeper during and after the two penalties.
Obviously these two have a lot more in store for next week’s issue. The Sounders have a week to rest and prepare before hosting Pumas at Lumen Field with a chance to lift the CCL trophy before all of us.
11′ — Pumas close in on the Sounders area, but Yeimar steps over just in time and grabs the ball away before there can be any real danger.
16′ — The Sounders hold the ball for a period of pressure in attack, but it ends when Jordan Morris gets the ball down the right flank and unleashes a shross that goes wide.
26′ — Xavier Arreaga tries to challenge a dribbler but misses, resulting in a shot that Stefan Frei leaves no doubt about as he dives and falls away for a corner.
35′ — After a bad penalty, Stefan Frei saves the shot, but is judged to have gone off the line prematurely. Juan Dinenno scores the repeated penalty. 1-0 Cougars
40′ — At the other end, Alex Roldan hands a free-kick on the edge of the box and a Nico Lodeiro shot forces a good save.
45’+5 — The Sounders are able to recycle possession and Lodeiro sends a cross to the back post. Raúl Ruidíaz heads the ball back to João Paulo, whose shot goes well over the bar.
48′ — Dinenno doubles the lead with a powerful header. A cross from the left side of the Sounders with no pressure and the finish is solid. 2-0
50′ — The Sounders reacted almost immediately when a Jordan Morris header went just wide. Seconds later, Ruidíaz looks at goal but his shot is saved for a corner.
73′ — Ruidíaz takes a penalty after a handball. After a bit of VAR, Lodeiro steps in. The keeper grabs it, but Lodeiro hits him! 2-1
90’+7 — Cristian Roldan is kicked in the penalty area by a defender, giving Lodeiro a second chance with a penalty. Lodeiro hits the net! Sounders tie it! 2-2
The CONCACAF brand meat grinder: As Black & Red United Jason Anderson put it, “The CONCACAF Champions League is a machine designed to infuriate.” And it infuriates. CCL, like most federation competitions, is a meat grinder that will shred you physically, mentally and emotionally in every way imaginable. The opponents, the surrounds and the officials crush and rip you until all that’s left is a rough heap of a former football team, but the Sounders have proven as capable of being part of that machinery as any team in the region. Against the Pumas, as against every other team they have met in the CCL, they have been the team to make a splash just as often.
Magical moments: More than a few of the Sounders looked like they had just finished when the game hit the hour mark. Nico Lodeiro made bad touches and struggled to do the things he often makes seem as easy as breathing. Player after player failed to show their quality in the moments when it mattered. Then Raúl Ruidíaz, whose shot saved into the box had been Seattle’s best chance yet, pulled out a penalty and Lodeiro did exactly what he’d learned from the penalty spot. And then he did it again! Even when things aren’t going well or the players aren’t at their best, this team and these players are still capable of having those magical moments and they’ll need a few more if they want to win the CCL Cup Lumen field next week.
A dash of history: You’ve heard it before. Whether it’s Garth Lagerwey, or myself, or Jeremiah Oshan, Dave Clark, or any other person from this site or the national football media, you’ve heard this is our chance to make history. An opportunity to put the Seattle Freaking Sounders in the record books. To become the first MLS team to win the Concacaf Champions League. It’s true, and we’re one step closer. There are still 90 – or 100, as this game showed – minutes to play. Or maybe 120 or penalties, I can’t predict the future. But they are played at home. Seattle took care of business in the first leg, coming back from a 2-0 deficit to level the game and make next Wednesday’s task simple: win and you’ll be immortal. The Sounders – we – just have to win and live first in history and in the record books forever. Making history is a habit for the Seattle Sounders. Whether youth or first team, it’s in their blood. So let’s make some more history.
Miss a penalty? Nico Lodeiro would never.
Schmetz: “The team around their captain was positive for me at the end of the day because I know what’s going on. I know what they wanted to do with Nico and we had to keep our composure and think about the game.”
— Charles Böhm (@cboehm) April 28, 2022
56.6% – The Sounders won 56.6% of duels against Pumas.
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