By Alex Thierry
Led by two of its Academy products, Seattle Sounders FC earned a 3-0 win over Querétaro in Matchweek 2 of Leagues Cup 2026 on Sunday at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.
The Sounders ended a seven-game losing streak as it sought to turn around its recent woes and revive its Leagues Cup title defense.
The MLS side took the lead in the 4th minute after a collective buildup that ended with Paul Rothrock delivering a ground pass to the far post for Sebastián Gómez to score the opening goal.
Querétaro tried to find space, but wasn’t able to create clear chances. Seattle continued to find space down the left flank, allowing Rothrock to deliver another cross for Danny Musovski to score the second goal in the 41st minute.
Gallos Blancos continued to look for a way back into the match but struggled to create meaningful chances, with Stefan Frei denying the few efforts that reached his goal. Querétaro also struggled to find its targets from wide areas, completing just 13% of its crosses.
With the Liga MX side pushing forward, Seattle found space on the counter and Albert Rusnák extended the lead with a clinical finish off Gómez's assist, making it 3-0 in the 68th minute.
The loss leaves Querétaro on the brink of elimination. If Club América or Cruz Azul wins, or if either match goes to a penalty shootout, Gallos Blancos will be eliminated. Querétaro's only path to remain alive is for both teams to lose in regulation.
REACTIONS
- Seattle Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer
- “Scoring first gave the team more confidence. We discussed set pieces, defending well, clear sheets, but the main thing was believing they could win.”
- (On Sebastián Gómez) “Seba Gómez has earned those minutes. He’s earned those appearances, and he’s earned trust, not just from me and the coaching staff, but from his team.”
- Querétaro Head Coach Esteban González
- “Since qualifying became mathematically very difficult after the first match, we decided to rest some players who had been carrying a heavy workload. There's nothing to question about the young players. It’s our responsibility to help them reach the level we need to compete.”
PLAYERS OF THE MATCH
- Seattle Sounders
- Sebastián Gómez scored and added an assist in his first start with the Sounders first team. It was his first goal with the Sounders
- Paul Rothrock delivered two assists in the first half.
GAME NOTES
- Seattle brought its goal differential back to zero following a 3-0 loss to Toluca.
- Sebastián Gómez and Paul Rothrock are products of Sounders FC’s Academy.
- Pedro de la Vega made his first appearance after being sidelined by injury at the end of last season. The Argentine entered in the 77th minute but left for the locker room in the 86th minute after picking up another injury.
- Querétaro remains scoreless despite attempting more than 30 shots through its first two Leagues Cup matches.
- Gallos Blancos have yet to win a Leagues Cup match since 2023.
CARDS/INJURY REPORT
- Yellow Cards:
- Seattle Sounders: Max Anchor
- Querétaro: Érik Dueñas, Santiago Homenchenko
- Injury Report:
- Seattle Sounders: Pedro de la Vega left in 86th minute
LOOKING AHEAD
- Seattle Sounders: Aug. 12 vs. Chivas
- Querétaro: Aug. 12 vs. LAFC
