Off to the races: Sounders open with emphatic CCC win

The Seattle Sounders went on the road to Guatemala to face Antigua GFC in their first competitive game of the season in the opening leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup tie. The Sounders came away 3-1 victors thanks to an early goal from Paul Arriola in the 3rd minute, a Pedro de la Vega banger in the 56th minute, and a dagger from Albert Rusnák to close out the game in the 90+5th minute. It wasn’t always the cleanest or calmest game, but three goals and a win on the road in this competition is no small feat.

Seattle took a very early lead as the offseason’s two biggest additions combined for the opening goal in just the 3rd minute. The Sounders won the ball in Antigua’s half and Obed Vargas found Jesús Ferreira making a run through the channel. Ferreira played the ball from the right to the top of the box where Paul Arriola ran onto it and hit a shot that took a deflection and looped into the top corner. It was the fastest goal in a competitive debut in Sounders history.

Not long after Arriola’s goal Antigua started putting some pressure on. A loose touch from Stef Frei after receiving a back pass from Jackson Ragen invited a challenge from an Antigua attacker, but the tackle/shot flew well over the bar. The Sounders seemed to struggle some with the press from Antigua as we repeatedly saw the back line unable to pass out of the pressure and Antigua turned the turnovers they forced into attacking opportunities. A series of dangerous crosses that Seattle were just able to deal with preceded a 24th minute play in which Yeimar lost a physical battle out on the right sideline and Antigua attacker Romario was off to the races. He sent a cross in for midfielder Oscar Santis who had been closely marked by Nouhou until the Seattle defender opted to drift away from him, neither defending the cross or the attacker, leaving Santis with space to get a shot off before Frei could close him down. Santis put his shot away, tying the game at 1-1.

Both sides tried to wrestle control of the game, but the first half ended tied. Seattle had the first dangerous look of the second half in the 56th minute when Vargas and Pedro de la Vega combined to play de la Vega into space down the left to beat a defender and find Ferreira, but Ferreira’s shot was saved and then gathered by goalkeeper Luis Moran. Just a few minutes later in the 61st PdlV found a breakthrough. He had a little help from a deflection, but his rip from outside the area had enough on it to carry into the upper corner and put the Sounders back in front.

The Sounders had a couple more good looks at goal before adding a third goal of the night to close the game out. In the 5th minute of stoppage time Vargas picked up a goal kick in Antigua’s half and found Georgi Minoungou making a run at goal. A lagging defender kept Minoungou onside and Minoungou made them pay with a sharp first-time pass to the center of the box for Albert Rusnák who had just stepped back onside himself before tucking his shot into the bottom far corner. The goal made it 3-1, a scoreline Seattle will happily take home as they prepare for their MLS opener at home against Charlotte FC on Saturday. The three goals tied the Sounders’ record for most goals in a road Concacaf match.

Key moments

3 - Goal! Paul Arriola benefits from a deflection, but his shot from the top of the box loops into the back of the net! Jesús Ferreira provides the pass as the two newcomers combine on the goal. 1-0 Sounders

7 - Miss! A loose touch by Stef Frei after a back pass from Jackson Ragen gives Antigua a chance as an attacker barrels down on Frei, but the shot is skied over the goal.

20 - Block! A dangerous cross to Seattle’s back post reaches the Antigua attacker, but his header is blocked by Yeimar, and the ball is cleared.

21 - Clearance! Another dangerous cross from Antigua, but this time Arriola is there to clear the ball out for a corner.

24 - Goal, Antigua. Yeimar loses a physical battle and Antigua are able to drive down the left side. Romario sends in a cross to Oscar Santis who has plenty of space after Nouhou drifts away centrally, and he puts his shot in the back of the net. 1-1

56 - Shot! Obed Vargas and Pedro de la Vega work a give-and-go down the left and de la Vega is able to fight off a man and carry the ball into the box before finding a pass to Ferreira whose first-time shot is corralled by goalkeeper Luis Moran.

61 - GOLAZO! Pedro de la Vega absolutely rips a shot from distance that takes a helpful deflection to send it into the upper corner and retake the lead! 2-1 Sounders

71 - Miss! Antigua recycle possession before a deep cross is sent in that skips through a crowded box and out for a goal kick, just missing an Antigua player at the back post.

76 - Shot! Fresh on the field, Georgi Minoungou takes a player on, gets into space and finds Cristian Roldan with a pass, but the shot is blocked.

90+2 - Punch! A foul at the edge of the box gives Antigua a dangerous chance, but Stef Frei comes up with a big punch to clear a threatening cross out for a corner.

90+5 - Goal! Georgi Minoungou is kept onside by a trailing defender as he makes a run for a through ball from Obed Vargas. Minoungou sent the ball across the box with his first touch to Albert Rusnák who sent it back the direction it came and into the bottom far corner! 3-1 Sounders

Quick thoughts

A strong start: It’s obviously good to start a season with a win. A win on the road in Concacaf, even by fine margins is even better. A 3-1 win as several players make their first appearance for the team or in the competition, weathering much of what Concacaf can throw at you is pretty great. Doing that and getting just about every attacking player on the scoresheet? When you do that, you pour a drink and you toast to your good fortunes. Ferreira, Arriola, Vargas, de la Vega, Minoungou, and Rusnák all registered a goal or primary assist as the form from preseason carried over into competitive matches. Next up: MLS. Cheers!

The price of Obed just went up: Obed Vargas presumably has a price tag that starts at $10 million. That’s based on a mix of potential and upside, what he’s already done with the Sounders in MLS and Concacaf competition, and the fact that he’s already a full Mexican international. He’s probably going to be sold this summer, but there’s still time for that price tag to climb and after a game like this one it feels like it probably will. Vargas was on the receiving end of more than a couple of very Concacaf-y tackles as he and Cristian Roldan worked in the midfield trenches helping to navigate a night where the Sounders struggled to connect passes at times. He showed calm and composure, as well as the ability to pick out a telling pass as he picked up an assist and had a hand in all three goals. If he keeps having games like this one, the Sounders will have plenty of interested parties begging to pay $10 million for his services.

Strength in depth: One of the most common talking points about this Sounders team leading into tonight’s game and the start of the season was the amount and quality of depth they had at their disposal. Against Antigua they flexed that depth, bringing on Rusnák and Paul Rothrock for Ferreira and Arriola in the 67th minute; Minoungou and Danny Musovski for Jordan Morris and PdlV in the 75th and finally João Paulo for Cristian Roldan in the 85th minute. The ability to not only add that caliber of player to a game, but to preserve the legs of crucial players for another game in short order bodes well for the team’s prospect in any given match and for the long season ahead as well.

Notable quote

Player spotlight

Obed Vargas – If CCC counted secondary assists, Vargas would have had a trio of them. Instead he’ll have to settle for one assist, 6 of 8 duels won, 4 drawn fouls and some crisp passing to go along with it.