MATCH RECAP: Sounders FC advances to 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Final after 1-1 second leg Semifinal draw with New York City FC

Sounders FC drew 1-1 with New York City FC Wednesday evening at Red Bull Arena in the second leg of the 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Semifinals. With Raúl Ruidíaz scoring his first SCCL goal, the scoreline was good enough for a 4-2 aggregate win to send Seattle to the Concacaf Champions League Final for the first time in club history. The Rave Green will meet Liga MX powerhouse Pumas for a chance to be the first MLS team to hoist the SCCL trophy, with Seattle being only the fifth MLS side to ever reach the continental championship. 

Seattle found the back of the net in the 28th minute, with Nouhou streaking down the left flank and delivering a cross that found the feet of Ruidíaz, who bagged the one-time finish to put the away side up a goal in the first half.

NYCFC leveled the match early in the second half in the 51st minute when Thiago Andrade took the ball to the edge of the area and slotted a pass that Valentín Castellanos dummied to a waiting Santiago Rodríguez, who rocketed a shot into the bottom corner of the net. 

Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei notably recorded seven saves in the contest to help hold the lead, including a full-body, point-blank save against NYCFC’s Talles Magno in the 73rd minute.

The Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Final is a two-leg, home-and-home series, with match dates and kickoff times to be announced in the coming days. The first leg of play is being hosted by Pumas at Estadio Olímpico Universitario between April 26-28, followed by Sounders FC hosting the second leg at Lumen Field between May 3-5. 

TICKETING NOTE: Season Ticket Members can access a special pre-sale window to purchase tickets for Sounders FC’s home leg starting tomorrow, April 14 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. PT. The public on-sale begins at 3:00 p.m. PT and tickets are available exclusively online through SoundersFC.com.

Sounders FC faces a quick turnaround ahead of this weekend’s MLS action, facing Inter Miami CF on Saturday, April 16 at Lumen Field (7:00 p.m. PT / FS1, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM).

MATCH NOTES

• Sounders FC becomes the fifth MLS team to reach the Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Final and is set to face Liga MX side Pumas in the two-legged championship matchup. Previous MLS sides to reach the final are Real Salt Lake (2010-2011), CF Montréal (2014-2015), Toronto FC (2018) and LAFC (2020). 

• No MLS club has won the current iteration of the Concacaf Champions League. The winner of the tournament goes on to represent the region as the top club side from North America, Central America and the Caribbean at the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup. 

• Precise dates and times for both Concacaf Champions League Final matches are being announced by Concacaf in the coming days, but the first leg is being hosted by Pumas at Estadio Olímpico Universitario between April 26-28, followed by Sounders FC hosting the second leg at Lumen Field between May 3-5.

• Due to the addition of these fixtures to Sounders FC’s schedule, the club has rescheduled its MLS match vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Previously set for Saturday, April 30 at Lumen Field, this Cascadia clash is now being played on Tuesday, June 14. Further information, including kickoff time, is forthcoming.

• This year’s Champions League Final marks the first time Sounders FC and Pumas have met in competitive action. The Mexico City-based club has reached the SCCL Final on one other occasion in 2005 (then the Concacaf Champions Cup), falling to Saprissa 3-2 on aggregate.

• Seattle is now 5-2-4 across all competitions this season. The club is currently riding a seven-match unbeaten streak (4-0-3) across MLS and Concacaf Champions League play.

• Raúl Ruidíaz scored his first goal of 2022 across all competitions, as well as his first career SCCL strike. The Designated Player has 62 goals across all competitions for Seattle since signing in 2018, second in club history behind Fredy Montero’s 72.

• Nouhou’s assist on Ruidíaz’s goal was his first of the season across all competitions.  

• This marked the seventh all-time meeting between Seattle and NYCFC across all competitions, with the series moving to 3-3-1 overall. 

• Coach Schmetzer deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation today with one change to the starting XI from the first leg on April 6, with Nouhou replacing Kelyn Rowe. Nouhou was suspended for the first leg due to yellow card accumulation.

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 1 – New York City FC 1
Wednesday, April 13, 2022 

Venue: Red Bull Arena
Referee: Daneion Parchment
Assistants: Ojay Duhaney, Nicholas Anderson
Fourth Official: Randy Encarnación Solano
VAR: Ricardo Montero
Attendance: 6,413
Weather: 65 degrees and clear 

SCORING SUMMARY

SEA – Raúl Ruidíaz (Nouhou) 28’
NYC – Santiago Rodríguez (Thiago Andrade) 51’ 

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

NYC – Valentin Castellanos (caution) 2’
SEA – Jackson Ragen (caution) 45’+1’
SEA – Stefan Frei (caution) 84’
NYC – Santiago Rodríguez (caution) 90’+1’
NYC – Alexander Callens (caution) 90’+6’ 

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei; Alex Roldan, Jackson Ragen, Xavier Arreaga, Nouhou (Kelyn Rowe 70’); João Paulo, Albert Rusnák, Cristian Roldan, Nico Lodeiro, Jordan Morris (Obed Vargas 77’); Raúl Ruidíaz (Will Bruin 83’)

Substitutes not used: Stefan Cleveland, Abdoulaye Cissoko, Jimmy Medranda, Fredy Montero

Total shots: 8
Shots on goal: 6
Fouls: 13
Offside: 1
Corner-kicks: 2
Saves: 7 

New York City FC – Sean Johnson; Thiago Martins, Alexander Callens, Malte Amundsen (Keaton Parks 77’), Tayvon Gray; Alfredo Morales (Heber Araujo 76’), Nicolas Acevedo (Gabriel Pereira 46’), Thiago Andrade, Santiago Rodríguez, Talles Magno; Valentin Castellanos

Substitutes not used: Luis Barraza, Christopher Gloster, Vukashin Latinovich, Gedion Zelalem

Total shots: 25
Shots on goal: 8
Fouls: 16
Offside: 0
Corner-kicks: 10
Saves: 4