MATCH RECAP: Sounders FC Cruises Past LAFC with 5-2 Home Win on Saturday Afternoon

SEATTLE, WASH. – Sounders FC (1-1-1, 4 points) took down LAFC (2-1-0, 6 points) on Saturday afternoon on the EQC Pitch at Lumen Field. Jordan Morris scored his 87th career goal across all competitions for the club, passing Raúl Ruidíaz for the top spot in franchise history. Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, Paul Rothrock, Albert Rusnák and Cristian Roldan also found the net as the Rave Green earned their first win of the 2025 MLS regular season, in addition to the second consecutive victory over LAFC following the 2024 Western Conference Semifinals.

Brian Schmetzer’s side next heads to Mexico City for leg two of its Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 matchup at Cruz Azul on Tuesday, March 11 (5:30 p.m. PT / FOX Sports, VIX) before returning to MLS action next Saturday, March 15 at St. Louis CITY SC (5:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, iHeartMedia Seattle, El Rey 1360 AM).

MATCH NOTES

• Sounders FC now sits tied for fourth place in the Western Conference with four points (1-1-1).

• Following the result, Seattle is now 4-9-4 against LAFC in regular-season play since the Southern California side joined the league in 2018. The Rave Green have a 3-1-0 advantage against LAFC in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

• With his goal today, Jordan Morris became the Rave Green’s all-time leading goal-scorer, bagging 87 goals since signing with Seattle prior to 2016, breaking a tie with Raúl Ruidíaz.

• Cristian Roldan found the back of the net for the first time in 2025 in the 84th minute. He scored one goal and added five assists in MLS play in 2024.

• Kalani Kossa-Rienzi scored his first MLS goal in the 11th minute. The Tacoma Defiance defender also scored last year for Seattle against Phoenix Rising FC in the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup while appearing via a Short-Term Agreement.

• Paul Rothrock scored his first goal of the season in the 57th minute. The Seattle native scored eight goals in all competitions last season.

• Albert Rusnák tallied a pair of assists on the goals by Rothrock and Morris, good for this second and third assists of the season. Rusnák led Seattle with 19 all-competition assists last year, a single-season club record. His goal in second-half stoppage time was good for his second in all competitions this year.

• Georgi Minoungou tallied an assist on Rusnák’s goal, his third helper in all competitions and second in MLS.

• Andrew Thomas started today’s match in goal for Seattle, making his first MLS appearance of the season. Thomas started against Antigua GFC last month in Concacaf Champions Cup action and made 15 all-competitions appearances in goal for Seattle in 2024.

• The five goals allowed by LAFC matches the most surrendered in a single game in its club history. The Black-and-Gold previously allowed five goals on four separate occasions since joining MLS in 2018.

• Brian Schmetzer rotated his lineup from Wednesday’s Concacaf Champions Cup fixture against Liga MX side Cruz Azul with Andrew Thomas, Jonathan Bell, Jesús Ferreria, Danny Leyva, João Paulo, Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, Paul Rothrock and Danny Musovski replacing Stefan Frei, Alex Roldan, Nouhou, Cristian Roldan, Obed Vargas, Albert Rusnák, Paul Arriola and Jordan Morris.

• Seattle returns to Concacaf Champions Cup action for the second leg of its Round of 16 series against Liga MX side Cruz Azul, being played in Mexico City on Tuesday, March 11 at Estadio Olímpico Universitario (5:30 p.m. PT / FOX Sports).

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 5 – Los Angeles FC 2

Saturday, March 8, 2025

Venue: Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field

Referees: Drew Fischer

Assistants: Brooke Mayo, Jeffrey Greeson

Fourth Official: Benjamin Meyer

VAR: Kevin Stott

Attendance: 30,107

Weather: 53 degrees and clear

SCORING SUMMARY

SEA – Kalani Kossa-Rienzi (Jesús Ferreira) 11’

LAFC – Nathan Ordaz 38’

SEA – Paul Rothrock (Albert Rusnák) 57’

SEA – Jordan Morris (Paul Rothrock) 77’

SEA – Cristian Roldan (Albert Rusnák) 84’

LAFC – David Martinez 90’+2’

SEA – Albert Rusnák (Georgi Minoungou, Cristian Roldan) 90’+4’

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

LAFC – Nkosi Tafari (caution) 69’

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC – Andrew Thomas; Yeimar, Jackson Ragen, Jonathan Bell, Kalani Kossa-Rienzi (Alex Roldan 70’); João Paulo, Danny Leyva (Georgi Minoungou 88’), Paul Rothrock, Pedro de la Vega (Albert Rusnák 36’), Jesús Ferreira (Cristian Roldan 71’); Danny Musovski (Jordan Morris 46’)

Substitutes not used: Stefan Frei, Nouhou, Obed Vargas, Paul Arriola

Total shots: 15

Shots on goal: 11

Fouls: 10

Offside: 3

Corner-Kicks: 9

Saves: 1

Los Angeles FC – Thomas Hasal; Aaron Long (Marlon 46’, David Martinez 65’), Nkosi Tafari, Eddie Segura; Yaw Yeboah, Sergi Palencia (Ryan Hollingshead 46’), Adam Saldana, Marco Delgado (Igor Jesus 46’), Artem Smolyakov (Denis Bouanga 59’), Nathan Ordaz; Olivier Giroud

Substitutes not used: David Ochoa, Jeremy Ebobisse, Cengiz Under, Kenneth Nielsen

Total shots: 7

Shots on goal: 4

Fouls: 12

Offside: 1

Corner-kicks: 4

Saves: 5

- SOUNDERS FC -