The Seattle Sounders defeated Liga MX’s Tigres 3-1 on Wednesday at Lumen Field in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals, but they bow out of the competition on the away goals tiebreaker after tying 3-3 on aggregate following a 2-0 Leg 1 defeat in Mexico. Albert Rusnák scored a brace and Danny Musovski added another for Seattle, but a Joaquim header ultimately sent the visitors through to the semifinals.
The Sounders halved the aggregate deficit early when Rusnák finished on a beautiful half-volley in the 11th minute after Cristian Roldan clipped a through ball over the Tigres defense. Rusnák made no mistake with his left foot, burying the opportunity into the bottom corner. Though initially ruled offside, the goal was given after Video Review.
Seattle nearly added another goal in the 25th minute when Rusnák sent a wonderful through ball into Kalani Kossa-Rienzi on the right side, but his cross into the middle was scuffed by Paul Rothrock, who sent it over the crossbar.
Tigres earned a crucial away goal in the 31st minute when center back Joaquim redirected a header into the net off a Juan Brunetta corner kick.
Rusnák intercepted an error from Tigres goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán in the 36th minute and crossed a ball into the run of Jordan Morris, but his flicked effort was saved by Guzmán.
Rothrock was inches away from answering in the 44th minute when he rose for a header that nearly snuck inside the near post, but it rattled off the post and off Guzmán and out for a corner.
The Sounders got a. huge early goal to begin the second half when Alex Roldan played a through ball for Morris, who played a quick cross into the center of the goal where Musovski, who had just come on as a halftime substitute, redirected it past Guzmán.
Frei kept the Sounders alive in the 61st minute when denied an onrushing Rodrigo Aguirre from close range after the Uruguayan was played in behind.
Frei made yet another heroic save in the 66th minute when he dove acrobatically to deny an Ángel Correa header from point-blank range.
Rusnák had an opportunity in the 72nd minute after a great interchange between Jesús Ferreira and Morris, who picked out Rusnák in the center of the box. He was unable to get a shot off, though, as the ball got caught underneath his feet.
Rusnák earned his brace in the 82nd minute when he unleashed a rope from the left side of the box. It rang off the inside of the far post and bounced in to tie the match 3-3 on aggregate but left Tigres ahead on the away goals tiebreaker.
The Sounders threw everything forward at the end but were unable to find a final fourth goal needed to advance.
Tigres will take on Major League Soccer’s Nashville SC in the CCC semifinals while fellow MLS side LAFC battles Liga MX’s Toluca in the other semifinal.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
Rusnák comes up big
Rusnák did everything he could to drag Seattle back into this series with two brilliant goals on either side of halftime. It was the Slovakian’s second and third goals in all competitions early into the 2026 campaign.
Back at home
The Sounders returned to Lumen Field, which featured a grass surface ahead of this summer’s FIFA World Cup, for the first time in nearly two months. After eight straight matches away from Seattle, Wednesday was the first of six home games in their next seven contests.
Return to MLS
