SEATTLE – As the clock ran down in the second leg of Seattle Sounders FC’s Concacaf Champions League Final series against Pumas UNAM at Lumen Field, goalkeeper Stefan Frei had to catch himself.
Seattle Sounders to CCL fame on a special night
The scene at Frei’s longtime dwelling stadium, already often known as some of the raucous venues in MLS, was in a state that even the veteran backstop had by no means seen. Together with his crew marching in the direction of a historic first-ever CCL title for an MLS membership, the record-breaking crowd of 68,741 onlookers had turned on their cellphone flashlights and raised them within the air, simply previous to Nicolas Lodeiro’s 88th-minute end that formally put the competition to mattress after a Raul Ruidiaz brace had the Sounders forward 2-0.
Also Read: Dave Chappelle attacked on stage during performance at Hollywood Bowl
“This stadium, we’ve at all times had distinctive crowds, however on a Wednesday evening, 68 [thousand] and alter is a big deal,” a jubilant Frei informed reporters following the historic 3-0 (5-2 mixture) victory. “I think with about 4 to 5 minutes to go, I’ve never had the stadium have the lights out, people with their cell phones and I acquired a little bit choked up: I needed to tell myself, there’s still some sport left, like chill out, you’ve acquired to take it simple.
“But it surely’s particular, very particular. As a little bit child that is what you dream of. You do the airplane and shut your eyes and also you envision a stadium full of individuals which might be chanting you on. That is it. So, to have a possibility to stay out that dream is treasured. I cherish it.”
Also Read:Strasbourg vs. PSG result: Mbappe rue, Messi late Strasbourg comeback in wild 3-3 draw
Within the week main as much as the match, the excitement within the metropolis of Seattle was already palpable, with the membership promoting sufficient tickets to interrupt the single-match CCL attendance document with time to spare earlier than match day. Outdoors the venue earlier than the sport, the environment and really feel have been notably totally different, akin to the final time Seattle performed host for a Ultimate of their victorious MLS Cup 2019 effort – however this time with continental glory on the road.
The Sounders have been already one of many league’s most embellished golf equipment, with two MLS Cups, a Supporters’ Protect and 4 US Open Cup titles of their trophy case. However as any MLS fan can attest, CCL is a unique beast, contemplating the doubtful historical past the league’s golf equipment have skilled in a contest historically dominated by Liga MX. The continental event has turn out to be one thing of a holy grail, with the primary MLS champion bagging everlasting bragging rights.
On Wednesday, the Sounders lastly set new historical past, a second years within the making and one which common supervisor Garth Lagerwey has been speaking about nearly from the second he took the job.
Also Read: Katie Taylor Defeats Amanda Serrano
“One of the most vital wins, I believe, of my profession,” midfielder Cristian Roldan stated.
“While you get to make historical past and also you’re the primary one to do it, you’re within the historical past books endlessly. Nobody can take that away from you. So I’m actually completely satisfied our followers confirmed up, 68,000 in midweek, once more, it’s particular – you don’t see that fairly often. Credit score to them. It was only a nice expertise and I’ll by no means take something as a right.”
Roldan took it a step additional, saying there’s no higher showcase for why Seattle needs to be internet hosting a World Cup match come 2026 than the scene we witnessed on Wednesday.
“I feel our metropolis has confirmed that we deserve a World Cup match,” he stated. “The fact is we had a sold-out crowd, a crowd that was within the sport, that received us the sport. Hopefully individuals don’t take that as a right, as a result of it’s troublesome to have a stadium like that occuring at midweek at 7 o’clock. So, credit score to all 68,000 of them as a result of they actually pulled us ahead.”
Sounders winger Jordan Morris is Seattle born and bred, a local of close by Mercer Island, Washington that got here up by the membership’s youth academy.
Also Read: Real Madrid champions of LaLiga
Like Roldan, Morris stated summiting the CCL mountaintop is the crowning achievement of his profession to this point, one thing that solely really sunk in after the standout homegrown was subbed off simply earlier than the ultimate whistle, as he, Ruidiaz and Lodeiro all obtained standing ovations from a delirious dwelling crowd.
“I believe it sunk in after we scored the third one and it’s in all probability executed after which after we acquired subbed off; simply listening to the crowd was wonderful,” Morris stated. “It goes again to what I stated earlier than: Now we have the very best followers within the league. To have 68,000 on the market at present was unbelievable they usually pushed us to a victory, so we’re actually grateful to our followers.”
Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer can also be a Seattle lifer, with deep roots courting again to his taking part in days for the NASL iteration of the membership within the Nineteen Eighties. He served because the coach when Seattle have been within the USL, previous to his stint as an assistant upon the membership’s 2009 entry into MLS beneath the late Sigi Schmid, which preceded his assuming of the first-team head coach position in 2016.
After the match, Schmetzer stated he would want a little bit time for all of it to settle in after being on the helm for the membership’s largest accomplishment to this point.
Also Read: Steph Curry return in Game 5
“I stated in some press factor give me six months,” Schmetzer stated. “I’m in all probability going to stay to that. Proper now I’m dwelling within the second and I’m simply so happy with that group of gamers, all of them, as a result of it’s not simply the blokes that scored the objectives tonight, it’s not simply Yeimar, Stef and all of these guys. It’s all of the younger children which might be arising, the academy guys, getting a style of what this membership is all about. I’m simply tremendous, tremendous happy with the way in which the crew carried out all through this event beneath some adversity. It’s not a simple event to win.
“Lots of people have been asking me concerning the refined stress of coming right here to carry out in entrance of a giant crowd. I feel they handed that take a look at. I feel they handed it with flying colours.”
Also Read: Jon Rahm wins Mexico Open