MATCH RECAP: Sounders FC Takes Down Vancouver 3-0 in its Opening Match of 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup Play

VANCOUVER, B.C. – Sounders FC won 3-0 at Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Thursday evening at B.C. Place Stadium in the first leg of the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16. This marked Seattle’s first fixture of the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup, having received a bye in Round One after winning Leagues Cup 2025. Paul Arriola scored his first two goals of the season one year and one day after tearing his ACL and missing the majority of 2025, with Jesús Ferreira earning his team-leading fourth assist on Arriola’s first goal.

Paul Rothrock added the third tally of the night for Seattle in the 70^th minute to take a commanding lead into the second leg of the two-match aggregate series, which is taking place on Wednesday, March 18 at ONE Spokane Stadium (8:00 p.m. PT / FS2, TUDN). Before then, Brian Schmetzer’s side heads to the Bay Area for an MLS regular-season matchup with the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday, March 15 at PayPal Park (4:00 p.m. PT / Apple TV, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM).

MATCH NOTES

• Seattle is 23-16-12 in Concacaf Champions Cup play dating back to 2009. The Rave Green remain the only MLS team to win the international tournament, doing so in 2022.

• This is the second-consecutive year Seattle has participated in Concacaf Champions Cup action. The Rave Green defeated Guatemalan side Antigua GFC in the Round of 32 before falling to eventual champion Cruz Azul of Liga MX in the Round of 16.

• Paul Arriola’s goals in the 45^th and 58^th minutes were his first and second of the season, one year and one day after tearing his ACL and missing the majority of the 2025 season. The midfielder scored two goals last year, both in Concacaf Champions Cup play.

• Tonight marked Arriola’s first start of the 2026 season. The midfielder has made substitute appearances in all of Seattle’s previous three matches.

• Paul Rothrock scored his second goal of the year in all competitions in the 70^th minute, also bagging a strike in Seattle’s season-opening 2-0 win over the Colorado Rapids.

• Jesús Ferreira assisted Arriola’s first strike, his fourth assist in four matches in all competitions, the most on the team. The forward tallied 12 helpers in 2025, tied for second on the team.

• Cristian Roldan assisted Rothrock’s strike, his first assist of the season and 72^nd in all competitions, second in club history.

• Brian Schmetzer made two changes to the starting lineup from last weekend’s match against St. Louis, with Kalani Kossa-Rienzi replacing Yeimar Gómez Andrade, who is out with a hamstring injury, and Paul Arriola replacing Hassani Dotson.

• The second leg of the Round of 16 tie will be played on Wednesday, March 18 at ONE Spokane Stadium (8:00 p.m. PT / FS2, TUDN). The match is being played in Spokane due to Lumen Field undergoing preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

• Following tonight’s match, Seattle returns to league play with a road match against the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday, March 15 at PayPal Park (4:00 p.m. PT / Apple TV, 950 KJR AM, El Rey 1360 AM).

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 3 – Vancouver Whitecaps FC 0

Thursday, March 12, 2026

Venue: BC Place

Referee: César Ramos

Assistants: Alberto Morín, Marco Bisguerra

Fourth Official: Jesus Lopez

VAR: Erick Miranda

Attendance: 12,446

Weather: Indoors and 38 degrees

SCORING SUMMARY

SEA – Paul Arriola (Jesús Ferreira) 45’

SEA – Paul Arriola 58’

SEA – Paul Rothrock (Cristian Roldan) 70’

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

None

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei – Captain; Kalani Kossa-Rienzi, Alex Roldan (Antino Lopez 89’), Jackson Ragen, Nouhou; Cristian Roldan, Snyder Brunell; Jesús Ferreira (Peter Kingston 77’), Albert Rusnák (Nikola Petković 77’), Paul Arriola (Paul Rothrock 62’); Osaze De Rosario (Danny Musovski 62’)

Substitutes not used: Andrew Thomas, Max Anchor, Cody Baker, Sebastian Gomez, Yu Tsukanome

Total shots: 10

Shots on goal: 5

Fouls: 7

Offside: 1

Corner-kicks: 2

Saves: 2

Vancouver Whitecaps FC – Yohei Takaoka; Édier Ocampo, Tristan Blackmon (Ralph Priso HT), Mathías Laborda, Tate Johnson; Sebastian Berhalter, Oliver Larraz (Jeevan Badwal 75’); Emmanuel Sabbi (Cheikh Sabaly 62’), Thomas Müller, Kenji Cabrera (Aziel Jackson 82’), Rayan Elloumi (Brian White 62’)

Substitutes not used: Abraham Zendejas, Isaac Boehmer, Mihailo Gherasimencov, Nikola Djordjevic, Jean Claude Ngando

Total shots: 16

Shots on goal: 2

Fouls: 14

Offside: 0

Corner-kicks: 11

Saves: 2