The Seattle Sounders drew Charlotte FC 2-2 at Lumen Field on Saturday in the 2025 Major League Soccer season-opener. Jordan Morris scored on either side of halftime, while Adilson Malanda tallied for the visitors before a late own goal by Yeimar split the points.
The Sounders dominated the opening 20 minutes with Georgi Minoungou asking a ton of questions down the right flank. That pressure paid off in the 19th minute when he whipped in a beautiful early ball to the near post where Morris split the center backs and redirected the cross past Kristijan Kahlina in goal.
Charlotte equalized against the run of play in the 35th minute when Pep Biel’s corner found the head of Malanda, who found the back of the net.
Alex Roldan forced Kahlina into a strong save in the 43rd minute when he unleashed a wicked attempt from 25 yards out.
Morris earned his brace in the 49th minute when Albert Rusnák played a brilliantly weighted through ball in behind for Morris, who smashed a shot that Kahlina got a piece of but didn’t get enough to keep out.
Seattle nearly added a third in the 72nd minute when a give-and-go in the box between Obed Vargas and Rusnák led to a Vargas shot that Kahlina just barely kept out. Cristian Roldan forced Kahlina into a diving save as well a minute later on the ensuing corner kick.
The Sounders outplayed Charlotte all evening but conceded a 92nd-minute own goal by Yeimar, who stretched to clear away a cross but accidentally redirected it on frame and past goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
The Sounders will play their third match in eight days to open 2025 when they welcome Guatemala’s Antigua GFC to Lumen Field on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. PT; FS2, ViX | TICKETS) in the second leg of their First Round aggregate matchup in the Concacaf Champions Cup. Seattle earned a 3-1 win in Guatemala in the away leg last Wednesday.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
Morris off and running
After scoring a career-high 13 goals in MLS last year, Morris picked up right where he left off. The Homegrown striker played his way into a Designated Player contract this season and tied former teammate and club legend Raúl RuidÃaz for most career club goals with 86 in all competitions.
Minoungou a menace
Minoungou was threatening on the right flank all evening long, causing problems for left fullback Tim Ream and the rest of the Charlotte defense. The 22-year-old Ivorian also earned an assist, a promising start to his first full season in Major League Soccer.
Depth galore
Seattle flexed its exceptional depth on Wednesday, as Head Coach Brian Schmetzer rotated in the second of four matches in 12 days. Designated Player Pedro de la Vega, Jesús Ferreira and Paul Arriola were among the strong group of substitutes.
