The Seattle Sounders fell 2-0 to France’s Paris Saint-Germain on Monday at Lumen Field on Matchday 3 in Group B of the FIFA Club World Cup group stage. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi scored on either side of halftime to send the reigning UEFA Champions League winners into the Knockout Rounds.
The Sounders bowed out of the tournament, along with Spain’s Atlético Madrid, while PSG joined Brazil’s Botafogo in the Round of 16.
After the Sounders controlled much of the opening 10 minutes, PSG got the first good look on goal in the 12th minute when Désiré Doué’s shot from 12 yards out forced goalkeeper Stefan Frei into a great save that he tipped over the crossbar.
Kvaratskhelia had another decent look in the 16th minute when he cut inside from the left flank and ripped a low shot that Frei corralled.
The Sounders’ first opportunity came in the 19th minute when Paul Rothrock pressured PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma into a mistake, but Jesús Ferreira’s effort on the turnover was sent wide.
Doué had another great chance in the 30th minute when he took a left-footed shot from the top of the box, but Frei went down to his left to snare it.
PSG found its breakthrough in the 35th minute when Vitinha ripped a one-timed shot from 20 yards out after an attempted clearance. His strike appeared to be going wide, but it deflected off the back of teammate Kvaratskhelia and trickled inside the post.
Doué looked destined to find the bottom corner at the end of a counterattack in the 55th minute when Kvaratskhelia drove down the left side to the end line and cut a pass back to Doué at the back post. His shot was blocked at the last minute by Nouhou, who came sliding in for a last-ditch defensive effort to keep it out.
PSG doubled its advantage in the 67th minute when Bradley Barcola broke out in transition on the left flank before cutting a ball to the back post for Hakimi. The Moroccan international right fullback calmly collected it and deposited his shot past Frei.
Nouhou made a fantastic goal-line clearance in the 86th minute to keep the deficit at two when he made an acrobatic effort to deny Warren Zaïre-Emery.
Jordan Morris, who entered as a substitute in the 87th minute, nearly found a breakthrough for Seattle a minute later when his left-footed effort was blocked out for a corner by Marquinhos.
Cristian Roldan had a chance of his own in the 89th minute when he whipped in a curling strike from 25 yards out that had eyes for the far post, but it sailed just wide.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
Holding their own
The Sounders went toe-to-toe with the UEFA Champions League winners on Monday, showing they belonged on the pitch with arguably the best team in the world. Seattle made Les Parisiens work for everything on the afternoon in one of the Sounders’ most complete efforts of the season.
Morris returns
Monday featured the long-awaited return of Morris, who entered as a substitute in the 87th minute. The 30-year-old Designated Player forward had not featured since April 26 while battling a hamstring injury.
MLS play resumes
Despite three valiant efforts against Brazil’s Botafogo, Spain’s Atlético Madrid and France’s PSG, it wasn’t enough for the Sounders to advance to the Knockout Rounds of the FIFA Club World Cup. Seattle will return to league action on Saturday, June 28, when the club welcomes Austin FC to Lumen Field (7:30 p.m. PT; Watch on Apple TV | TICKETS).
