Sounders open Champions Cup with 3-1 win in Guatemala over Antigua
It took all of three minutes into the first competitive match of the year for the Sounders’ new additions to show what could be in store for the upcoming season.
It took nearly 60 more minutes for the Sounders to finally take control against Guatemalan side Antigua in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup on Wednesday night.
The Sounders opened the 2025 season with a 3-1 win over Antigua thanks to two goals from players Seattle needs to be major contributors this season to reach its potential.
Newly acquired Paul Arriola opened his Sounders account less than three minutes into the start of the season and Pedro de la Vega, who suffered through an injury-filled and disappointing first season a year ago, provided the winner in the 61st minute. Both goals came via fortunate deflections of Antigua players, but the Sounders won’t care how the shots found the back of the net, just that they’ll return to Lumen Field for the second leg next week with the lead.
Albert Rusnák , who came off the bench in the 67th minute, added the capper deep in second-half stoppage time.
The teams will meet again next Wednesday with the winner of the series advancing to face Mexican side Cruz Azul in the next round of the tournament.
“It was a good performance by us and we’re obviously pleased,” Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said.
The Sounders are competing in the Champions Cup — formerly the CONCACAF Champions League — for the first time since 2022 when they became the first MLS team to win the continental championship under its expanded format.
And they unveiled nearly a first-choice lineup for the opening match. Only Rusnák was out of the expected starting 11 for the Sounders, and he still ended up playing the final 20-plus minutes of the match.
The match was at times chippy and probably more physical and loosely officiated than Schmetzer would have liked to see for the first competitive match of the season.
But the Sounders eighth appearance in the CCC started with a victory and a rare one at that. The last time the Sounders won a Champions Cup match outside the United States was Sept. 19, 2012 when they beat Honduran club Marathon 3-2 in San Pedro Sula.
“What I appreciated is that Antigua fought throughout the game. They fought until the end. That’s what I expect back in Seattle,” Schmetzer said.
Arriola’s goal came less than 180 seconds into the start of the season. Obed Vargas, the rumor of a significant move at some point in the next year to a club in Europe, played a terrific pass through the Antigua defense to Jesús Ferreira. Rather than playing the cross forward to Jordan Morris closer to the goal, Ferreira cut the pass back across the top of the penalty area to Arriola. The strike wasn’t the cleanest and took a slight deflection off an Antigua defender but was still able to loop over the top of goalkeeper Luis Moran and into the net.
Antigua pulled even in the 24th minute as a defensive breakdown and smart pass from Romário da Silva left Óscar Santis with enough space in the penalty area to beat Stefan Frei and draw even at 1-1.
The score stayed that way for more than a half-hour with at times Antigua having the better looks at goal before another fortunate bounce went Seattle’s way.
De la Vega’s shot from outside the penalty area appeared headed for the edge of the goal, but took a deflection off the shoulder of Antigua defender Kevin Grijalva and over the outstretched arm of Moran.
“He struggled in the first half a little bit. It was his first game back, first competitive game back. The field was a little heavy for a dribbler, Pedro is a good dribbler. But he made up for it with his goal. So I was very pleased,” Schmetzer said of de la Vega’s performance.
Rusnák added the capper deep in stoppage time when a bad turnover by Antigua led to a quick counter from Vargas to Georgi Minounogu and a cross to Rusnák ,who finished for a two-goal advantage.
Schmetzer said the third goal was crucial because it gives the Sounders a cushion that could allow the opportunity to rest some players for the second-leg next week. The Sounders will shift back to the start of the MLS season with the opener on Saturday against Charlotte before next week’s second-leg against Antigua.
“We’ll see who starts against Antigua and who starts against Charlotte,” Schmetzer said.
Most Read Sports Stories
The Brief
The Seattle Sounders will face Antigua GFC in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup’s opening round on Wednesday at 5 p.m. PT at Estadio Pensativo.
Fans can watch the match in English on FOX Soccer Plus for a traditional broadcast experience.
Streaming options in Spanish are available on ViX+ and Concacaf’s YouTube Channel for online viewers.
SEATTLE – The Seattle Sounders are set to face Antigua GFC in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup’s opening round.
The match will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at Estadio Pensativo, with kickoff scheduled for 5 p.m. PT.
Keep reading for how to watch and stream the Sounders-Antigua match.
Fans can catch the action in English on FOX Soccer Plus. This option provides a traditional broadcast experience for those who prefer watching on television.
For those who prefer streaming, the match will be available in Spanish on ViX+ and Concacaf’s YouTube Channel. These platforms offer convenient access for viewers who wish to watch the game online.
Watch on ViX+.
Watch on Concacaf’s YouTube Channel.
The Source
Information in this story comes from Seattle Sounders FC and Concacaf.
Politics: Lawmakers propose pay-by-mile charge for WA drivers
Food: Starbucks phasing out plastic cups for cold drinks in WA, other states
Local: IRS tax refund schedule 2025: What you need to know
To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.
Watch on FOX Soccer Plus
Stream on ViX+ and YouTube
BEST OF FOX 13 SEATTLE
AGFCvSEA Starting XI: Sounders kickoff 2025 competition with strong lineup
Thursday, Feb 20, 2025, 07:09 AM
Head Coach Brian Schmetzer reveals his lineup for tonight’s first round Concacaf Champions Cup match against Antigua GFC (5 p.m. PT; Watch on FOX Soccer Plus, ViX+, Concacaf Youtube Channel) at Estadio Pensativo. Here is the Starting XI:
Join Sounders FC for an unforgettable year. Unlock exclusive perks and be part of the action as we enter a new era. 2025 Season Memberships are on sale now!
The biggest club soccer event in history is coming to Seattle. And we’re playing in it.
Your matches. Your way. With a Sounders FC Flex Membership you select which matches you want in the seats (or suites!) of your choosing. Enjoy the view from our elevated Club seats for one match, and then for your next one sit close pitch to catch all the action – all with preferred member pricing.
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
List of Partners (vendors)
