For the first time in its history, the CONCACAF Champions League has been won by a team from Major League Soccer (MLS). By beating the Pumas UNAM 5-2 on aggregate on Wednesday night, the Seattle Sounders celebrated a historic victory with their fans at Lumen Field.
Raul Ruidiaz scored twice in a decisive 3-0 victory for the Sounders. A week earlier, at the Estadio Olimpico Universitario in Mexico City, the two clubs had drawn 2-2. Unlike games in other rounds, away goals did not count, so the winner of the duel in Seattle got their hands on the trophy.
It started badly for the Sounders, who lost defender Nouhou Tolo and midfielder Joao Paulo in the first half to injuries. Kelyn Rowe and the young Obed Vargas, only 16, made their entrance faster than expected.
Ruidiaz, he started in the 45th minute by scoring on a deflected shot. It was with 10 minutes to go in regular time that he hit the target again, putting the finishing touch to a nice exchange with his teammates.
Nico Lodeiro drove the final nail in the coffin for the Pumas by stirring up the crowd in the 88th minute. The Sounders eventually headed nine shots on target into Alfredo Talavera’s net, while Stefan Frei only had to report once from the champions’ side.
Since the overhaul of the Champions League format in 2009, all of its winners have been Mexicans. Real Salt Lake (2011), CF Montreal (2015), Toronto FC (2018) and Los Angeles FC (2020) are the four MLS representatives who failed in the final.