After finishing their run in the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, the Seattle Sounders returned to Major League Soccer with a solid win over Austin FC. Back at Lumen Field, they came out with a clean 2–0 victory, getting goals from Jesús Ferreira and Danny Musovski, one in each half.
This was more than just another league game, it had direct impact on the standings. Both teams started the match with 26 points, and Seattle’s win pushed them into fifth place in the Western Conference, now sitting at 29. Austin, on the other hand, slipped to ninth, just outside the top seven that lead straight to the playoffs.
Ferreira, once again, showed up as a dependable presence up front
The game opened with a few chances, but Seattle was the first to really test the keeper. In the 11th minute, Musovski broke down the left, beat his man and fired at the near post, forcing Brad Stuver to react quickly. The rebound was chaotic, and the attempted clearance hit the post. Then, in the 33rd, Musovski found space on the right, but his shot missed wide.
Austin answered back a minute later with Brandon Vazquez, who got a decent look, but Stefan Frei was right there, making a comfortable save.
Just before halftime, Seattle finally broke through. Paul Rothrock got free on the left, took it all the way to the end line and floated a cross to the far post. Ferreira was there, completely alert, and hit a clean volley into the net. That was his second goal of the season, and it came at a crucial moment.
Seattle stayed sharp after halftime and doubled the lead early
Seattle kept the same energy after the break, and it didn’t take long to double the lead. At 54 minutes, Ferreira slid a perfectly timed ball into space for Musovski, who took off down the right, got into the box and finished low to the far corner. No fuss, just smart execution.
With the two-goal cushion, Seattle played with more patience, choosing their moments carefully. Obed Vargas tried from distance at 63 minutes, his shot went just wide. A few minutes later, Ryan Kent whipped in a cross to Ferreira, who was inside the six-yard box, but couldn’t control the ball to finish. Jackson Ragen also got forward and forced another save from Stuver with a solid header.
That was pretty much all Seattle needed. Austin struggled to create anything more after that, and Frei had little else to do.
There was only one real downside to the night. In the 89th minute, Reed Baker-Whiting picked up a second yellow and was sent off. Seattle had to play the closing minutes with ten men, but the result was never in doubt, and Austin couldn’t take advantage.