Motagua Suffers Crushing Defeat Against Seattle Sounders in Concacaf Champions League
Motagua’s journey in the Concacaf Champions league came to a disappointing end as they were decisively beaten 5-0 by the Seattle Sounders in the second leg of their round of 16 matchup. Despite a scoreless draw in the first leg at the Olympic Stadium, Motagua’s hopes were dashed by a dominant performance from the Sounders in Seattle.
The away goal rule proved crucial, putting pressure on Motagua to secure a victory. Argentine coach Diego Vazquez made four tactical changes to his starting lineup, introducing Jonathan Rougier, Christopher Melendez, Jesse Moncada, and Ángel Tejeda, with the latter two having entered the fray as substitutes in the previous encounter.
In contrast, Seattle Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer opted for continuity, fielding the same starting eleven that had featured in the first leg. Schmetzer acknowledged the importance of the competition, stating, “We don’t put undue pressure on ourselves, but it’s certainly not enjoyable to exit early, a lesson we learned two years ago against olympia.”
The Sounders took control early, breaking the deadlock in the 32nd minute through a well-placed shot by uruguayan midfielder nicolás Lodeiro. Rougier,Motagua’s goalkeeper,was left helpless as Lodeiro’s attempt found the back of the net.
The second half saw Seattle further assert their dominance. Cristian Roldán capitalized on a free kick possibility, expertly finding the net from close range to double the Sounders’ lead. Jordan Morris extended the advantage in the 56th minute,taking advantage of a defensive lapse by Denil Maldonado to score with a clinical finish.
Motagua’s struggles continued as newcomer Kelyn Rowe added a fourth goal in the 62nd minute, exploiting a turnover in midfield to launch a swift counter-attack. The Sounders’ relentless pressure culminated in a fifth goal in the 74th minute, courtesy of Brazilian forward Léo Chú, who pounced on a mistake by Diego Rodríguez.
The final whistle signaled a resounding victory for the Seattle Sounders,who advance to the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions League. Motagua, conversely, will need to regroup and learn from this setback as they look ahead to future competitions.
Lineups:
Seattle Sounders: Stefan Frei, Xavier Arreaga, Nouhou tolo, Yeimar Gómez, Cristian Roldán, Nicolás Lodeiro, Alberth Rusnák, Alexander Roldán, Obed Vargas, Raúl Ruidíaz, Jordan Morris.Coach: brian Schmetzer.
Motagua: Jonathan Rougier, Raúl Marcelo Santos, Denil Maldonado, Marcelo Pereira, Wesly Decas, Jonathan Núñez, Cristopher Meléndez, Jesse Moncada, Diego Auzqui, roberto Moreira, Ángel Tejeda. Coach: diego Vazquez.
Venue: Lumen field, Seattle
Referee: Ivan Barton (El Salvador)
