10/17/2026
Seattle 1, Montreal 1
(Seattle, WA) Playing their third match in seven days, the Sounders entered the contest dealing with major lineup disruptions, missing center back Jackson Ragen due to the flu and Stuart Hawkins to a hamstring injury. Head coach Brian Schmetzer was forced to shuffle his lineup, giving Ryan Sailor a rare start.
A Dismal First Half for the Hosts
The lack of cohesion showed early, with the Sounders committing numerous unforced errors. Montréal capitalized on Seattle’s sluggishness almost immediately. In the 13th minute, an errant back-pass from Seattle’s Albert Rusnák opened the door for a transition break. Noah Streit outmaneuvered Ryan Sailor and passed off to Hennadii Synchuk, who fired a crisp, first-touch strike from the top of the penalty box past Andrew Thomas to give Montréal a 1-0 lead.
The Sounders did start to pick up the pace as the 1st half and the defense shut down the scoring chances to carry this match to the break Montréal leading 1-0.
Midgame Adjustments Spark Seattle’s Revival
After a tough 1st half, Schmetzer made some changes and started Kalani Kossa-Rienzi and Sebastian Gomez off the bench. The substitutions seemed to work as Seattle suddenly dominated possession, finishing the match with 60% of the ball, and pinned Montréal into their own defensive third.
The pressure broke through in the 66th minute. Following a high press, Seattle’s Jesus Ferreira forced a costly giveaway in Montréal’s defensive third. The ball bounced into the path of Sebastian Gomez, who rolled a first-touch finish past Montréal goalkeeper Sébastien Breza to equalize at 1-1 in the 66th minute.
A Frantic Finish
After tying the match, the Sounders home crowd were back in it. Jordan Morris was a constant threat down the right flank, creating scoring opportunities including one that he pulled literally an inch to far to the left and the shot went off the left post.
The Sounders continued their offensive attack but combination of just missing and Montreal keeper Breza Seattle could not put together as go-ahead goal. Drama peaked in stoppage time when a potential penalty call for Seattle was reviewed by VAR, only to be ultimately canceled. Breza stepped up big in the 2nd half recording four of his five saves in the half, preserving the result and ending Montreal’s losing streak.
The tie brings Seattle to 42 points on the season, keeping them two points ahead of the LA Galaxy. The Sounders are now 10-11-10 and they sit in 7th place and right now are in the MLS play-offs. They are 2 points in front of 8th place LA Galaxy and 4 points behind 6th place LA FC for 6th place. The Vancouver Whitecaps are on top with 55 points. The Sounders will play next Saturday at San Diego.
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