MIAMI, Florida – The 2022 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Final is now just days away from getting started in Mexico City where the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer (MLS) will take on Pumas of Liga MX in the first leg on Wednesday night.
For the Seattle Sounders, it has been a journey unlike any other.
No other team from the United States have appeared in more SCCLs than the Sounders, who are making their seventh appearance in 2022, which is also tied with Toronto FC for the most SCCL participations by a team from MLS.
Prior to this season, the furthest the Sounders had ever reached was the semifinals in the 2012-13, but there was a feeling at the start that this year’s group could do something special.
It began back in mid-February at the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano in San Pedro Sula, Honduras where Seattle faced Honduran club Motagua in the first leg of the Round of 16.
The two sides played to a 0-0 draw, setting up a pivotal second leg in Seattle. At the friendly confines of Lumen Field in Seattle a week later, the Sounders rolled to a 5-0 triumph thanks to a goal and two assists from Cristian Roldan.
Next up in the quarterfinals was a heavyweight date with Club Leon of Mexico. The first leg saw Seattle play host and they delivered a performance to remember, as a pair of goals from Fredy Montero saw the Sounders emerge with a commanding 3-0 win.
A tough quarterfinal second leg was expected at the Estadio Leon in Leon, with La Fiera harboring dreams of an epic comeback. The Sounders never wavered, however, and a late first half penalty conversion from Montero all but ended the comeback hopes of Club Leon, who tallied a late equalizer to make it a 1-1 final in the match and a 4-1 aggregate win for Seattle.
A somewhat familiar foe was next on the docket for Seattle in the semifinals, as fellow MLS side New York City FC made the trip west to Seattle for the first leg. Again, the Sounders proved a tough foe at home, with Jordan Morris scoring a goal and registering an assist in a 3-1 victory.
Just like in the quarterfinal second leg in Mexico, the Sounders delivered another intelligent performance away from home in the semifinal second leg at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, with Raul Ruidiaz scoring a key goal and GK Stefan Frei making a number of top saves to pave the way for a 1-1 draw in the game and 4-2 aggregate victory.
Having earned three draws away from home in the previous rounds, the Sounders would like nothing more than a similar result on Wednesday against Pumas to give themselves a strong chance to close things out at home in the second leg.
