There were plenty of thrilling moments in the Seattle Sounders’ instant classic victory over San Diego Loyal in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup. Here are six things you may have missed from Wednesday night’s match at Starfire.
First Team debuts
Tacoma Defiance players Paul Rothrock, Travian Sousa, Hal Uderitz, and Cody Baker made their inaugural appearances for the Rave Green’s First Team. Baker was the lone Defiance player to start while Rothrock, Sousa and Uderitz made an impact coming off the bench. Rothrock was amongst the few players to score for the Sounders on Wednesday night.
Sota Kitahara makes First Team full debut
Kitahara earned his first start with the First Team on Wednesday night as one of the central midfielders for the Rave Green. The Homegrown player played the entirety of the match, supporting the team on both sides of the pitch while controlling the momentum of the game.
New faces on the stat sheet
Three players on the pitch recorded their first goals for the Sounders First Team. Ethan Dobbeleare, Reed Baker-Whiting and Rothrock showcased their ability to produce in high-pressure situations, propelling the Rave Green to their first U.S. Open Cup win of the 2023 tournament.
The Pathway
Several players who were a part of the Sounders Academy Pathway represented the club in dominant form Wednesday night. Kitahara, Dobbeleare, Dylan Teves, Josh Atencio, Obed Vargas, Baker-Whiting, Rothrock and Baker contributed to the Rave Green’s 5-4 victory over San Diego Loyal, with three of them getting on the score sheet. An additional three players – Uderitz, Sousa and AB Cissoko – got their start with the organization with Tacoma Defiance.
Fredy Forever
Fredy Montero was recognized as “Man of the Match" for good reason. Last night, Fredy recorded a brace and led his team to victory with a last-minute PK in extratime. The veteran forward established himself as the Sounders all-time leading scorer in U.S. Open Cup play Wednesday night after recording his 10th overall goal from the tournament. His monumental goal-scoring Open Cup journey began 14 years ago, and he’s continuing to stretch it even further, starting off with Wednesday night’s performance.
Breaking the scoreboard
Wednesday's matchup between USL Championship side San Diego Loyal and the Seattle Sounders broke records as it was confirmed that the nine combined goals of the night was the highest single-game total in club history. Just when it looked like the game was over, goals continued to rack up on both sides, resulting in an unforgettable evening at Starfire Stadium.
