The Sounders just needed one goal.
Trailing 1-0 in the second leg of their Round-of-16 tie against Cruz Azul, Seattle just needed to equalize the game to advance because of the away-goals rule. And as Jordan Morris sprinted toward a pass into space on the right wing in the 66th minute, it looked like the Sounders were going to have their chance.
But as Morris approached the ball, he began to pull up, a grimace on his face. The chance was gone. He hobbled to the sideline while Sounders medical staff swarmed him before being substituted.
Five minutes later, the Sounders surrendered a penalty kick. Cruz Azul striker Ángel Sepúlveda calmly dispatched the attempt, effectively putting the game out of reach.
The Sounders were eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions Cup, losing 4-1 against Mexican club Cruz Azul at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario in Mexico City on Tuesday. Along with Morris, the Sounders also lost wingback Paul Arriola to injury during the loss.
Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer returned to his preferred starting lineup on Tuesday. Three players who started in the Sounders’ 5-2 win against Los Angeles FC during the weekend were named starters against Cruz Azul, including defenders Yeimar and Jackson Ragen.
The third was forward Jesús Ferreira, who played 71 minutes Saturday but retained his place Tuesday, replacing the injured Pedro de la Vega. Schmetzer announced the Argentine winger did not travel with the team to Mexico City before the match, and said de la Vega’s availability will be clarified once the team returns to Seattle.
Cruz Azul manager Vicente Sánchez also named a strong lineup, though former Atlanta United forward Giorgos Giakoumakis missed out because of an injury.
Neither team generated many scoring opportunities early in the match. Ragen had Seattle’s best opportunity of the first half, sending a header just wide off a free kick in the third minute.
Cruz Azul, however, began to turn up the pressure near the half-hour mark. Forward Ángel Sepúlveda’s header off a cross from former LAFC forward Mateusz Bogusz looped just over the crossbar in the 30th minute. Bogusz came inches away from scoring on his own two minutes later, chipping his shot over the bar, too.
The Sounders defense was finally breached in the 33rd minute. Cruz Azul defender Gonzalo Piovi made a long underlapping run and was played in with a through ball. Piovi’s cutback found Mexican international Carlos Rodríguez, who’s header ricocheted off the far post and into the goal to give Cruz Azul the 1-0 lead.
Cruz Azul had multiple chances to extend their lead before halftime. A Sounders turnover led to a 1-on-1 chance for Sepúlveda against goalkeeper Stefan Frei in the 36th minute, but the Mexican forward blasted his shot over the crossbar. Sepúlveda had another opportunity in stoppage time after a Cruz Azul corner, but was blocked by Ragen.
The Sounders’ situation continued to worsen before the first half ended. While chasing down a long ball, Arriola went down holding his left knee. He was substituted for Paul Rothrock during the break.
Rothrock helped create the first real chance of the second half, running onto a goal kick and getting behind the Cruz Azul defense in the 58th minute. Rothrock tried to set up Ferreira, all along in the middle of the penalty box, but the American striker launched his attempt harmlessly over the goal.
Morris pulled up injured eight minutes later. But the Sounders got a goal back when his replacement, Danny Musovski, pounced on a loose ball after a Seattle free kick was redirected back into the penalty area by Rothrock.
However, Cruz Azul’s Luka Romero restored the two-goal deficit with an 85th-minute tap-in score. Jorge Sánchez’s 88th-minute goal simply reinforced a result that was already decided.
