Adrian Hanauer talked about several topics when he spoke to the media on Friday -- his ownership of Seattle Reign FC, future plans for a soccer-specific stadium and the Sounders' attempts to introduce more Seattleites to the sport.
The first item he wanted to discuss, however, was how well he felt the Sounders had played during their recent 0-0 draw against Mexican side Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
"I thought it was some of the best soccer we've played in a long time," Hanauer said on Friday. "Obviously, it would've been great to get a couple or three goals, but if that is a preview of what we can throw at the league going forward, I'm super excited about that."
Hanauer made those comments before the Sounders beat rivals Los Angeles FC 5-2 during the weekend to clinch Seattle's first MLS win of the 2025 campaign. Now, the Sounders and coach Brian Schmetzer have a chance to build on that victory by knocking Cruz Azul out of the Champions Cup.
Ninety minutes will likely decide which club advances to the quarterfinals. The Sounders also have an edge because of the away goals rule, which states that if the aggregate score is tied, whichever team scored the most goals as the road team advances. Since the Sounders prevented Cruz Azul from scoring at Lumen Field on March 5, any draws will result in Seattle advancing.
If the teams are still tied after 90 minutes -- basically if the teams play another scoreless draw -- then there will be 30 minutes of extra time before a potential penalty-kick shootout. Away goals do not apply to extra time goals.
Here's a look at the match:
Sounders (2-0-1) at Cruz Azul (2-0-1)
Time/place: 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Estadio Olímpico Universitario, Mexico City
TV: FS1, TUDN and ViX+
Series history: Tied 0-0-1
Storylines
A fresh lineup
The Sounders played a heavily rotated lineup on Saturday. Only three players -- midfielder Pedro de la Vega and defenders Yeimar Andrade and Jackson Ragen -- who started the first leg against Cruz Azul were on the pitch for the opening whistle against LAFC in hopes of keeping the team's normal starters fit for Tuesday's match.
Striker Jordan Morris played 45 minutes after coming on as a halftime substitute and became the club's all-time leading goal scorer. Fullback Alex Roldan played just 20 minutes, while captain Cristian Roldan made a 19-minute cameo and tallied a goal. Defender Nouhou, midfielder Obed Vargas, winger Paul Arriola and goalkeeper Stefan Frei all made the bench but didn't see the pitch.
Schmetzer said he tries to communicate with his players and explain his rotation decisions early, but added that they all generally understand that rotation is crucial because of schedule congestion.
"You have to be honest with them," Schmetzer said. "And sometimes they don't like the answer, but that's just part of my job."
Two players whose availability will be worth monitoring are de la Vega and Albert Rusnák. De la Vega was substituted off in the 36th minute while dealing with "tightness" and Schmetzer announced Monday that the Argentine midfielder didn't travel with the team to Mexico.
Rusnák was brought on as his replacement, scoring a goal but also playing 54 minutes. Three days after playing 86 minutes in the first leg against Cruz Azul.
"We can't play the same group all the time when you have three games in seven days," Schmetzer said.
Advancing in the cup
Resting so many starters against LAFC signified the Sounders' greater intentions for the Champions Cup. A win against Cruz Azul sends Seattle into the quarterfinals, where it would play the winner of the tie between seven-time champions Club América and two-time champions Chivas Guadalajara. Chivas won the first leg 1-0.
While advancing in the competition means continued scheduling challenges caused by the extra games, the Sounders will still have a chance to become the first MLS team to ever win the competition two times. LA Galaxy and D.C. United have each won a previous iteration of the tournament once.
The Galaxy are currently trailing in their Round-of-16 tie against Costa Rican club Herediano 1-0 but host the second leg in Los Angeles on Wednesday. D.C. United did not qualify for the 2025 Champions Cup.
Along with the Sounders and the Galaxy, five other MLS clubs still remain in the competition as they try to win their first Champions Cup. LAFC has a 3-0 advantage heading into the second leg of its tie with Columbus Crew. FC Cincinnati is tied 1-1 with Tigres UANL, and Vancouver drew in its first leg with C.F. Monterrey 1-1. Finally, Inter Miami holds a 2-0 edge against Jamaican club Cavalier FC.
Quotable
"They've talked to me a little bit," Kalani Kossa-Rienzi said about his status with the club on Saturday. "I mean, I don't know how much I'm supposed to say, but whatever -- they gave me the contract. Schmetzer just said it in the locker room too, so I'll sign that soon and be headed to Mexico."