By Sachit Subba • Football • Jun 16, 2025 04:17 AM • 102 views
In a night that promised so much but delivered heartbreak for the home fans at Lumen Field, Seattle Sounders FC fell 2-1 to Brazilian giants Botafogo in their Group B opener of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
The reigning Brasileiro Série A and Copa Libertadores champions arrived in Seattle with pedigree and poise—and they showed both in a clinical first-half performance that left the Sounders chasing shadows and the scoreboard.
Botafogo struck first in the 28th minute when Jair Cunha rose highest in the box, powering a textbook header past Stefan Frei following a well-worked corner. Seattle struggled to regain control after that blow, and just before halftime, they were hit again. This time, it was Igor Jesus, ghosting in unmarked at the near post to nod home Botafogo's second in the 44th minute, silencing the raucous home crowd.
Down 2-0 and with their Club World Cup hopes hanging in the balance, the Sounders returned from the tunnel with renewed purpose. Manager Brian Schmetzer's halftime adjustments paid dividends as Seattle pushed the tempo and began to pin Botafogo back. The breakthrough finally came in the 75th minute when Cristian Roldan capitalized on a scrambled set piece, guiding a deflected header into the net to ignite belief across the stadium.
Seattle kept the pressure on in the closing stages, registering 23 shots to Botafogo's 12, but the finishing touch eluded them. JoĂŁo Paulo came agonizingly close in the 88th minute with a curling effort that whistled just past the far post, while Jordan Morris forced a late save from Botafogo goalkeeper John deep into stoppage time.
Despite the defeat, there was plenty of fight in the Sounders' second-half response—something they will need to carry into Thursday's monumental clash with Spanish powerhouse Atlético Madrid.
Quote of the Night:
"We showed the kind of team we can be in the second half," said Schmetzer post-match. "But at this level, you can't give teams like Botafogo a head start. We'll learn, we'll regroup, and we'll be better against Atlético." The Sounders may have left the pitch empty-handed, but their spirit and intensity suggest they're far from finished in this global campaign.
