SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC v. CLUB PUEBLA LEAGUES CUP - QUARTER-FINAL - ROYAL BROUGHAM PARK, OCCIDENTAL AVENUE, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

Greetings to my brothers and sisters in Green. Club Puebla, backs to the wall, visit The Evergreen to face our Sounders FC in a Leagues Cup Quarter-Final.

What: Leagues Cup, Quarter-Final, Seattle Sounders FC v. Club Puebla.

Where: Royal Brougham Park, Occidental Avenue, Seattle, Washington.

When: 8:00 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, Wednesday 20 August 2025 CE.

At Stake: That depends on where you are with Leagues Cup. If you don’t like what Leagues Cup has done to the domestic football calendar, then this match, and all matches in this tournament, are meaningless. If you really fancy MLS v. Liga MX, and that’s your jam, Leagues Cup is super-important. If you just think of it as another chance for the Sounders FC to win a trophy this season, then Leagues Cup is a potential means to that end. That pretty much sums it up.

Where to Watch: MLS Season Pass via Apple TV, UniMas, TV Azteca, and Fox Sports 1.

Where to Listen: KJR 93.3 FM and El Rey 1360 AM.

So we lost to the Loons on a weirdo shot that was maybe a cross that ghosted through everyone. Big deal. Weirdo stuff happens in football that is sometimes beyond our control. The numbers show that Sounders FC dominated that match by nearly every statistical metric. The goal wasn’t Frei’s fault as he was stuck marking both the man running in for a header and tracking the football. Our youngers played just fine and also there were only three changes from the Gaffer’s preferred team. Sometimes you play your best and it’s just a clunker. That’s a just a reality of football. So let’s just get all of that out of the way and into the open.

I know almost nothing about Puebla. Haven’t seen a condensed game or highlights of one of their matches. Nothing. The only player I’ve heard of in their squad is Lucas Cavallini, the Puebla and Canada striker that used to play for Vancouver Whitecaps.

Puebla are a hurting club that just sacked their Manager a week ago. They’re bleeding goals in Liga MX, and having trouble scoring them. They’ve got their backs to the wall, and that makes them dangerous.

Yes I know it’s a fucking sport cliche, but cliches are often cliches because they’re true.

We had a tough match last Sat, that much is true, but Sounders have come so far since the brutal, steep learning curve of Club World Cup. I believe Sounders have turned a corner, and that the freak goal and 1:0 defeat in St. Paul was an aberration. I’m certain it’s been gone over in film room analysis and in training. The Gaffer, and our coaching staff will have the lads ready for midweek against the Puebla. I am confident in our ability to secure a result, although I’m sure it’s gonna be a wooly one.

It’s Leagues Cup football, such as it is, under the midweek lights at Royal Brougham Park. GO ON YOU SOUNDERS!!! GET IN!!!

Before kick-off, please join me in the auld toast: “TO THE SEATTLE SOUNDERS FOOTBALL CLUB…AND VICTORY!!!”

How is it again that we got the sweet, sweet deal of all our matches

being at home for both Club World Cup and Leagues Cup?

The Good News

Sounders are scoring goals (1.75 goals/match in all competitions), and Puebla are struggling to score goals (1.25 goals/match in all competitions).

Sounders are defending better than Puebla, conceding an average of 1.42 goals/match in all competitions (I know this isn’t a great number, but you have to factor in the Club World Cup results). Puebla is struggling to keep the ball out of the net, conceding an average of 2.25 goals/match in all competitions. By this metric, Puebla are the more likely side to concede two goals or more.

Sounders are 4-0-1 in their last five, with Puebla’s recent spotty form resulting in 2-0-3 record.

Royal Brougham Park has been a fortress for us this season. Sounders have an 11-5-4 record in all competitions. Puebla, although they’ve only just started the 2025 Apertura, have an away record of 2-0-3 in all competitions. So it seems that they don’t travel particularly well.

For once we’re not playing a club that’s massively outspent us.

The Bad News

Puebla have their backs to the wall. They’re bleeding goals in Liga MX, having conceded 14 goals in five matches (2.80 goals conceded/match), and only managing to score four goals. Their Manager was sacked last week, and the care-taker Manager Martin Bravo will be trying to rally the squad. They will be a formidable opponent.

Although Puebla have struggled in Liga MX, they’ve done well in Leagues Cup defeating NYCFC 0:3, Montreal 1:2, with their only defeat being at the hands of Columbus by a score of 3:1. So their scoring in the group stage is an average of 2.00 goals/match, and their defending is an average of 1.33 goals conceded/match in the confines of the tournament. It is unlikely they will get much out of the Torneo Apertura, so this is their chance to win something, and they’ll not be put out easily.

The danger man for Puebla should be striker Emiliano Gomez. He’s scored two goals in Leagues Cup, with none of his teammates managing to score more than one goal in the tournament. The Sounders defence will have their work cut out to contain him.

The Side I Would Select

Gotta go with form and experience in a Quarter-Final cup tie. That said, it’s not our youngers that let us down in St. Paul, and the goal wasn’t Frei’s fault.

GK     Frei

LB     Nouhou

LCH    Ragen

RCH    Gomez Andrade

RB     Alex

LDM    Vargas

RDM   Cristian

LF     de La Vega

CAM   Ferreira

RF     Rothrock

CF     Musovski

The Side I Think The Gaffer Will Select

I’d expect the team that crushed Galaxy 4:0, with the exception of Thomas between the sticks, and Regan over Kim.

GK     Frei

LB     Nouhou

LCH    Ragen

RCH    Gomez Andrade

RB     Alex

LDM    Vargas

RDM   Cristian

LF     de La Vega

CAM   Ferreira

RF     Rothrock

CF     Musovski

Intangibles

Officiating.

The Referee for Wednesday night’s match will be Juan Gabriel Calderon.

SEA record with Calderon as Ref: 0-1-0

PUE record with Calderon as Ref: 0-0-0

Calderon’s only match that involved Sounders FC was a 2020 CONCACAF Champions League match. A 2:2 draw at Olimpia.

The desert.

Puebla are having trouble scoring goals of late. Puebla have scored only four league goals in five matches, and were shut out in their last two matches (Tigres, San Luis). It should be noted that in Leagues Cup they have scored six goals in three matches. In all competitions they are averaging 1.25 goals/match.

Frustration in St. Paul.

Sounders crushed the Loons in pretty much every statistical metric (possession, shots, shots at goal, blocked shots, passes, pass accuracy, corners, crosses, and expected goals) but could not manage a goal. Our undoing was a shot that was probably meant as a cross that just sort of sailed through a tonne of bodies in the box without being cleared by the defence. Gotta bin that result and move forward. That’s how it is in professional football. Sometimes it’s just a clunker.

Morale.

So, it’s pretty clear that between the regime’s Gestapo disappearing anyone that’s not white, and also attempting to find every possible loophole to declare Martial Law in America, you’d have to speculate that all of that is in the back of our player’s heads somewhere unless they’re living in a bubble. Nouhou is from Cameroon, Gomez Andrade is Colombian, The Roldan brothers are American-born, but are of Guatemalan and Salvadoran descent, Vargas is American-born of Mexican descent, De la Vega is an Argentine (Milei, who is President of Argentina is a far-right figure as well), Ferreira was born in Colombia and moved to America at age 10, Joao Paulo is from Brazil, Bell from Jamaica, Kim from Korea, Minoungou is Ivorian, Sousa is a Portuguese/American dual-citizen, and Leyva is American-born of Mexican descent. Pretty sure that’s everyone, let me know if I missed someone. So that’s a giant-sized portion (roughly 45%) of the squad that might be truly concerned about all this. Granted, all of them are professional footballers, and are trained to block out distractions…but if we’re being straight here, this is a bloody difficult sort of distraction to block out. Their privilege and wealth may insulate them from the madness to some degree, but I doubt their loved ones enjoy the same protections.

Puebla’s Manager got sacked last week.

Puebla are getting absolutely hosed in the Torneo Apertura of Liga MX. They’ve scored four goals, conceded 14 goals, and are currently in 17th place (second from bottom) in the Liga MX table. Puebla’s form has been so poor that Manager, Pablo Guede, was sacked. Martin Bravo is next on the hot seat as care-taker for la Franja. Beware the ‘new Manager bump’ in performance.

We have outspent Puebla.

SEA 2025 transfer fees paid: €1.45M

PUE 2025 transfer fees paid: €0

SEA 2025 squad aggregate estimated transfer value: €51.75M

PUE 2025 squad aggregate estimated transfer value: €20.43M

General notes on personnel

Puebla transfers IN:

Baltazar (Celaya) free

Organista (UdeG) free

Owen Gonzalez (Pachuca) undisclosed

Monarrez (Tijuana) undisclosed

Portales (Club America) undisclosed

Diaz (Tijuana) loan

Gabriel Rey (Guadalajara) loan

Lozano (Club America) loan

Gamarra (Argentinos Juniors) loan

Moreno (San Luis) loan

Ramirez (Club America) loan

Puebla transfers OUT:
Gularte (Penarol) loan fee €214,000

Ferrareis (Atlas) free

Waller (Huracan) free

Herrera (Mazatlan) free

Olmedo (Atletico Tembetary) free

de los Santos (Defensor) free

Garcia (Dorados Sinaloa) free

Jimenez (Malacateco) free

Arce (Toluca) undisclosed

Pablo Gonzalez (Tlaxcala) undisclosed

Mares (San Luis) undisclosed

Angulo - retired

Gomez (Boston River) end of loan

Quinones (Tigres UANL) end of loan

Jair Gonzalez (Santos Laguna) end of loan

Comparison against common opponents

PUE 1:0 CSL MX

SEA 2:1 CSL LC

(against CSL: SEA 1-0-0 +1, PUE 1-0-0 +1) even

CLB 3:1 PUE LC

SEA 1:1 CLB MLS

(against CLB: SEA 0-1-0 0, PUE 0-0-1 -2) edge SEA

Know Thine Enemy

Puebla as they lined up in their 0:2 defeat against San Luis at the Estadio Cuauhtemoc on 15 August. Limited and/or disorganised sources of information available. Appearances and goals data may not be up to date. For example, the Facebook page for Puebla shows the data from the  2024-25 season.

GOALKEEPER

Jesus Rodriguez, 32

Mexico

Notable Clubs: Puebla (48/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €500,000

Notes: Full name: Jesus Ivan Rodriguez Trujillo. Developed by Jaguares and Puebla. Won a Copa MX with Puebla.

DEFENCE

Juan Fedorco, 24

Argentina

Notable Clubs: Nueva Chicago (30/3), Independiente (25/0), Puebla (16/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €800,000

Notes: Developed by Deportivo Patagones and Olimpo.

Jose Pachuca, 20

Mexico

Notable Clubs: Puebla (19/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €200,000

Notes: Full name: Jose Rodrigo Pachuca Martinez. Has played for Mexico U-20s (10/0).

Nicolas Diaz, Age

Chile (5/0)

Notable Clubs: Palestino (40/0), Mazatlan (55/5), Tijuana (70/0), Union Espanola (10/0), Puebla (4/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €1.8M

Notes: Full name: Nicolas Andres Diaz Huincales. Won a Chilean Cup with Palestino.

MIDFIELD

Fernando Monarrez, 26

Mexico

Notable Clubs: Puebla (4/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €700,000

Notes: Fernando Monarrez Ochoa.

Franco Moyano, 27

Argentina

Notable Clubs: San Lorenzo (19/0), Argentinos Juniors (137/2), Talleres (12/0), Puebla (19/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €1.2M

Notes: Developed by Lobos and San Lorenzo.

Luis Rey, 22

Colombia

Notable Clubs: Mazatlan (1/0), Tapatio (25/4), Guadalajara (15/1), Puebla (5/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €1M

Notes: Full name: Luis Gabriel Rey Mejia. Developed by Morelia, Mazatlan, Puebla, and Cruz Azul. Won a Liga de Expansion MX title with Tapatio.

Owen Gonzalez, 22

Mexico 

Notable Clubs: Pachuca (18/1), Puebla (5/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €1.2M

Notes: Full name: Owen de Jesus Gonzalez Ojeda. Won a Challenger Cup and a Derby of the Americas with Pachuca.

FORWARD

Alejandro Organista, Age

Mexico

Notable Clubs: Guadalajara (2/0), Tapatio (72/8), San Luis (2/0), UdeG (30/4), Puebla (5/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €750,000

Notes: Full name: Alejandro Organista Orozco. Developed by Guadalajara.

Esteban Lozano, 22

Mexico

Notable Clubs: Club America (4/1), Sporting Gijon (8/0), Puebla (5/1)

Estimated Transfer Value: €500,000

Notes: Full name: Esteban Lozano Solana. Developed by Club America. Played for Mexico U-20s (8/5). Won a Liga MX title with Club America.

Miguel Ramirez, 23

Mexico

Notable Clubs: Club America (6/0), Puebla (5/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €25,000

Notes: Full name: Miguel Ramirez Perez. Played for Mexico U-17s (2/0). Has won 3x Liga MX titles with Club America.

Familiar Faces

None. I mean, Cavallini used to play for Vancouver Whitecaps FC, but I didna see any players or coaches that were Washington-born, played for Washington schools or universities, played for Washington-based youth football programmes, or were formerly with Sounders FC or other Puget Sound area semi-professional or professional football clubs.

Squads

Sounders squad information based on injury information from 15 August. For Puebla there is zero information on availability and I will list the full squad.

Sounders FC from:

Frei, Thomas, Castro, Shour, Baker, Baker-Whiting, Bell, Burney, Gomez Andrade, Kim, Kossa-Rienzi, Nouhou, Ragen, Alex, Sousa, Brunell, Sebastian Gomez, Kingston, Leyva, Cristian, Vargas, de la Vega, De Rosario, Ferreira, Minoungou, Musovski, Rothrock.

Puebla from:

Julio Gonzalez, Juan Gomez, Rodriguez, Fedorco, Rey, Orona, Diaz, Moreno, Rivas, Pachuca, Portales, Cortes, Moyano, Monarrez, Ramirez, Castillo, Guerra, Gamarra, Owen Gonzalez, Baltazar, Organista, Paz, Emiliano Gomez, Lozano, Marin, Mateo Gonzalez.

Injury List

Best guess. No information available for Puebla. Sounders FC information last updated 15 August.

Sounders FC -

OUT: Kent (hamstring), Rusnak (hamstring), Morris (shoulder), Joao Paulo (knee), Arriola (knee), Hawkins (quadriceps).

MATCHDAY DECISION: none.

Puebla -

OUT: No information.

MATCHDAY DECISION: No information.

Discipline

Sounders FC: No players suspended. Disciplinary card slate wiped clean.

Puebla: No players suspended. Disciplinary card slate wiped clean.

Fun Fact

Sounders FC midfielder, Cristian Roldan has appeared in 301 league matches for the club. Well done, Cristian!