Seattle Dominated, but an Own Goal Ruined the Sounders' Night | OneFootball

Soccer’s got a funny way of rewarding injustice. You can dominate the opponent for 90 minutes, make their keeper work overtime, own every inch of the field, and still walk away empty-handed. That’s exactly what happened to the Seattle Sounders in their 2025 MLS season opener.

Against a Charlotte FC team that barely touched the ball, the Sounders did everything right. Jordan Morris, the man of the night, scored twice, set a record, and played like a true leader. But then, just as the stadium was about to burst into celebration, one of those surreal moments hit: Yeimar, trying to clear a harmless cross, ended up putting it in his own net. A moment that makes any fan want to bang their head against a wall. The game ended 2-2, and Charlotte, who should’ve been totally humiliated, celebrated like they won the World Cup.

If anyone didn’t deserve this cruel twist, it’s Jordan Morris. The guy’s already a living legend for the club, and he played like one. His first goal? Pure class. He made the perfect run at the exact right moment to meet Georgi Minoungou’s cross. Then, when the game was tied, he stepped up again to show that 2025’s gonna be another record-breaking year for him. With that brace, Morris hit 86 goals for Seattle, tying none other than Raúl Ruidíaz at the top of the club’s all-time scoring list.

The second goal was all about raw talent. Albert Rusnák dropped a pass that had soccer fans everywhere trembling. Morris was on the move, and like any top-tier striker, he didn’t hesitate, just fired it home. Kahlina got a hand on it, but only to make the shot look prettier in the highlight reel.

With that kind of start to the season, Morris has sent a clear message: if Seattle’s signing reinforcements to challenge him, he’s not worried. He’s playing with swagger, moving like never before, and it looks like he’s ready to carry Seattle once again.

So if Seattle dominated, why did it end in a draw? Because Charlotte clung to their reactive soccer like a drowning man grabs at a lifeline. They came to defend, play for the mistake, and kill the game whenever possible. And it worked, not because they were playing beautifully, but because sometimes, soccer only needs a bit of luck.

Their first goal? Classic set-piece nightmare. Pep Biel delivered the corner with precision, Adilson Malanda leapt like he had springs in his legs, and powered it into the net. Solid goal. But after that? Charlotte did very little.

The second half? It was all Sounders. Seattle shot, pressured, created chances, but Kahlina just wouldn’t let up. The Croatian keeper was a brick wall, stopping everything from Alex Roldan, Obed Vargas, and Cristian Roldan.

Charlotte barely attacked anymore. Seattle had the game in their hands, just had to manage it. But then Idan Toklomati, who had just come on, spotted a gap and tossed in a harmless cross. Nothing special, just a low ball with no real direction. Then… Yeimar tried to clear it, but ended up scoring an own goal instead. The ball slipped past Stefan Frei and into the back of the net. A gut punch for the Sounders.

Looking at the stats, there’s no logical reason for this draw. Possession, shots, chances created, all pointed to a Seattle win. But volume of play doesn’t always translate to points. The big takeaway from this game? The Sounders have to be more efficient when they’ve got the opponent on the ropes.

They had plenty of chances to seal the deal before stoppage time. Obed Vargas and Cristian Roldan forced Kahlina into some miraculous saves, but sometimes, you just can’t give the keeper a chance to play hero. A team that wants to compete at the top of the MLS can’t be missing that many clear opportunities. If you leave the door open, sooner or later, the other team’s gonna find a way back in.

Seattle had a midweek match in the Concacaf Champions Cup, and they’ve got another one against Antigua GFC on Wednesday. Coach Brian Schmetzer rotated the squad, but you can already see the fatigue setting in. The team needs to get more ruthless in front of goal to avoid surprises like this.

The draw against Charlotte isn’t the end of the world, but it’s one of those slip-ups that could haunt them later. In a league that’s tighter than ever, dropping two points at home could hurt when the season’s winding down.

On the flip side, Jordan Morris is playing lights-out, and that’s a great sign. The attack has some solid pieces, and Minoungou showed he could be a real difference-maker. Plus, the squad depth should pay off over the course of the year. The big issue? Turning domination into wins. On Wednesday, against Antigua GFC, Seattle gets a shot at bouncing back quickly.