Seattle Sounders identity fuels Leagues Cup title: "It was beautiful" | OneFootball

By Ari Liljenwall

SEATTLE – As a player and coach, Brian Schmetzer has won over a dozen trophies with Seattle Sounders FC.

But with Seattle's 3-0 takedown of Inter Miami CF in Sunday's Leagues Cup 2025 final at Lumen Field, the longtime manager might have led the Sounders to their most impressive feat yet.

Taking on a Herons' side rife with superstar talent, led by arguably the sport's best-ever player in Lionel Messi, Seattle lifted their first-ever Leagues Cup title with a commanding performance.

"The success that [majority owner Adrian Hanauer] and I have built should not be discounted," an emotional Schmetzer said at his postgame press conference. "Because when we came, we were a USL team and he had a vision to get the team into MLS, and we had big owners and an ownership group and things. But he’s the one who does the things behind the scenes, and it’s a credit to him.

"The organization from top to bottom, the coaches, everybody, they deserve this," Schmetzer added. "The fans deserve this win. Because it’s been 20-some odd years since I’ve been with the club, and then you sprinkle in a couple years when I was 17, 19, 20 – so it might even be 25. I’ll have to do the math. But credit to everybody in the organization."

Legendary performance

The final scoreline made it look like smoother sailing than it actually was for Seattle, who protected a 1-0 lead afforded by Osaze De Rosario's 26th-minute header for much of the match.

With Miami pressing hard for a leveler, Seattle sent the Leagues Cup-record (and club record) crowd of 69,314 onlookers at Lumen Field into euphoria with a pair of decisive late goals. Alex Roldan dispatched a penalty drawn by Georgi Minoungou, then local product Paul Rothrock fired home a final insurance tally.

"They have unbelievably talented players. We were under it in the second half; they were all over us, and they probably should have scored a couple goals," Schmetzer said.

"But our collective, the intelligence, the smarts, keeping our composure. I think that’s the reason why we won the game tonight."

How Seattle Sounders achieved Leagues Cup glory

Seattle way

It marks Seattle's first trophy since their historic Concacaf Champions Cup triumph in 2022, this time coming against an Inter Miami side with arguably the most talented roster in MLS history.

Perhaps even more impressive, they attained the result with several starters out due to injury, including DP attackers Jordan Morris and Albert Rusnák. That created space for contributions from numerous homegrown players developed in their youth academy and MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Tacoma Defiance.

"I thought everybody played great tonight," Rothrock said. "I think this club is a special club. I know [the fans] wanted some summer signings, but we signed Osaze and Snyder Brunell, and Osaze scored against Miami tonight.

"Another Tacoma Defiance player, Georgi, comes on and draws the PK. I’m from Tacoma Defiance. This is a group of good human beings who work hard and believe in each other and play for each other, and I’m really proud that our method won out tonight. That’s a special, special game for Sounders."

Big-time moment

It was an especially sweet moment for Rothrock, a Seattle native who was the subject of a viral quote from Schmetzer in the lead-up to the game.

For the 26-year-old winger, his late goal cements an improbable rise from Tacoma to one of the team's most invaluable attackers.

"This game was very much a validation of the Sounders culture and who we are, and we’ve got more homegrown kids and college players than anybody else," Rothrock said. "That's a credit to Schmetz, that’s a credit to the front office, that’s a credit to the staff we have.

"That was an organizational win tonight, 3-0. It was beautiful. It was beautiful."

WATCH: Seattle Sounders dominate Inter Miami for Leagues Cup title