Seattle Sounders 1 Atletico Madrid 3: MLS side on verge of Club World Cup exit
For a second time at the FIFA Club World Cup, the Seattle Sounders played a spirited match at home against a tough-as-nails opponent. And for a second time, a good effort was not enough to translate into points.
Atlético Madrid humbled the MLS side 3-1 at Lumen Field Thursday night, all but eliminating Seattle in the process after two Group B games. A comeback from 2-0 down to Botafogo came up short in the Sounders' opening match of the competition, and again they attempted to claw back from that deficit, nicking a goal in the process. Albert Rusnák, close-range finish restored hope for the hosts in the 50th minute, but Pablo Barrios, who opened the scoring in the 11th minute, netted his second in the 55th, and that was that. Axel Witsel had given Atléti a 2-0 lead in the 47th minute as part of a chaotic eight-minute sequence.
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On the direct heels of Inter Miami's historic win over Porto – it marked the first time any MLS team had ever beaten a European side in a competitive match – the Sounders were hoping to one-up Messi & Co. by toppling a Spanish power. Instead, they're on the cusp of elimination, which will be sealed with a PSG win or draw vs. Botafogo later Thursday night.
Here The Athletic's Jeff Rueter breaks down all the key talking points:
From the opening whistle, Atléti's players had a point to prove. They were determined to make amends after an embarrassing opener against PSG, and the Sounders were the unlucky team to bear the brunt of their ire.
In the seventh minute, Julián Álvarez seemed poised to score his team's first goal of the tournament as he dribbled into the heart of Seattle's box. However, a clumsy turn of his hips and an untimely bobble of the ball saw his contact curl the ball just beyond Stefan Frei's far post, an early signal of intent of a shot off target.
The breakthrough came shortly after, starting with a takeaway just inside the Spanish side's defensive third. Atléti moved upfield quickly to catch the Sounders backtracking, getting the ball to the right wing for Giuliano Simeone to find a final ball. He squared it toward the top of the box where Barrios was waiting, placing a powerful shot perfectly: above marking defender Jackson Ragen, above a diving Frei, and just onto the underside of the crossbar.
In the second half, Barrios found himself in the box as Atléti set up for an indirect free kick about 30 yards from goal. While Seattle sent the initial short attempt out for a throw-in, Atléti worked it back into the box and over the scrum, where Barrios was waiting. While his proximity and angle made this a far more comfortable strike, it was an equally clean strike worth of a rare brace for the midfielder.
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Barrios' star has been on the rise for a couple of years. The 22-year-old debuted for his boyhood club in 2022, inheriting the No. 8 shirt from fellow Atléti academy product Saúl when the veteran joined Sevilla on loan in 2024. He went from a key rotational figure to a first-choice option in 2024-25, logging 2,337 minutes in La Liga while adding a goal and four assists from a withdrawn role.
His passing in all areas, but especially the final third, stood out among starting midfielders, while his aerial prowess is also valuable in all phases. His season was highlighted by his senior international debut, earning his first cap with Spain in November 2024. If his late-arriving strike is a sign of more end product to come, he could force himself further into consideration for the World Cup squad this time next year.
To credit the Sounders, the hosts didn't fall apart following Atléti's opening goal. Seattle put the pressure on Jan Oblak and his defense, forcing the Slovenian into a few saves while sending more attempts just beyond the frame of goal. It seemed as though they would need a bit more luck to pull a goal back — or, as it turned out, to prevent a likely second.
Late in the first half, Giuliano Simeone seemed to draw a penalty as Sounders homegrown left back Reed Baker-Whiting clattered into his side and pulled him to ground. The players had been locked in a physical altercation for over a dozen yards, leading to Baker-Whiting falling shoulder-first into the Argentine winger. At the time Simeone fell to ground, he was clearly in the box. Now nearly a decade into the VAR era, it looked like a clear call to uphold.
After over a minute, however, Yael Falcón Pérez left the monitor to present the Sounders with a surprising gift. The referee deemed that 'there is not (an) infraction (by) the defender, so the final decision is: no foul.' The commentators and fans at Lumen Field were audibly gobsmacked.
VAR says: NO PENALTY ❌After review, we play on!
What's your take?
Watch the @FIFACWC | June 14 – July 13 | Every Game | Free | https://t.co/i0K4eUtwwb | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld #SEAATM pic.twitter.com/ldhYahQXRS
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 19, 2025
When officials go to the monitor at the behest of their video assistant referee, the guidance is that the VAR is not supposed to re-referee an infraction. The result is that those checks are more about locations, making sense of a game of inches, to determine points of contact both on the pitch and on a player's body (in the case of a handball).
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Seemingly, however, Seattle benefitted from a more wide-ranging approach to reviews. Perhaps the decision was that the foul primarily occurred beyond the box, which would negate a penalty. Perhaps it was deemed to be more of the 'hip-to-hip' contact that often evades the referee's whistle. The halftime punditry desk of DAZN's broadcast esteemed the initial foul to have been 'a soft call,' which isn't generally enough to overturn a potential penalty.
We'll likely never obtain the audio of the exchange between Falcón Pérez and the VAR official. No matter from Seattle's perspective: it was a galvanizing lifeline that helped them keep the deficit to a single goal entering the break.
While there's still another 90 minutes left in their tournament, it's almost certain that Seattle will be watching the knockout stage without being involved.
From the moment FIFA held its group draw for the expanded 32-team tournament, the Sounders looked to be up against it. Facing two perennial combatants in the UEFA Champions League's final stages and the reigning Copa Libertadores winner is a tall task for any fourth team in the field. And yet, Brian Schmetzer's side comported itself with capable play, an unflinching determination and some moments of quality that have kept games from ever getting out of hand.
Ultimately, a few trademarks of the Sounders' up-and-down 2025 campaign in MLS doomed them against tougher opponents. While Seattle has ample quality in the midfield and attacking line, its lack of a top-end striker — especially during Jordan Morris' lengthy absence due to a hamstring injury — has left goals on the table. The opener showed the issues when Ryan Kent starts alongside Rusnák and Jesús Ferreira (a trio of ball-dominant facilitators), as the game only opened up when Paul Rothrock replaced the former Rangers man. There's better balance when Rothrock is bringing his directness and aggressive ventures into space, while Kent can work as a helpful on-ball operator from the bench, as he did against Atléti.
There's also some concerns about defensive mobility, as Seattle struggled to keep up on the break and could get spun in knots with good movement inside the box. Nouhou Tolo was exploited by Botafogo, while Reed Baker-Whiting struggled on Thursday.
Still, there's plenty of reason to think the Sounders can still contend for MLS Cup if they can keep their heads right. The midfield is in fine form with Obed Vargas, Cristian Roldan and João Paulo. Rusnák is still a top-level attacking midfielder, and Ferreira and Morris are proven MLS goalscorers who could thrive in supporting roles. It makes their summer window as intriguing as any in its league. If nothing else, Seattle can keep its collective head held high for hanging with a couple of the game's most physical sides.
No, that's not a throwback shot of Diego Simeone in his playing days. The resemblance and intensity shown by his 22-year-old son is uncanny.
Monday, June 23: PSG, Club World Cup group stage (Seattle); 3 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. UK
Monday, June 23: Botafogo, Club World Cup group stage (Pasadena, Calif.); 3 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. UK
You can sign up to DAZN to watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free.
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