A lookback at our 2022 CCL run: How we won the CCL for the 1st of many times!

The Sounders hit the pinnacle of the CONCACAF when in 2022 the Pumas fell to us 3-0 in the 2nd leg in the Emerald City clenching us a 2-5 aggregate victory that wasn't only a 1st for us but for all of the MLS. But before that amazing moment there was a whole journey that took months. And that alongside the amazing moment should not be forgotten as well. So let's go through them!

The 2022 format saw no group stage and instead went straight to the knockouts. Which saw us face defending Honduran Champion Clausura champion CD Motagua Tegucigalpa. And if you were to only judge us based on the 1st match of the tournament, you wouldn't have picked us to win the thing that's for sure. Not only did it end in a 0-0 which was already disappointing but what was even more disappointing is that they outplayed us. While we had more of the possession that was only by barely 55% to 45%, they used it better. As they had 11 shots to our 6 shots though we both had 3 on target however. And their goalie put on a amazing performance saving 4 of the Sounders shots. This would change heavily in the next leg however

In the next leg CD Motagua Tegucigalpa felt the force of the 12th man as they traveled to Seattle and got battered and torn apart. Nicolás Lodeiro opened the scoring for us with both a goal and a assist. Opening with a goal of his own then assisting one for Cristian Roldán, Then it was Roldán who assisted next, assisting Jordan Morris to make it 3-0. But we weren't done yet as Roldán assisted again this time to a Kayln Rowe goal to put the Sounders up by 4. And our final goal was scored the now FC Dallas man Léo Chu this 1 assisted by the Serbian playmaker Albert Rusnák, who was playing on the wing for the game. The Sounders buried the Honduras based club 5-0 to move on to the quarter-finals.

And believe me when I saw we started the quarter finals exactly where we left off, with a shower of goals. We would face the historic Liga MX side Club León FC the Lion's roar was nothing compared to the roar of the 12th Man. As yet again we dominated at home. We won 3-0 another easy win. With goals from Montero who scored twice and a goal from Morris again to cap things off. With
Roldán getting all 3 assists in a mastero performance. The offense let it's foot off the gas on our trip to Mexico as the Seattle Sounders as Fredy Montero did what he does best to get us our only goal with a assist from João Paulo making our defenses job easier. But they didn't slack while they gave up a goal late but it was the only goal they would give up to deliver ourselves a 1-1 tie. Meaning Sounders moved on to the semi's with a 4-1 score on aggregate.

For the semis the Sounders would stay in America as they would face Man City owned New York City FC. But we kicked off in Seattle and our home dominance continued. Rusnák opened the scoring with help from hometown hero Jordan Morris. But that's when NYC gives us our 1st heart attack when they tied the game 1-1 with a Thiago Andrade goal. But that's when the Sounders pulled away. As Jordan Morris struck next with another assists from Roldán who was trying to pass us into the CCC final and doing so successfully. And the last goal was a penalty scored by Nicolás Lodeiro with the assist being given to the fouled Raúl Ruidíaz. To clench a 3-1 home win. But NYC still could comeback in the 2nd leg which we played in the big apple. We opened it well with a goal from Seattle's future all time goal scorer Raúl Ruidíaz with a beautiful pass from Nouhou for the assist. Then NYCFC gave us another heart attack when they tied the game with a Santiago Rodríguez goal. Setting up a potential comeback for the ages only needing 3 more goals to do it. But the Seattle Sounders held on to seal a draw and a spot in the game that decides the best club in North America.

Where they would face 7 time Liga MX champions UNAM Pumas and the 1st leg would this time be played in Mexico. And they would show us exactly why they were in the final. We gave Pumas a pen in the 38th minute and Juan Dinenno put it away with ease to give the Pumas the lead. Then right before half-time Juan Dinenno struck again to put them 2-0 before both teams went to rest in the locker rooms. The odds were against us but giving up then would be betraying all the hard work the Sounders did to get there. And all the fans who helped them get to this point and who were counting on them. So none of the Sounders gave up that day especially Nicolás Lodeiro. In the 77th minute a handball by Sebastián Saucedo set-up a pen for Lodeiro which he put away beautifully to give the Sounders their 1st goal. Then the Pumas fouled Cristian Roldán in the box for another pen that of course Lodeiro put away again no problem with Cristian Roldán getting yet another assist. The final whistle blew before Pumas could complete their all-time choke. But the Sounders walked away with a result that set them up perfectly for the final leg at home.

Throughout this entire run home was been the most crucial part of getting them to this point. Every single game they've won has been at home. The 12th man giving em a boost no team in North America could match and if they were going to be the 1st ever MLS club to be the best club in North America they were going to need that boost. And luckily we need setting the all time attendance record for a CCL final. And from then on the game was won. Right before half-time who else but Raúl Ruidíaz, opened the scoring in the 45th minute with help from Xavier Arreaga who's only goal contribution during this whole CCL run was in the final, better late than never they say. Raúl Ruidíaz would come up clutch again and more or less seal it with a 2nd goal in the 80th with Nicolás Lodeiro coming in with the assist. And he wasn't done either as he would put the dagger through the heart of the whole Puma organization as in the 88th minute Lodeiro scored putting us up 3-0 in what would turn out to be the final goal. And that's how the Seattle Sounders made history and became the 1st ever MLS club to win the CCL. Thanks a bunch for reading!