The Japan Times - Seattle Sounders stun Messi's Inter Miami to lift Leagues Cup

Osaze De Rosario scored in the 26th minute and Alex Roldan added a penalty in the second half before Paul Rothrock capped the scoring for the hosts, whose determined defense stymied a star-studded Inter lineup led by Messi.

Inter's frustrations spilled over at the final whistle at Lumen Field and officials had to scramble to quell a brawl sparked by Suarez before Seattle could celebrate their first Leagues Cup title.

Suarez rushed at Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas to spark a series of skirmishes, including one in which Suarez was caught on camera apparently spitting toward a Sounders assistant.

The Sounders -- whose $16.7 million payroll is dwarfed by Miami's $46.8 million player compensation total -- became the first Major League Soccer team to win every North American trophy on offer.

They already own two MLS Cup crowns, an MLS Supporters Shield, four US Open Cups and a CONCACAF Champions Cup.

This one was especially sweet with eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi on the other side.

"It's a lot," Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said. "It's against one of the best teams in our league, in the world, with Messi the best player in the world."

De Rosario put the Sounders in front, heading in a cross from Roldan.

De Rosario had electrified the crowd when he came close in the third minute with a header saved by Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari.

"What's going through my mind right now? It's crazy, it's a dream come true, I beat Messi in a final!" De Rosario said.

The announced attendance of 69,314 shattered the previous record for a Leagues Cup crowd of 50,675 and was also a record for a Sounders game at Lumen Field.

It was a frustrating first half for Inter, who lifted the Leagues Cup in 2023 in Messi's first season in MLS.

Inter's first opportunity saw Messi take a quick tumble after tangling with Vargas.

Seattle's Jackson Ragen blocked Messi's attempt from outside the area in the 19th minute then a minute later blocked a shot from Rodrigo De Paul.

Miami pressed early in the second half and appeared to have every chance of pulling off the kind of comeback they posted over Orlando in the semi-finals.

Suarez spun through traffic to deliver the ball to Messi as he cut in front of goal, but Messi chipped his attempt over the crossbar.

Miami were finding their rhythm but they squandered another opportunity in the 60th minute when Tadeo Allende, fed by Suarez, missed from directly in front of the goal.

- Sounders dig deep -

Miami appeared to have seized the momentum, but Seattle wouldn't let go.

"I think the guys dug down deep," Schmetzer said. "At 1-0 the game could have gone either way. They were putting a lot of pressure on us."

Roldan's penalty in the 84th minute gave Seattle some breathing room and Rothrock sparked wild Seattle celebrations with a goal in the 89th.

But when the final whistle blew things turned ugly.

"I guess we can take that as a compliment that Miami's frustrations led to some things happening," Schmetzer said. "But that shouldn't be the story."

Instead he focused on the collective effort of his team in overcoming Messi and his star teammates.

"They have unbelievably talented players," Schmetzer said. "We were under it in the second half, and they probably should have scored a couple of goals. But we played smart, kept our composure, and that’s why we won."

Both finalists in the cross-border tournament featuring teams from MLS and Liga-MX clubs were already assured of berths in the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup.

The victory earned Seattle direct entry to the round of 16 in the regional tournament that will decide one 2029 FIFA Club World Cup berth.

In Los Angeles, the Galaxy beat Orlando City 2-1 in the third-place match to secure a spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

K.Yamaguchi--JT