Leagues Cup: Seattle Sounders Secure Record-Breaking 7-0 Win Against Cruz Azul

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The Seattle Sounders began their Leagues Cup journey with an impressive 7-0 triumph over Cruz Azul on Thursday. This victory marked a significant turnaround, as the Sounders had previously lost to Cruz Azul in the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 earlier this year, with an aggregate score of 4-1. All seven goals were scored in the second half, setting a new record for the largest win margin in the competition's history.

Omar Campos nearly gave Cruz Azul a lead in the first half when his shot hit the post. However, that was as close as they came to scoring. After halftime, Yeimar Gomez, Obed Vargas, and Jesus Ferreira each found the net within 15 minutes. Osaze De Rosario then came off the bench to score a fourth goal in the 69th minute.

Pedro de la Vega, another substitute, scored twice, including a remarkable volley that hit the post before going in during stoppage time. Nouhou Tolo also added his name to the scoresheet between de la Vega's two goals. This dominant performance not only secured Seattle's place at the top of Group A but also etched their name into Leagues Cup history.

In Group A, Seattle shares three points with LA Galaxy, who defeated Club Tijuana 5-2. Matheus Nascimento initially put Galaxy ahead with a penalty before Gilberto Mora equalised five minutes later. Despite Joseph Paintsil missing another penalty for Galaxy soon after, Gabriel Pec restored their lead before halftime.

Mora scored again for Tijuana just before the hour mark, but Galaxy finished strongly. Paintsil redeemed himself by scoring twice around Marco Reus' goal. Tijuana had 31 shots overall compared to Galaxy's 14, with both teams having ten on target attempts.

The Sounders' recent win is not only a record for the Leagues Cup but also their biggest victory across all competitions in club history. In contrast to their cautious first half with only three attempts and an expected goals (xG) value of 0.16, they dominated after halftime. They ended with an xG of 2.32 from 16 attempts and limited Cruz Azul to just two shots on target and an xG of 0.33.

This emphatic win helps erase memories of their previous defeat against Cruz Azul in the Concacaf Champions Cup. The Sounders' performance was both historic and memorable for fans and players alike.