TITLE: Tigres UANL vs. Seattle Sounders: Concacaf Champions Cup Quarterfinal Leg 1 Preview
Seattle Sounders FC travel to Nuevo León to take on Mexican giants Tigres UANL in the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday. The match kicks off at 9 pm ET from Estadio Universitario. Leg 2 will be played at Lumen Field on April 15, with the winner advancing to the semifinals.
Tigres UANL enter the match with momentum after a dramatic 5-1 victory over FC Cincinnati in the Round of 16. The Mexican side came from behind in the second leg after a 3-0 loss in the first, with Fernando Gorriarán scoring a 98th-minute winner to seal a 5-4 aggregate victory. Goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán and forward André-Pierre Gignac remain from the 2020 Concacaf Champions Cup-winning squad.
Seattle Sounders FC are no strangers to continental competition. The Sounders are the only MLS team to win the modern version of the tournament, doing so in 2022 under head coach Brian Schmetzer. They advanced through the Round of 16 with a 5-1 aggregate win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Paul Arriola and Paul Rothrock each scored twice in that series, showcasing the depth of the Sounders' attack.
The Sounders have been strong in MLS this season, earning 13 points from their first six matches. Goalkeeper Andrew Thomas has been a standout, making key saves and commanding the backline. Seattle’s ability to maintain form in high-stakes matches will be critical in a hostile environment.
Tigres have won three of their last five matches in all competitions, while the Sounders have won four of their last five. The Sounders have not played in Mexico since 2018, when they lost 2-1 to Club América in the Round of 16. Tigres are 3-1-0 at home in Concacaf Champions Cup play this season.
The winner of this series will face the winner of the Nashville SC vs. Club América matchup in the semifinals. The Concacaf Champions Cup final is scheduled for May 30, with the tournament winner earning a spot in the 2026 FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
The Sounders must balance their Concacaf commitments with an already demanding MLS schedule. The next match for the Sounders is a home game on April 12 against the San Jose Earthquakes.
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