Rotated Sounders Fall to Chivas, Brian Schmetzer Motivated By Team Effort in Defeat
It was expected that iconic Mexican side Chivas de Guadalajara would bring in plenty of fans to rival that of the host Seattle Sounders in Wednesday's Leagues Cup Phase One finale.
You can say they did that, as the stands were chock-full of fans donning the classic red and white stripes, chanting "CHIIIIIVAS" as the Liga MX giant downed Seattle 2-1.
The result left both teams at 1-2 in the tournament, ending their respective runs in the competition, which Seattle won for the first time in 2025. But the Sounders, now losers of eight of their last nine games, had already prioritized a busy upcoming MLS stretch by rotating heavily against Chivas — head coach Brian Schmetzer started four Tacoma Defiance call-ups in the game and changed to an unusual 3-4-3 formation for this one.
Schmetzer knew his team would need a win of Biblical proportions plus outside help to advance, and instead rested key pieces like Albert Rusnak, Jackson Ragen and Nouhou for a Sunday bout with Western Conference-leading Vancouver.
Watching a team full of younger guys hang around with a quality opponent, however, made the longtime Seattle skipper emotional postgame.
"That's what it means to wear the jersey," Schmetzer said of his team's effort. "The way those guys fought was the best thing about this evening. Yeah, we didn't win, I get it."
Club legend and goalkeeper Stefan Frei, on duty for this tournament in place of MLS starter Andrew Thomas, saw Wednesday as a chance to keep crawling out of this team-wide slump.
"We're trying to find positives right now," Frei said. "Even though the tournament (was) essentially gone, we're trying to create something today that we can build upon for the weekend when we play Vancouver."
Vandals Electric Start Spoils New-Look Cougars Season Opener
102 seconds. That’s all it took for Washington State women’s head soccer coach Chris Citowicki to get his first taste of adversity as stared down a 1-0 deficit to start the season.
Outmatched from the start by the rival Idaho Vandals, senior goalkeeper Ashlyn Dvorak misplayed a cross less than two minutes into action, which led to a tap in goal from Calli Chiarelli.
The dry summer heat beamed down on a Wazzu side that had eight transfer starters following their new coach from Montana. But Citowicki’s debut continued to go south as Idaho’s Alyssa Hamilton sent in a long looping ball from outside that found her teammate Hallie Prinos-Grumbach for a top left header goal, and just like that, the rout was on.
Wazzu needed to stop the bleeding, but the Vandals struck again at the 9:41 mark. From almost midfield, Prinos-Grumbach sent in a sky ball that evaded all Cougar defenders and found her teammate Hamilton for the header goal, returning the favor after the earlier assist.
Derick Hall Rising Star for Seahawks Thanks to Screen Time on Hard Knocks
If Derick Hall wasn’t on the map for football fans before February, he certainly is now. He arrived in Seattle as a second round pick in 2023 to fairly little fanfare. That was the same draft where the Seahawks had two first round picks and used them to create what is now a Super Bowl-winning core of Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Hall was their next pick, early in the second round.
Once he got to the team, he was not on the same level as players like Boye Mafe, Darrell Taylor, Uchenna Nwosu, and Dre’Mont Jones. He was well down the depth chart to start his NFL career. After a quiet rookie season in 2023, the final season for former coach Pete Carroll, he seemed to click more in Mike Macdonald’s system the next year. He ranked second on the team with eight sacks and 20 quarterback hits. It looked like he was an ascending player.
During the 2025 regular season, however, Hall once again was rather quiet, with just two sacks to his name. Then, the playoffs started. In Seattle’s dominant 29-13 win in Super Bowl LX over the Patriots, few players had a better case to be named the game’s MVP than Hall. His pair of sacks and two tackles for loss were just the tip of the iceberg of just how dominant he was in that game. He included four quarterback pressures and a forced fumble on his resume that night.
‘It’s Me Versus Me': Versatile Weapon Velus Jones Jr. Aims to Force Way Onto Seahawks Roster
On his way to the first All-Pro selection of his NFL career, few found success matched up against Ernest Jones manning the middle in coverage for the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
Tying for the league lead among linebackers with five regular season interceptions and adding a sixth one in the playoffs, Jones excelled taking away many of the best pass catching running backs and linebackers in the NFL in 2025. But during the dog days of training camp, one player has occasionally proven to be his Kryptonite, and he bears the same namesake, albeit with no relation.
Drawing the assignment of manning up on versatile playmaker Velus Jones Jr. in Tuesday’s 15th camp practice, Jones initially had him covered, sticking to his hip pocket as backup quarterback Drew Lock progressed through his initial read to the right side. But in this case, the do-it-all linebacker wasn’t able to “Keep up with the Joneses,” as the speedy back made a hesitation move faking an inside break before darting back outside, quickly gaining a couple steps of separation on a wheel route.
Even with pressure bearing down on him, Lock showcased his elite arm talent with the flick of a wrist, launching a perfect back-shoulder throw off his back foot to connect on a 20-yard touchdown with Jones, who entered camp listed as a receiver on Seattle’s roster before being slid back to running back after the release of Kenny McIntosh. On that grab, he certainly looked every bit like the converted receiver he is reeling in the pass with soft hands and outstanding body control, proving once again he’s up for the challenge making plays from anywhere.
“It's me versus me. My goal is to be better than yesterday, and so that's the mentality I attack everything with,” Jones said of juggling multiple positions prior to Monday’s practice. “And so anywhere they need me, I'll be pretty versatile. Just enjoying each and every day, trying to push myself to get better and better.”
It’s Time for Unraveling Mariners to Call Up Kade Anderson
Let’s face it. The Seattle Mariners’ season is circling the drain. While they are not technically eliminated, it certainly doesn’t feel like they will even come close to the goals they had at the start of the season. Winning the AL pennant and getting to the franchise’s first World Series now feel like little more than a pipe dream.
Sure, mathematically, things can turn around. But Mariners fans have been hearing about it all year. How it’s a “long season” and this team is “too talented” to fail so hard. Yet they have. When you look inside the dugout during games, there is more enthusiasm at a mortician’s convention. This team, and fanbase, need a jolt of excitement, even if it’s temporary and won’t necessarily help them make the playoffs.
Whenever a team calls up one of their prized prospects, there is instant excitement. The Mariners certainly have no shortage of highly touted prospects. None might be more hyped than left-handed starting pitcher Kade Anderson.
NCAA Approves Skylar Wicks' Waiver, 6-6 Combo Guard Eligible For Gonzaga
Even when Skylar Wicks committed to the Gonzaga Bulldogs in late June, there was reasonable doubt about whether he would actually don a Zags uniform.
The Saint Francis transfer was seeking a seventh season of eligibility, with GU slated as the sixth school of Wicks’ career. But the 6-6 guard recently received great news concerning his status for another year of collegiate basketball.
First reported by Dushawn London of 247Sports.com, the NCAA approved the 26-year-old’s waiver last Tuesday, officially adding an experienced, shot-creating guard with rebounding prowess to the Bulldogs’ backcourt.
Camp Takeaways: Devon Witherspoon Focused on Football, Seahawks’ Defense Steals Show in Practice 15
Still without a new contract three weeks into training camp, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon isn’t sweating his long-term status with the franchise as he continues to take care of business between the lines.
Since camp opened, Witherspoon has been a full participant for Seattle, active in every practice while only having a couple of veteran rest days where he didn’t see much action during team drills. Unlike some players who would have chosen to hold out or “hold in” while still being in attendance, the All-Pro corner told reporters after Tuesday’s 15th practice that even without a new contract in tow just yet, he doesn’t believe in skipping out on practice time.
“I’m not worried about that right now,” Witherspoon said of his contract situation. “I’m focused on making plays and trying to get better day by day. We’ve got other stuff to focus on, with the goal of trying to win games, so that’s my focus right now.”
Entering his fourth NFL season, Witherspoon currently has two years left on his rookie deal after Seattle exercised his fifth-year option back in March. Under the terms of the remaining years on the contract, he carries a $10.3 million cap hit for the upcoming 2026 season and that hit balloons to $21 million next season with the option.
Nick Emmanwori Passes Physical, Seahawks Place Robbie Ouzts on Injured Reserve
Checking off the criteria for a mixed bag of news dropping at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on Tuesday, the Seattle Seahawks received positive injury news for one of their biggest stars while also losing an offensive starter for the season.
As officially announced by the team via their website, second-year safety Nick Emmanwori passed his physical on Tuesday morning, clearing a major hurdle three weeks after undergoing arthroscopic ankle surgery. Unfortunately, while the Defensive Rookie of the Year runner up from a year ago looks poised to be ready for Week 1, the team won’t have fullback Robbie Ouzts available at all in 2026 after placing him on season-ending injured reserve.
In a corresponding move to fill Ouzts’ spot on the 53-man roster, Seattle signed linebacker Aaron Smith, who spent last season with the New York Jets on the practice squad after going undrafted out of South Carolina.
Mere days before training camp started, Emmanwori landed on the Physically Unable to Perform list, which came as a surprise to many considering the defender participated in OTAs and mandatory minicamp in full. However, he still had some discomfort stemming from an ankle injury suffered during the week of the Super Bowl, leading to the decision made mutually by the team and player to do a clean up procedure before the season started.
The Montlake Report: Huskies’ Defense Brings Back Big Weapon Thanks to ‘5-in-5’ Ruling
The Washington Huskies football team brought back Ta'ita'i Uiagalelei after he was granted an additional year under the recently passed ‘5-in-5’ rule, while safety Alex McLaughlin and Ramzak Fruean dominated at Day 4 of UW fall camp.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Aaron Coe breaks down everything he saw and heard at the second padded practice from Huskies' camp, including how Uiagalelei’s return will bolster Washington’s front line and further improve a group that is expected to take a big leap in 2026.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Flush Sky, Snap Monstrous Skid
The Seattle Storm played with a lead most of the game, defeated the Chicago Sky 97-88 and avoided what would have been a season-worst 12-game losing streak on Monday, Aug. 10, at Climate Pledge Arena.
Seattle (7-28), despite being short-handed without Flau’jae Johnson, snapped a long losing streak that began on July 9. Dominique Malonga led the Storm with 26 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and three blocks — another dominant night for the team’s young star.
Natisha Hiedeman (18 points, nine assists) and Zia Cooke (16 points) also were major contributors in the Storm victory.
Chicago (12-21) took another hit in its pursuit to get back in the playoff hunt. The Sky have lost three of its last four games and are seven games out from eighth place with 11 games remaining. DiJonai Carrington led the Sky with 26 points and five steals.
Camp Takeaways: Seahawks Keeping Options Open at Cornerback, Including Interest in Terrion Arnold
Now entering the third week of training camp, as competitions continue to heat up in the secondary, Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald isn’t interested in naming a third cornerback just yet.
And with the preseason opener against the Dallas Cowboys approaching just five days away, there may or may not be a newcomer jumping into that mix in the near future.
Speaking with reporters after Monday’s 14th padded camp practice, Macdonald didn’t shoot down Seattle’s reported interest in ex-Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold, confirming the Seahawks had him in the facility for a tryout on Sunday. The former first round pick faces eight felony charges in Florida stemming from a kidnapping and robbery incident in February, but that hasn’t stopped the organization from doing their due diligence checking up on a talented player.
“We had him in for a great visit, a great tryout,” Macdonald said. “It’s a situation where there’s some other things surrounding it as well, but we’re working through the situation right now. It was a really great visit and I really enjoyed meeting him and I think he enjoyed being here, so we’ll see where it goes.”
Ugly Anniversary Sweep Symbolizes Futility of Mariners Nostalgia
Outsiders have doubted this franchise for 49 years,” Alvin Davis said to cap off the Mariners’ 50th anniversary. “Let that doubt fuel you; prove them wrong. We believe in you; prove us right.”
There comes a point where the past and future clash and one side must win. For the Mariners, this was no more obvious than when the team celebrated the 50th anniversary of the team’s inception over the course of 1976.
To put it diplomatically, the previous 50 years have been some of the most comically inept and irrelevant in American athletic history. Until “the Kid” came along, the most famous man to ever wear a Mariners logo was a serial killer; By the time Bill Bavasi was done with the team, the city saw him with equivalent contempt.
It’s hard to run out of ways to describe the depths of humiliation the team has found in 50 years. At least the Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t ever had that much raw generational talent; the M’s wasted the Hall of Fame primes of Ken Griffey Jr., Ichiro, and Edgar Martinez. If Randy Johnson hadn’t “quiet quit” more than two decades before that word entered common parlance, he would have suffered the same fate.
Nostalgia can be destructive even when the thing being looked back upon is good, but in the Mariners’ case, nostalgia seems diametrically opposed to success. It is as if there is a giant blinking neon sign telling the organization that it can choose one: dwelling on the past or winning a World Series. The M’s need not forget the past, but the outright reverence that the organization holds towards failure brings nothing but a rather karmic continuation of such.
After all, in 49 years of outsiders doubting the Seattle Mariners, those outsiders have been right 49 times. And based on the way the Mariners played against the Tampa Bay Rays - and the situation they put themselves in - there’s no reason to think that season 50 will end any differently.
WATCH: Reign Split Points with Angel City in Thriller Battle For Last Playoff Spot
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Qasim Ali breaks down a 2-2 Sunday draw between the Seattle Reign (7-7-3, 9th in NWSL) and Angel City FC (7-7-3, 8th in NWSL).
Attacking midfielder Sally Menti and striker Mia Fishel each finished with a goal and assist as the Reign scored their two goals within two minutes of each other in the early second half. The result marks the second straight game Seattle has managed to change a result by scoring in the second half — something the Reign have struggled with in 2026. Fishel’s goal, a curling shot to the top-left corner in the 52nd minute, was a showstopper as the 24-year-old finds her footing with her third goal of the season.
Angel City substitute Prisca Chilufya scored a floating goal in the 72nd, however, to equalize before both teams missed out on late chances at a winner in stoppage.
Seattle remains out of the playoff picture with 13 games to play by virtue of Angel City having a better goal differential. The Reign will be back in action at Lumen Field at 7 p.m. on Friday against the Chicago Stars.
Camp Preview: New Faces to Know on Washington State's Defense
With just under a month until Washington State opens the 2026 season, there are plenty of new faces on the Cougars’ defense.
Washington State enters the season with a new coaching staff led by head coach Kirby Moore and defensive coordinator Trent Bray. The Cougars also saw significant turnover on defense during the offseason, with several players entering the transfer portal and a number of veterans exhausting their eligibility.
That leaves Bray with the challenge of putting together a new-look defense in a short amount of time without much personnel that was in Pullman last season. While Washington State still has returning pieces such as linebacker Keith Brown, much of the defense will feature players who were not on the field for the Cougars last season.
Washington State brought in several experienced transfers to help fill those holes. Four players in particular could have a major impact on the Cougars’ defense this season.
Huskies Camp Day 3: Putting on the Pads, Uiagalelei Returns
Study hall is over, and the real classes have begun.
The Huskies put on the pads for the first time on Sunday, and 2026 University of Washington football school is officially in session.
“Today just felt so good getting the pads on,” second-year offensive lineman John Mills said. “Last time was a spring game, and that was it was kind of a tempo-down practice. But now we're just getting fall camp, getting ready for the season — being able to hit people is always fun.”
Sounders Snap 7-Game Skid, Down Queretaro 3-0 in Leagues Cup Group Stage
The Seattle Sounders finally got a result on Sunday afternoon, and they did it emphatically.
To snap a franchise-worst seven-game losing streak, the Rave Green took down Liga MX side Queretaro 3-0 in the second game of their Leagues Cup run, scoring in a variety of well-executed attacks.
Seattle's offense was fueled by Tacoma Defiance signee Sebastian Gomez, who made his first start on the right wing to total an early goal and an assist by the game's end. Designated player Albert Rusnak scored his first goal in three months late, while Danny Musovski scored one of two Paul Rothrock assists for the first goal by a Sounders starting striker in 2026.
Just as the good feeling peaked late in the second half, 2025 Leagues Cup MVP Pedro de la Vega made his season debut after rehabbing from a knee injury since last fall. After eight solid minutes in which he opened eyes with his individual quality on the ball, de la Vega went down with a non-contact left quad injury to put a dampener on the good vibes Seattle had meticulously accrued.
The Sounders, still on a six-game MLS losing streak at 7-7-3 and out of the playoff picture, out-possessed Queretaro at over 60% and put up over two expected goals, thanks in large part to an improved performance from a rejuvenated defending midfield.
All in all, Seattle addressed plenty of issues and filled in gaps caused by key injuries well, starting the path toward salvaging what's been a 2026 season gone awry.
"The focus was on (the team) believing that they could win," head coach Brian Schmetzer said postgame.
From all appearances, and a lighter locker room postgame, the Sounders have at least started the process of regaining that confidence.
‘I Can Do Everything': Montorie Foster Jr. Relishing Second Chance as Seahawks’ Biggest Camp Surprise
Taking the snap and moving the pocket slightly to his left, Jalen Milroe scanned the field midway through the Seattle Seahawks’ annual Fan Fest practice at Lumen Field, setting his back foot and launching the football deep down the left sideline.
Normally an excellent downfield passer with a powerful arm, Milroe’s throw seemed to catch a bit too much of the wrong current, running out of steam as the ball floated several yards short of his intended target in receiver Montorie Foster Jr. Most of the time, an incompletion would be the best case scenario on such a badly underthrown go ball, and with two defenders in the area, an interception almost seemed probable as the pass started to descend towards the turf.
However, showing great awareness tracking the football, Foster astutely worked back towards the pass with safety D’Anthony Bell not being privy to the ball coming up several yards short through the air. Taking advantage of Bell’s back being turned to the ball, the second-year wideout reeled the pass in along the sideline and then turned back inside, managing to sprint past two defenders before turning back upfield and outracing the rest of the converging defense for an unexpected 48-yard touchdown reception.
Becoming an expert at turning the unexpected into reality during his first full training camp with the Seahawks, Foster’s latest efforts didn’t surprise Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald, who has reached the point where he’s run out of words to describe the upstart wideout’s emergence as he continues to stack strong practice after strong practice.
“I'm seeing the same thing as you guys are,” Macdonald said of Foster, who drew praise from receiver Rashid Shaheed after Friday’s practice. “It's great. He's doing a great job for himself. He just really is. I don't have anything else to add, except he's doing a phenomenal job.”
Washington Men’s Basketball Mid-Summer Outlook: Projected Depth Chart, Key Questions, Expectations
The Huskies men’s basketball program has not had much success in recent years. Mike Hopkins was let go in 2024 after a 17-15 season. Pullman native Danny Sprinkle was hired to lead the purple and gold back to relevance, but his first two years have been a struggle.
After reaching the Round of 32 at Utah State, Sprinkle brought his star Great Osobor to Montlake with a reshaped roster. Osobor showed up to UW notably out of shape and high expectations quickly turned into a forgettable 13-18 season. Yet re-signing freshman star Zoom Diallo and a host of high-end transfers again had fans expecting a tournament team.
Future lottery pick Hannes Steinbach teamed up with Diallo, but most of their supporting cast was injured. Sprinkle was able to get to 16-17, but again, could not get his injury-riddled team to the NCAA tournament.
Instant Takeaways: Storm Tie Season-Long Losing Streak With Loss to Fire
Dominique Malonga and Jade Melbourne combined for 44 points against a short-handed Portland Fire squad, but the Seattle Storm once again whiffed on a clutch game victory in a 100-93 loss on Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Moda Center.
Melbourne set a new career-high with 23 points and five assists, while Malonga added 21 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocks. The rest of the Storm’s starters struggled, however, and the bench had to contribute 32 points to keep Seattle (6-28) in the game.
Portland (13-19) lost its leading scorer early, but it got consistent offense from the entire team to win its second straight game. Bridget Carleton totaled a team-high 24 points, six rebounds and four assists. The Fire’s short streak comes after losing five in a row.
Analysis: Observations From Seahawks’ 2026 Football Fan Fest
Taking the next step towards their upcoming regular season opener against the New England Patriots, the Seattle Seahawks welcomed fans back to Lumen Field for their annual Football Fan Fest practice on Saturday.
As they have done each of the previous two years with coach Mike Macdonald at the helm, Seattle held a full-fledged padded practice rather than a glorified scrimmage, mixing in plenty of individual drills, competitive 1-on-1 reps, and special teams time before implementing situational 11-on-11 team sessions. Crediting the 12s for showing up even with the Mariners playing next door, Macdonald felt pleased with the work his team got done in what amounted to a roughly 100-minute practice.
I really appreciate the effort that everybody took to get out. Thank you,” Macdonald said. “Having a lot of enthusiasm, just really felt the love from the 12s today. So that was really great. And then in addition to that, I think we got some really good work in. It wasn't the longest practice of all time, but we got some good stuff in, and we'll be ready to go next Saturday.”
What stood out at Seattle’s annual Fan Fest?
Explore our latest Seattle sports content by clicking on your favorite team(s) below!
