Soccer

Seattle Sounders vs Al Ahly live score, updates, highlights from FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco

Photo of Best News And Media Affiliates Best News And Media AffiliatesFeb 4, 2023 1:08 pm
0 494 13 minutes read

The Seattle Sounders will make history as the first Major League Soccer club to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup when they take on Egyptian side Al Ahly in Morocco on Saturday for the right to play a semifinal against European giants Real Madrid.

No club from the USA or Canada club has ever qualified for the Club World Cup, as Mexican teams have dominated the North American continental championship over the last two decades. The Sounders qualified for the annual tournament by winning the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League.

Seattle produced a memorable victory over Mexican side UNAM Pumas in the two-legged Champions League final to break the stranglehold last April.

The Sounders, as the North American club title holders, enter the Club World Cup in the quarterfinals. They match up against Al Ahly, who beat Oceania champions Auckland City 3-0 on Wednesday. Al Ahly qualified in an unusual manner as the CAF Champions League runners-up. Hosts Morocco were set to nominate Wayad Casablanca as the host nation participant, but with the side winning the CAF Champions League, Al Ahly were entered into the “host nation” slot instead.

MORE: Full look at the FIFA Club World Cup tournament bracket, results, and fixtures in 2023

The Sporting News will be following the match live and providing score updates, commentary and highlights as they happen.

Seattle Sounders vs Al Ahly live score

  1H 2H Score
Seattle 0 0 0
Al Ahly 0 0 0

Goals:
None

Confirmed lineups:

Seattle Sounders (4-2-3-1, right to left): 24. Frei (GK) — 16. A. Roldan, 28. Y. Gomez, 25. Ragen, 5. Nouhou — 11. Rusnak, 84. Atencio — 7. C. Roldan, 10. Lodeiro, 13. Morris — 9. Ruidiaz

Al Ahly (4-5-1, right to left): 1. El Shenawy (GK) — 30. Hany, 4. Metwally, 24. Abdelmonem, 21. Maaloul — 7. Kharaba, 8. Fathi, 15. Dieng, 17. El Soulia, 27. T. Mohamed — 23. Tau.

Seattle Sounders vs Al Ahly live updates, highlights, commentary

Seattle Sounders vs. Al Ahly: Second half

48th min: Al Ahly controls the opening spell of possession as they did in the first half, but Alex Roldan makes a quality tackle on the right flank, and the Sounders win it back and control. The Sounders have been nothing short of excellent defensively today.

Kickoff: No changes at the break for either side, which isn’t surprising. Look for Brian Schmetzer to monitor his team’s energy levels closely, as this is their first competitive match of the season, and fitness could be a concern. Schemtzer did address his pre-match, saying he made sure his players followed strict fitness programs over the offseason, but it’s tough to replicate the fitness needed for competitive matches. It may restrict Schmetzer’s ability to use subs on player performance or tactical needs, instead forced to using his substitutes for fresh legs at certain positions. We shall see how that plays out.

HALFTIME: Seattle Sounders 0-0 Al Ahly

The Seattle Sounders will consider themselves the more dominant side in that opening half, but it didn’t amount to much in front of net. Both sides will be comfortable as they head into the locker room, and it looks like it may take a moment of brilliance from a player on either side to find a goal in this game.

In the other quarterfinal, Al Hilal advanced to face Palmeiras, topping hosts Wayad Casablanca on penalties in a dramatic finish. Just one semifinal participant to decide, and it will be decided in the final 45 minutes of this game, or penalties if required.

Seattle Sounders vs Al Ahly: First Half

45th min: Just as regulation time expires, Al Ahly has a peek at the Seattle penalty area but Jackson Ragan blocks the entry feed with an attacker lurking. They’ve had hardly a kick of the ball in the attacking third, and the Seattle defenders have done well to sniff out their creativity on the few occasions they have ventured forward.

42nd min: The Sounders have their fourth corner of the half, which is punched awkwardly straight in the air by Mohamed El Shenawy, but there’s no Seattle attacker to take advantage. Seattle have been the better side overall this half, especially since the opening 10 minutes, but they’ve struggled to really threaten the Egyptian goalkeeper much, if at all.

36th min: Chance, Sounders! Oh my Albert Rusnak has GOT to do better with that. Nicolas Lodeiro produced a brilliant back-heel, springing Rusnak into space at the top of the penalty area with no defenders tracking his run, but the Seattle midfielder rushed his shot and blasted it miles wide left. That’s an awful finish from a quality buildup, which have been lacking on both ends in this match.

It appears that Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer is keeping things fresh on the field tactically, with the side switching formations in and out of possession.

32nd min: This match has devolved into a midfield battle, with neither side really able to build forward into dangerous attacking moves. A chess match for sure, but one that has provided very little goal mouth action.

26th min: Mohamed El Shenawy is up and ready to continue. Seattle have maintained possession well since the opening 10 minutes, and have produced the only few chances, but they still seem to struggle a bit to really display a consistent cutting edge up in the build-up.

24th min: Jordan Morris, sporting bleached blond hair, wins Seattle a corner. It’s delivered to the far post well and Morris was there to connect, reaching it ahead of Mohamed El Shenawy who came out to punch but only got a slight touch. It appeared that touch, however, may have done just enough to put Morris off, and he headed the ball down and out of play.

El Shenawy is down and receiving treatment, as the trainers appear to check his ribs.

21st min: Seattle have built well into this match. A corner for the Sounders is bobbled around in the area a bit before it’s cleared. Al Ahly have a counter but Seattle recovers well.

14th min: Chance, Seattle! A Sounders free-kick from about 25 yards out is taken by Albert Rusnak who blasts it straight into the wall. It rebounds right to the feet of Nicolas Lodeiro though, and he blasts a frozen rope just slightly wide left. Beat the goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, but beat the post as well.

11th min: The Egyptians spent nearly the entire opening 10 minutes in the Seattle half, but finally the Sounders get themselves stuck into possession and venture forward. A good sign as they build into the match. They’re forced to cycle possession back but do so well.

5th min: Al Ahly are on the front foot early, attacking down their right flank. Josh Atencio blocks a cross before Anthony Taylor has a talk with Mohamed Hany and Nouhou who are battling often early on that wing.

2nd min: It appears Fox is having some difficulties with the broadcast feed from Morocco. The feed for the other quarterfinal cut out completely about 10 minutes ago, and now the commentary seems to be absent for the start of this match. Finally there’s a broadcaster who chimes in about 90 seconds in.

Kickoff: The Sounders officially become the first MLS club to participate in the Club World Cup! Looks who’s on hand to watch the game, it’s none other than part-owner Ken Griffey Jr, a Seattle legend in Tangier.

Seattle Sounders vs Al Ahly: Pre-match commentary, news, analysis, and more

9 mins to kick: As the game draws nearer, here’s a really fun reimagining of what the Club World Cup looks like, adding in the later stages of each continental competition that the clubs qualified from.

22 mins to kick: Seattle fans have shown up in Morocco! Looks like they’re enjoying the pre-match festivities. Have to imagine this will be a very hostile environment for the Sounders, with Egyptian fans enjoying a much quicker travel route to Morocco, but at least the Sounders will have some support on hand!

35 mins to kick: In the other quarterfinal taking place today, Moroccan club Wydad Casablanca, who are officially not the “host nation” club (that’s technically Al Ahly) as sitting CAF Champions League title holders, went ahead of Asian participant Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia early after halftime on a clunky goal by Ayoub El Amoud.

Al Hilal drew level late in regulation, though, on a penalty awarded in the 87th minute. The end of regulation was kind of bonkers, as it took ages for the penalty to be taken, and Casablanca’s Yahya Jabrane was sent off for a pair of yellow cards in the process, first for scuffing the penalty spot and then for dissent. It’s level as they head to extra-time, with the hosts down to 10 men. The winner of that match advances to face Brazilian side Flamengo in the semifinals.

45 mins to kick: The Sounders lineup is out now, and it’s exactly as expected. This same eleven started in a friendly against Wolfsberger a week ago, and as expected they’re together in the season opener at the Club World Cup. The midfield depth is a concern, but overall this is a similar look to last season’s CCL triumph.

55 mins to kick: The Al Ahly lineup is out, and surprisingly, leading scorer Mohamed Sherif is not amongst the starting eleven, and on his birthday no less. Al Ahly’s Swiss head coach Marcel Koller has decided to swap strikers, inserting South African international Percy Tau into the lineup instead. He has also rotated both wingers from the win over Auckland City.

It’s a show of faith from Koller after reports that the Egyptian club blocked a move for Tau to South African club Mamelodi Sundowns, where he started his youth career.

68 mins to kick: It’s not often you get a split household when continental champions collide in the Club World Cup, but American author G. Willow Wilson is facing just that today!

80 mins to kick: The Sounders went unbeaten through all eight matches in the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League, including six against non-MLS clubs. They secured good road results in some tough places to play, including a 0-0 draw in Honduras plus a pair of draws in Mexico against good Liga MX sides.

This is a battle tested team in road environments, including tough CONCACAF venues with less than ideal pitches and extremely hostile crowds.

90 mins to kick: Today’s venue looks gorgeous and ready to host a match! Ibn Batouta Stadium, also known as Grand Stade de Tangier, is a 65,000 seat stadium in Tangier, Morocco which first opened in 2011. It hosted matches in the 2018 Supercopa de Espana and has been part of previous FIFA World Cup bids by Morocco, as well as the currently in-process 2025 Africa Cup of Nations bid.

105 mins to kick: The Sounders are carrying the CONCACAF flag today, something Mexican clubs have been mostly tasked with to this point in the Club World Cup.

How have Mexican clubs done in the Club World Cup previously? It’s a mixed bag. Last tournament, Monterrey fell in their first match, to today’s very same opponent Al Ahly 1-0. However, two years ago, Tigres UNAL reached the final, defeating South Korean side Ulsan Hyundai in the quarterfinals before shocking Brazilian club Palmeiras in the semifinals. They were defeated 1-0 by Bayern Munich in the finals, a fine showing for the Liga MX club.

It was the fist time a CONCACAF side had ever reached the competition’s final, as our dear friend Grant Wahl pointed out at the time. Knowing Real Madrid stand in their way in the semifinals, it’s hard to imagine the Sounders can become the second, but that’s why they play the games, right? Have to first earn their chance in that potentially massive semifinal with a win today.

120 mins to kick: The Sounders are in an unusual position in this match. The MLS season doesn’t start for another three weeks, meaning they are entering into this massive FIFA tournament while still theoretically in their preseason. It will be fascinating to see how the squad responds, knowing there’s months of rust to shake off.

Al Ahly, for their part, are in the midst of their Egyptian Premier League campaign, where they sit atop the league table. They have not won a league title since the 2019/20 season, having won five straight prior to that.

Seattle Sounders vs Al Ahly lineups & team news

Seattle played in a pair of preseason friendlies in Spain before jetting over to Morocco, and they deployed what is likely their first-choice lineup in one of them.

The below 11 started against Austrian top-flight club Wolfsberger FC, and that lineup is almost identical to the best 11 from last season. The only depth issue appears to be in midfield, where 21-year-old academy product Josh Atencio could be primed to start alongside mainstay Albert Rusnak. The only other options are 19-year-old Daniel Leyva, 20-year-old Sota Kitahara or Joao Paulo, who’s coming off an ACL tear. Kelyn Rowe could be deployed in the middle, but the club is clearly trying to use him at full-back when possible.

Seattle Sounders projected starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Frei (GK) — A. Roldan, Y. Gomez, Ragen, Nouhou — Rusnak, Atencio — C. Roldan, Lodeiro, Morris — Ruidiaz

Seattle Sounders subs (12): Cissoko, Leyva, Teves, Dobbelare, Montero, Heber, Castro, Joao Paulo, Rowe, Chu, Cleveland, Arreaga.

Unlike their MLS opponents, Al Ahly are in the midst of their Egyptian league season. They sit atop the table without a loss all year long. Their star is goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, who has 42 caps for Egypt and is one of the country’s most popular players. No. 10 Amr El Solia is a threat up front as he pulls the strings in the attacking midfield role.

There are a few changes from Wednesday’s win over Auckland City. Both wide players are swapped, with Kharaba and Taher Mohamed entering the lineup, while Ahmed Abdelkader and Hussein El Shahat are sent to the bench.

Another player surprisingly amongst the substitutes is Al Ahly leading scorer Mohamed Sherif, with five league goals this season, plus one in the win over Auckland City. He sits in favor of South African striker Percy Tau who is rotated into the central striker spot.

Two Egypt internationals, Akram Tawfik and Karim Fouad, are both missing due to ACL tears. 

Al Ahly confirmed starting lineup (4-5-1): El Shenawy (GK) — Hany, Metwalli, Abdelmonem, Maaloul — Kahraba, Fathi, Dieng, El Solia, T. Mohamed — Tau.

Al Ahly subs (12): Abdelkader, Lotfi, Alaa, Shahat, Abdelfattah, Attia, Afsha, Ashraf, Fakhri, Sherif, Rabia, Ibrahim.

How to watch Seattle Sounders vs Al Ahly

  • Date: Saturday, Feb. 4
  • Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
  • TV channel: Fox Sports 2
  • Spanish-language TV: Fox Deportes
  • Streaming: fuboTV, Fox Sports app, Fox Sports Go

The Seattle Sounders’ match in the Club World Cup will be shown in the United States on Fox Sports 2, which is available to stream on fuboTV. The match will also be streamed on the Fox Sports platforms.

Fox Sports also has the Spanish language rights, with a Spanish-language broadcast available on Fox Deportes.

Seattle Sounders vs Al Ahly betting odds & lines

Odds via BetMGM (USA), Sports Interaction (Canada), SkyBet (UK), and Neds (Australia).

  Caesars Sports
Interaction		 SkyBet Neds
Seattle win +160 +155 6/4 2.45
Draw +220 +220 21/10 3.00
Al Ahly win +190 +170 13/8 2.65
Both teams
to score Y / N		 -115 / -115 — 4/5, 10/11 1.83 / 1.87
Over / Under
2.5 goals		 +120 / -150 — 11/10, 4/6 2.10 / 1.68
Seattle -0.5 +155 — — —
Al Ahly +0.5 -195 — — —


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Photo of Best News And Media Affiliates Best News And Media AffiliatesFeb 4, 2023 1:08 pm
0 494 13 minutes read
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