SEATTLE -- Seattle Sounders manager Brian Schmetzer hailed attacking duo Nico Lodeiro and Raul Ruidiaz as being instrumental in his side's historic CONCACAF Champions League triumph over Pumas.
The Sounders stormed a 3-0 win in Wednesday's second-leg at Lumen Field to claim a 5-2 aggregate victory and become the first Major League Soccer side to win the competition in its new format, which started in 2008-09.
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Ruidiaz scored twice, while Lodeiro added a goal and an assist, in a stellar attacking display.
"Raul is a killer, in a good way, not in a bad way," Schmetzer said. "And, you know in the NFL, they have the franchise players? Isn't that what they what they have? You can call Nico the franchise player."
Ruidiaz's first-half strike, one that deflected off Diogo and past opposing goalkeeper Alfredo Talavera, edged Seattle to a 1-0 half-time lead, despite losing two starters -- Nouhou and Joao Paulo -- to injury.
Schmetzer said that Joao Paulo has a suspected torn ACL, while Nouhou has a quad contusion. But Schmetzer praised the play of substitutes Kelyn Rowe and 16-year-old Obed Vargas.
"[Rowe] was fighting a little bit of an injury, and he was a little bit 50/50 on whether he was actually going to be able to even play," Schmetzer said.
"He gutted it out, because he wanted to participate in the game. And then if you want to talk about Obed Vargas, I mean, that was an easy decision, too, because the kid has played some big games for us, and he stepped in and performed."
Pumas increased the pressure in the second half, but a moment of composure on the ball from Albert Rusnak sparked a sequence in which Jordan Morris and Lodeiro combined to set up Ruidiaz for his second.
"Albert's composure in that moment is exactly what we needed because Pumas came out in the second half when it was 1-0 and Stef [Frei] made that save, and they were on top of us," Schmetzer said.
"We couldn't get a hold of the ball. And we're on the bench going, 'What can we do? Can we make subs?' No, we can't make subs. So how are we going to get a message to the team? How are we going to get that little bit of composure that we need? And Albert delivered in that moment, and so credit to him for starting that sequence for that second goal."
Lodeiro finished off the scoring in the 88th minute, converting on a rebound after Talavera had touched Morris' shot off the post.
Schmetzer made sure that Ruidiaz, Lodeiro and Morris had a proper send-off, substituting the trio in stoppage time so the fans could show their appreciation.
"I was just happy that the game kind of unfolded to give me an opportunity to give those three players their due," Schmetzer added.
"It's just the respect that, the fans again, give them a little bit of love as they come off the field for a job well done."