Two goals in the first half were everything Botafogo needed to open their FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) campaign with a 2-1 win over a combative Seattle Sounders side at Lumen Field.
Despite being clear underdogs before the match, the Sounders looked comfortable in the early moments, although that didn’t last long. Botafogo needed around 10 minutes to settle into the contest, and began testing Stefan Frei, with the veteran goalkeeper denying Igor Jesus’ header and Alex Telles’ volley before the quarter-hour mark.
Seattle responded via Jesus Ferreira with a wide shot, but the American side lacked ideas to threaten Botafogo’s defensive line.
It wasn’t surprising to see the Sounders dropping deeper as the game progressed, which allowed Botafogo to push higher up the pitch, and the Brazilian club capitalised on a colossal mistake to break the deadlock.
Nouhou Tolo pushed Artur, and the resulting free kick saw Telles set up Jair Cunha, who scored the first goal of his career with a thumping header from close range.
Seattle pushed the lines forward after the goal, but Botafogo would double their lead just before the half-time break when Vitinho’s cross was nodded home by Igor Jesus, giving the Copa Libertadores 2024 champions a two-goal lead by the interval.
The Sounders opened the second half with a different mindset and a more positive attitude, and they came close to being rewarded for that when Jackson Ragen nearly pulled one back from close range.
However, and even though Seattle pushed Botafogo into their half, their lack of clarity in the final third prevented them from capitalising on the few chances they managed to create until the 75th minute, when Cristian Roldan found the back of the net with a header that deflected off Igor Jesus and got past John.
The final 15 minutes were a monologue from the Sounders, but not even the introduction of players such as Pedro de la Vega or Osaze De Rosario helped the Americans.
Despite their efforts and a golden chance in the 94th minute, the Sounders couldn’t complete the comeback and endured a 2-1 defeat, even though they could’ve deserved a bit more based on their second-half efforts.
Botafogo will be happy to have earned the three points, but they should be concerned about their second-half performance with PSG and Atletico de Madrid next on their schedule.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Jair (Botafogo)