The Sounders open the group stages with a bang

After conceding a goal in the second minute, the Sounders fought back against Guatemala's Comunicaciones to open up Group D play of the CONCACAF Champions League with a resounding scoreline of 4-1. Comunicaciones managed an early lead, through a cross by Bryan Orroz into the box that Jairo Arreola. The Sounders fought their way back into the game in the thirty fifth minute, Mike Fucito serving the ball into the box off a corner kick and Brad Evans heading it in off the crossbar on the near post.

At the half the Sounders were absolutely dominating the match, with just over seventy percent of the possession. That trend continued on into the second half, as the Sounders proceeded in steamrolling the Guatemalan side. They would go down a man first, however. In the fifty fifth minute Lamar Neagle was shone a straight red for a rash kick to the shins of Juan Marquez. The ejection seemed to have the exact opposite effect one would have expected. Six minutes later Fucito received a brilliant pass from Fredy Montero into the box, which he took past the last defender and easily finished inside the far post. Fucito struck again another six minutes later, gathering the ball off of fantastic build-up by Brad Evans and Alvaro Fernandez and bending a sizzling shot into the back of the net.

Comunicaciones nearly got back into the game in the eightieth minute, after some chaos inside the Sounders' penalty area found the ball deflecting off of Patrick Ianni's thigh and apparently just over the goal line before being cleared by Ianni. The ref clearly missed it, and in the process of arguing with the ref Comunicaciones lost the man advantage Edgar Martinez receiving a second yellow and the resulting ejection.

Fuctio nearly capped the night off with a hat trick, but Rosales pass was cut off by a sliding Comunicaciones defender and knocked in for  an own goal.

Next up in CCL play the Sounders face reigning champs Monterrey away.