Dejan Joveljić needed a mere twelve minutes to open his Sounders FC account at Lumen Field on Saturday night, delivering an instant jolt to the Rave Green faithful. Our new No. 9 didn’t stop there either, following up with a would-be game-winning goal in the 48th minute. It was a dream debut performance, absolutely electric, but then Robert Lewandowski and Chicago Fire FC came in and ruined the matinee with a late response, forcing the Sounders to settle for a frustrating 2-2 tie. A brace in your debut should be a win, plain and simple, but sometimes soccer just breaks your heart.
Instant Impact, Still No W
The feeling of seeing Joveljić bag that first goal, then the second, was pure magic. “The feeling was amazing,” Joveljić told Apple TV postgame. “To play in front of this crowd, it’s amazing… They gave us the push that we needed, and I’m very happy. Hopefully I’m going to see them next game and next game.” You could feel that energy in the Emerald City, no doubt. Joveljić, 27 and in his sixth MLS season, joined us in a blockbuster $6 million cash-for-player trade from Sporting Kansas City just four days before this debut. What a steal, right? Coach Brian Schmetzer saw it too. “You saw glimpses of not just what Dejan can do,” Schmetzer said. “Because what I told you guys was he’s going to make everybody around us better… That locker room feels like they have something.” He’s the second player in Sounders history to notch a multi-goal debut in the MLS era, dating back to Fredy Montero’s first game in 2009. That’s elite company, folks.
The Playoff Battle and a Stubborn Streak
While Joveljić’s brace was incredible, it also marked our first multi-goal game since that 3-2 win over the San Jose Earthquakes back on May 13. Yeah, it’s been a minute. But the good news didn’t stop with the new striker. Sounders fans were absolutely stoked to see Cristian Roldan and Jordan Morris back on the pitch after recent injury sidelines. Coach Schmetzer made it clear that while Joveljić is a huge piece, it’s not a one-man show. “What we tried to do as a coaching staff was make him understand that it’s not just a one-man show,” Schmetzer explained. “That there were expectations on Christian coming back and Jordan coming back… the losing streak and tightness that sometimes teams can feel with not having won a game in a long time, and so we talked about those expectations openly before the game.” This tie didn’t snap the brutal 10-game winless run, but Joveljić’s goals pushed us within two points of a Western Conference Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs spot. Our guys are right there, knocking on the door.
This team needs to win, and Joveljić gets it. Schmetzer mentioned, “He is a humble guy,” and after the game, when they gave him the game ball, he said, “‘I came here not just to score, but to win,’ and he wants to get this team into the playoffs.” He wants to get back to the MLS Cup. He’s going to help this team get there, and we’re ready for it. Next game, this team needs to break this winless streak and turn that two-point gap into a playoff position. Let’s go, Sounders!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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