The Seattle Sounders defeated Inter Miami 3-0 in the Leagues Cup final on Sunday, and the time between the final whistle and the trophy lift offered eyebrow-raising scenes all their own.
Luis Suárez, who got into a few minor altercations but was frustratingly goal-less through the intense, physical match, took time after the final whistle to confront Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas. In that interaction, Suárez put his arm tightly around Vargas’ neck before being pulled away by Sounders players as more players and staff from both teams joined the melee.
At one point, after being pulled away from a large group confrontation, Suárez was shown on camera berating Sounders director of security Gene Ramirez, then spitting on Ramirez as he was pulled away by Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari and a Sounders staff member.
The incident is the latest controversy in a long career full of them for Suárez, including biting opponents on three separate occasions, numerous high-profile instances of simulation, and other moments of overly physical play of violent conduct.
In the past, MLS has handed down multi-game suspensions for spitting on players or match officials. Last season, Héctor Herrera was given a three-match ban for spitting in the direction of a referee – one game for the red card he received after VAR intervention, and two more from the league office. In 2023, Real Salt Lake’s Jasper Löffelsend was suspended for two games for spitting on an opponent.
After the incident on Sunday night, Suárez collected his runners-up medal along with Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and the rest of the Miami team who were held off successfully from scoring by a stingy Sounders side that by and large took advantage of their opportunities in front of goal.
Miami, by contrast, spurned their own chances. Messi and Suárez combined in Miami’s best move of the night, but Messi surprisingly put his effort from just a few yards out over the bar. Tadeo Allende, also could have equalized for Miami in the second half.
Osaze De Rosario, the son of former MLS great Dwayne de Rosario, struck first in the 26th minute, and Seattle sealed the trophy with two goals in the game’s closing stages as Miami pushed numbers forward.
Of chief importance in Seattle’s resistance was Vargas, the 20-year-old Alaska native who plays for Mexico’s national team. The defensive midfielder broke up numerous Miami attacks in central midfield, successfully intervening to snuff out runs from Messi and ensuring that Suárez rarely had the service he needed.
The flashpoint between Vargas and Suárez led to the larger confrontation between players and staff of both teams that could see some key players banned for upcoming games in the stretch run of the MLS season. In that gathering, cameras showed Miami’s Busquets put his hands to the face of Vargas, while multiple Sounders staff members seemed to escalate the situation by forcefully pulling Miami players away.
With the win, Seattle will qualify directly to the round of 16 of next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup, while Miami qualifies for the earlier stage of that tournament by virtue of making the Leagues Cup final. The trophy is Seattle’s ninth major honor since joining MLS in 2009.
