Lodeiro scores as Sounders rally to hold Pumas in CONCACAF Champions final

Nicolas Lodeiro scored two second-half penalties as the Seatle Sounders stunned Mexican side Pumas UNAM to snatch a 2-2 draw in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final on Wednesday.

Seatle skipper Lodeiro completed a remarkable fightback in the ninth minute of stoppage time, burying his second spotkick of the game to give the Sounders an improbable draw at Mexico City’s Estadio Olimpico Universitario.

Uruguay international Lodeiro had handed Seatle a lifeline in the 77th minute ater sloting the Sounders’ first penalty.

Until that point Pumas had looked to be cruising to victory ater two goals from Argentine striker Juan Dinenno let the Mexican club in control of the tie.

But the game swung back in Seatle’s favour ater two interventions from VAR resulted in Sounders penalties.

The first came 13 minutes from time when VAR ruled Pumas substitute Sebastian Saucedo handled in the area.

VAR then prompted referee Ivan Barton to award a second Seatle penalty deep into stoppage time ater Cristian Roldan was adjudged to have been fouled in the box.

The extraordinary conclusion means Seatle’s hopes of becoming the first team from Major League Soccer to be crowned champions of North America, Central America and the Caribbean since 2000 are very much alive.

Seatle coach Brian Schmetzer admited however that his team had been below par.

“It might take me until we’re halfway back home to really understand what happened in the game,” Schmetzer said. “It certainly was an interesting game.

“I think it’s just geting back to our team understanding what we’re good at because tonight I don’t think we were at our best.”

Seatle host Pumas in the return leg next Tuesday.

For long periods on Wednesday, Seatle looked dead and buried as Pumas took a 2-0 lead.

Dinenno rifled home a controversial first-half penalty before burying a header early in the second half to put the Mexican club ahead.

A lacklustre first half burst into life just ater the half-hour mark when Pumas striker Dinenno was brought crashing down in the area ater a rugged joint challenge from Yeimar Gomez Andrade and Xavier Arreaga.

Barton pointed to the spot and despite furious protests from Seatle players there was no intervention from VAR to overturn the decision.