Santos Laguna's efforts to send a message turned into an early deficit and the Sounders earned a scrappy Leagues Cup win Sunday night at Lumen Field.

The Leagues Cup, first introduced in 2019, pits the best clubs from Major League Soccer against those from Mexico’s top professional league, Liga MX. It has led to some exciting action, as it gives each league the chance to earn bragging rights, along with the opportunity for clubs to take home a trophy.

On Thursday night, the Seattle Sounders demolished the reigning Concacaf Champions Cup winners, Cruz Azul, 7–0, taking no mercy in their tournament-opening performance, with shell-shocking moments until the final whistle.