FRISCO, Texas — After losing their first match at the 2019 Generation adidas Cup, the Seattle Sounders knew they needed to win the rest of their matches to capture the Champions Division crown. After recording three straight 1-0 wins to reach the semifinal, Seattle dominated West Ham on Thursday, winning 4-0, to become the first MLS team to reach the Champions Division final under the current format.
The Sounders came into the match having won their final two group games against Flamengo and Montreal Impact before defeating River Plate — a 3-time Champions Division champion — in the quarterfinals. West Ham had won their four previous matches, including wins over MLS sides FC Dallas and the LA Galaxy.
"We started off [the tournament] with a slow start. But it was perfect catalyst for what [we're here for]," coach Ryan Faithfull told MLSsoccer.com after the match. "We spoke a lot about our identity and how we want to play. And who we are as Sounders and as people from Seattle. It's all about being hard-working and, most of all, humble.
Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez came into the match with three game-winning goals and he added his fourth of the tournament seven minutes in. First-team signee Danny Leyva found Elias Katsaros on the backpost from a free kick and the center back was able to find Ocampo-Chavez alone as the striker headed the ball into an open net.
Ocampo-Chavez, a member of Seattle's USL Championship team Tacoma Defiance, got his second of the match in the 18th minute. He was able to finish with his right foot off of a Ray Serrano-Lopez cross, his Defiance teammate. Katsaros found a goal of his own off of a set piece and Ocampo-Chavez finished off his hat trick in the 25th minute after the West Ham United 'keeper made a mistake while in possession.
Ocampo-Chavez's 6 GA Cup goals
West Ham striker Kai Corbett came into the match as the Champions Division Golden Boot-leader, but Ocampo-Chavez overtook him on Thursday and now has six goals in five GA Cup matches.
"[Winning the golden boot] wasn't really a goal of mine for this tournament," the 17-year-old told MLSsoccer.com. "My goal for this tournament is just to win it...because we're working hard this tournament and it's great to be the goalscoring leader."
The rest of the match saw each side exchange chances but neither team was to find a goal.
Seattle will now face Valencia in the final on Saturday at 7 pm ET in what is a rematch from the first game of the tournament when Valencia beat Seattle 1-0. The match will be streamed on Twitch.
