What happened: Seattle and SD went into halftime deadlocked at 0-0. The Sounders brought on Seba for Jesús in the 46th minute, and Deki broke the scoreless tie four minutes later.

Why it matters: The second-half strike gives Seattle the upper hand in 2026 MLS postseason play after a tight opening 45 minutes. Deki has provided timely offense for the club down the stretch, including an 80th-minute goal against Colorado on Sept. 20.

What to watch: Seattle will look to protect the 1-0 margin through the remaining 40 minutes of regulation as SD searches for an equalizer.