Igor Jesus headed home what proved to be the decisive goal as Brazilian side Botafogo secured a 2-1 victory over hosts Seattle Sounders in Sunday's FIFA Club World Cup fixture at Lumen Field.
The Brazilian outfit made the most of their chances in front of 30,151 spectators, building a two-goal cushion before halftime despite Seattle enjoying more possession and territorial advantage.
"The difference is always in front of the goal," Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan explained after the match. "Defending their crosses and taking care of our chances that we have in their box. That's the difference."
Botafogo's clinical edge was evident as they converted an xG of just 0.66 into two first-half headers. Jair Cunha opened the scoring in the 29th minute from an Alex Telles free kick before Jesus doubled the advantage shortly before the break in the 43rd minute.
Interestingly, the market value disparity between the sides tells part of the story - Botafogo's squad is valued at €163.2m, more than triple Seattle's €51.75m. Just Jesus alone (€15m) is worth more than the Sounders' entire front three combined (€7.3m).
Seattle's Brian Schmetzer attempted to change the momentum midway through the second half by introducing Paul Rothrock and Pedro de la Vega. The substitutions brought fresh energy, with Roldan eventually pulling one back in the 75th minute via a deflected header.
Despite finishing with better possession (58%) and xG statistics (2.18 to 0.9), the Sounders couldn't find an equalizer as Botafogo held firm to claim the win.
"They had their chances and they scored," lamented Seattle midfielder Obed Vargas. "We had our chances and missed."
The result means MLS teams are still searching for their first win in this expanded FIFA Club World Cup, after Lionel Messi's Inter Miami were held to a goalless draw by Al-Ahly on Saturday.
The task doesn't get any easier for Seattle, who next face Spanish giants Atlético Madrid on June 19 at Lumen Field. Can the Sounders produce an upset against the LaLiga side who were thrashed 4-0 by PSG in their opener?
Meanwhile, Botafogo will travel to Los Angeles to take on European champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Rose Bowl, also on June 19.
