By Tyler Snipes
That didn’t take very long.
Twelve minutes into his Seattle Sounders FC debut, Dejan Joveljić opened his Rave Green account, announcing himself to the masses at Lumen Field on Saturday.
Following up with the would-be game-winning goal in the 48th minute added up to a dream debut for Seattle’s new No. 9 before Robert Lewandowski and Chicago Fire FC spoiled the matinee match with a late response, forcing Joveljić and the Sounders to settle for a 2-2 tie.
Settling for the draw didn’t dampen the excitement of bagging a brace in his Seattle debut.
“The feeling was amazing,” Joveljić told Apple TV postgame. “To play in front of this crowd, it’s amazing… They gave us the push that we needed, and I’m very happy.
“Hopefully I’m going to see them next game and next game.”
Instant impact
Joveljić, 27, in his sixth MLS season, joined the Sounders in a blockbuster $6 million cash-for-player trade from Sporting Kansas City just four days before his debut on Saturday.
“You saw glimpses of not just what Dejan can do,” head coach Brian Schmezer said postgame. “Because what I told you guys was he’s going to make everybody around us better… That locker room feels like they have something.”
With his goals, Joveljić became the second player in Sounders history to notch a multi-goal debut in their MLS era, dating back to Fredy Montero, who achieved the feat in Seattle’s first-ever MLS match in 2009.
Playoff push
In the context of the season, the Serbian international’s brace marked the Sounders’ first multi-goal game since their last victory, a 3-2 win over the San Jose Earthquakes on May 13.
Sounders fans also left the stadium happy to see the return of stars Cristian Roldan and Jordan Morris, who were both sidelined with injuries in recent weeks.
“What we tried to do as a coaching staff was make him understand that it’s not just a one-man show,” explained Schmetzer. “That there were expectations on Christian coming back and Jordan coming back… the losing streak and tightness that sometimes teams can feel with not having won a game in a long time, and so we talked about those expectations openly before the game.”
While the brace didn’t snap Seattle’s now 10-game winless run, Joveljić helped push the Sounders within two points of a Western Conference Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs spot.
“He is a humble guy,” continued Schmetzer. “He said after the game, after we gave him the game ball, ‘I came here not just to score, but to win,’ and he wants to get this team into the playoffs.
“He’s going to help this team get in the playoffs and try to get back to MLS Cup.”
HIGHLIGHTS: Seattle Sounders FC vs. Chicago Fire FC | August 29, 2026
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