Albert Rusnak celebrates scoring a goal, while Sean Johnson recovers from conceding it. (Abbie Parr-USA TODAY Sports)

New York City FC finds itself with a deep hole to climb out of after Seattle Sounders did a job on the visitors on Wednesday night.

In the first all-MLS semifinal in the Concacaf Champions League, the Sounders recorded a …. 3-1 victory in the first leg in Seattle.

City must find a way to overcome a two-goal deficit in the second leg of the aggregate goals series at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J. next Wednesday or be eliminated.

The visitors were not helped by the absence of playmaker supreme Maxi Moralez, who suffered a trunk injury on Tuesday night.

After a 13-pass build up, the hosts took the lead in the 16th minute as Albert Rusnak scored his first Seattle goal, against goalkeeper Sean Johnson.

NYCFC equalized on Thiago Andrade’s close-range volley in the 27th minute.

City was victimized by yet another VAR call, saw the deficit grow to two goals in the 68th minute after VAR ruled that Thiago Martins took down Raul Ruidíaz in the penalty area. Nicholas Lodeiro converted the penalty, slotting his attempt into the lower right corner as Johnson dove in the opposite direction.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.