9 man Dynamo lose first home game of 2023
The Houston Dynamo had to endure the first place team in the Western Conference, the Seattle Sounders. Then they had to endure Mother Nature when storms prompted a one hour delay after just eight minutes of play. Then they had to endure another red card and playing with 10 man for a majority of the match. And then they had to endure yet another red card and being reduced to 9 men. All of that was too much as Houston fought late but suffered their first home loss of the season, losing to Seattle 1-0.
The match got underway at Shell Energy Stadium in the pouring rain and the lightning would soon follow. Referee Rubiel Vazquez halted the match in the 9th minute as the storms began and players retreated to the locker room.
Action would resume after an hour delay and Seattle were on the front foot from the jump. Houston would be reduced to 10 men in the 21st minute after a VAR check. Amine Bassi went studs up into Nicolas Lodeiro’s shin and nothing was called on the field. Vazquez went to the monitor and reached for his back pocket, showing Bassi a straight red. As they did Wednesday against Sporting Kansas City, Houston now had to play a large amount of the game down a man.
Seattle continued to attack in the second half as Houston defended and tried to spring a counter when possible. Things got infinitely tougher and ultimately decided the game in the 78th minute. Dynamo captain Hector Herrera was already on a yellow card and when he pulled back a Sounders break he was shown his second card and sent to the locker room, reducing Houston to 9 men.
The Sounders kept attacking and they finally found their breakthrough in the 87th minute. An Alex Roldan cross skipped through the Houston box, avoiding everyone, and found its way to the back post. Short-term loanee Paul Rothrock was there to bundle the ball in and give the Sounders the goal they needed to take home three points.
The Dynamo fought down a man, and eventually down two men, but there home unbeaten streak and clean sheet streak has come to and end. Seattle is a good team, obviously, they’re in first place in the Western Conference. There’s no shame in losing to them but picking up two red cards and never really having a chance to play them at full strength is disappointing.
Houston is back in action midweek with a trip to Minnesota United. The match is set for Wednesday at 7:30 PM. The Dynamo will be in Frisco next weekend to take on FC Dallas. That match is also a 7:30 PM kickoff on Saturday.
