Houston Dynamo at Seattle Sounders - MLS Cup Playoffs: Highlights, stats, and quotes
(image via Houston Dynamo FC)
The Houston Dynamo lost game one of their best-of-three first round series in the MLS Cup Playoffs, falling 5-4 on penalty kicks to the Seattle Sounders. The match ended 0-0 after Houston had to play the final 25 minutes and stoppage time with ten men after Coco Carrasquilla was sent off.
MATCH SUMMARY
Seattle Sounders FC 0-0 (5-4) Houston Dynamo FC
Monday, October 28, 2024
Venue: Lumen Field - Seattle, Washington
Referee: Ted Unkel
Assistants: Corey Rockwell, Ryan Graves
Fourth Official: Jon Freemon
VAR: Sorin Stoica
Attendance: 30,026
Weather: 54 degrees, cloudy skies
SCORING SUMMARY
None
Shootout
HOU: Ezequiel Ponce - GOAL
SEA: Raul Ruidiaz - GOAL
HOU: Griffin Dorsey - GOAL
SEA: Albert Rusnak - GOAL
HOU: Sebastian Kowalczyk - GOAL
SEA: Jackson Ragen - GOAL
HOU: Erik Sviatchenko - MISS
SEA: Cristian Roldan - GOAL
HOU: Daniel Steres - GOAL
SEA: Alex Roldan - GOAL
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY
HOU: Héctor Herrera (caution; foul) 55’
SEA: Joao Paulo (caution; foul) 61’
SEA: Jackson Ragen (caution/dissent) 63’
HOU: Adalberto Carrasquilla (ejection; violent conduct) 65’
SEA: Danny Leyva (caution; foul) 72’
SEA: Paul Rothrock (caution; foul)
LINEUPS & STATS
Seattle Sounders FC: Stefan Frei (C); Nouhou (Reed Baker-Whiting 94’), Yeimar Gomez Andrade, Jackson Ragen; Joao Paulo (Danny Leyva 71’), Cristian Roldan, Alex Roldan, Pedro de la Vega (Georgi Minoungou 52’), Albert Rusnak, Paul Rothrock (Danny Musovski 94’); Jordan Morris (Raul Ruidiaz 52’)
Unused Substitutes: Nathan, Jose Atencio, Jonathan Bell, Andrew Thomas
Total shots: 19 (Cristian Roldan 5)
Shots on goal: 2 (Joao Paulo and Cristian Roldan tied with 1)
Fouls: 12 (Paul Rothrock 4)
Offside: 1 (Raul Ruidiaz 1)
Corner kicks: 8
Saves: 0
Houston Dynamo FC: Steve Clark; Franco Escobar, Micael, Erik Sviatchenko, Griffin Dorsey; Héctor Herrera (C) (Brooklyn Raines 81’), Artur, Adalberto Carrasquilla; Aliyu Ibrahim (Latif Blessing 80’ [Daniel Steres 97’]), Ezequiel Ponce, Amine Bassi (Sebastian Kowalczyk 72’)
Unused substitutes: Ethan Bartlow, Sebastian Ferreria, Andrew Tarbell, McKinze Gaines, Tate Schmitt
Total shots: 7 (Ezequiel Ponce 3)
Shots on goal: 0
Fouls: 15 (Ezequiel Ponce 3)
Offside: 0
Corner kicks: 1
Saves: 2 (Steve Clark 2)
HOUSTON DYNAMO HEAD COACH BEN OLSEN
On the performance:
“The guys put in a great shift after we went down to 10 men. It wasn’t our best performance on the ball, however, the guys gave a collective defensive effort and pushed hard for penalties. It was an impressive performance, and I’m proud of the guys. We will take some confidence back to our house and look forward to having a better performance there. Our road is a little tricker now, but we are looking forward playing in front of our fans and forcing a third game.”
On the vibe in the locker room after the match:
“There are positives from tonight’s game, and our guys are excited to play this team again at Shell Energy Stadium. Playing on our own grass will help us with our passing and keeping some of the possession that we want. I told the guys how proud I am of them pushing for penalty kicks. It was gritty and resilient.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO MIDFIELDER ARTUR
On the result:
“The result is a little disappointing, but the whole group should be proud. We are proud of the effort on a difficult pitch and in a difficult stadium. We played a long time with 10 men and kept them from scoring, so we should be proud and confident for the next game.”
On what it will take to win Game 2 at home:
“This team is made up of winners, and we entered the playoffs with a winning mentality. We gave everything today throughout a tough second half. The whole team has the energy and the right mentality to keep pushing. We want to win, go far in the playoffs and lift another trophy.”
On the energy in the locker room:
“The energy is good. We know it was a difficult game, and we could have had better chances if each team had 11 men on the pitch. But things happen, and we still showed Seattle that it’s not easy to play against us. We feel confident going back home and giving Seattle our best game.”
