Houston Dynamo vs Seattle Sounders - MLS Cup Playoffs: Highlights, stats, and quotes
(image via Omar Duran)
The Houston Dynamo lost game two of their best-of-three first round series in the MLS Cup Playoffs, falling 7-6 on penalty kicks to the Seattle Sounders and ending their season. The match ended 1-1 after Houston equalized in second half stoppage time with ten men.
MATCH SUMMARY
Houston Dynamo FC 1-1 (6-7) Seattle Sounders FC
Sunday, November 3, 2024
Venue: Shell Energy Stadium - Houston, Texas
Referee: Armando Villareal
Assistants: Jeremy Hanson, Tyler Wyrostek
Fourth Official: Ramy Touchan
VAR: Daniel Radford
Attendance: 18,859
Weather: 82 degrees, cloudy skies
SCORING SUMMARY
SEA: Cristian Roldan (Nouhou Tolo) 87’
HOU: Cristian Roldan (own goal) 90+3’
Shootout
SEA: Cristian Roldan - GOAL
HOU: Ezequiel Ponce - GOAL
SEA: Jackson Ragen - GOAL
HOU: Griffin Dorsey - GOAL
SEA: Alex Roldan - GOAL
HOU: Sebastian Kowalczyk - GOAL
SEA: Danny Leyva - GOAL
HOU: Sebastian Ferreira - GOAL
SEA: Raul Ruidiaz - GOAL
HOU: Daniel Steres - GOAL
SEA: Giorgi Minoungou - GOAL
HOU: Brooklyn Raines - GOAL
SEA: Obed Vargas - GOAL
HOU: Tate Schmitt - SAVED
DISCIPLINE SUMMARY
HOU: Franco Escobar (caution; foul) 63’
HOU: Héctor Herrera (caution; foul) 65’
HOU: Héctor Herrera (ejection; unsporting behavior) 66’
HOU: Ben Olsen (caution; dissent) 67’
HOU: Artur (caution; foul) 79’
SEA: Nouhou Tolo (caution; dissent) 85’
HOU: Griffin Dorsey (caution; dissent) 85’
LINEUPS & STATS
Houston Dynamo FC: Steve Clark; Franco Escobar (Sebastian Ferreira 89’), Griffin Dorsey, Erik Sviatchenko, Micael, Artur (Tate Schmitt 89’); Amine Bassi (Daniel Steres 83’), Hector Herrera (C), Ibrahim Aliyu (Brooklyn Raines 76’); Sebastian Kowalczyk, Ezequiel Ponce
Unused substitutes: Ethan Bartlow, Andrew Tarbell, McKinze Gaines, Latif Blessing, Junior Moreno
Total shots: 18 (Ezequiel Ponce 5)
Shots on goal: 7 (Erik Sviatchenko 3)
Fouls: 12 (Héctor Herrera 3)
Offside: 2 (Erik Sviatchenko and Amine Bassi tied with 1)
Corner kicks: 7
Saves: 0
Seattle Sounders FC: Stefan Frei (C); Nouhou, Jackson Ragen, Yeimar Gomez Andrade, Joao Paulo (Danny Leyva 63’); Cristian Roldan, Pedro de la Vega (Reed Baker-Whiting 90’+1’), Paul Rothrock (Georgi Minoungou 72’), Alex Roldan; Obed Vargas, Raul Ruidiaz
Unused Substitutes: Nathan, Josh Atencio, Jonathan Bell, Leo Chu, Andrew Thomas, Dylan Teves
Total shots: 14 (Pedro de la Vega 3)
Shots on goal: 1 (Cristian Roldan 1)
Fouls: 11 (Raul Ruidiaz 3)
Offside: 0
Corner kicks: 8
Saves: 7 (Stefan Frei 7)
HOUSTON DYNAMO HEAD COACH BEN OLSEN
On the result and the season overall:
“This is another tough result for us. It’s cruel to go out twice in that way after playing as well as we did tonight. After the game, I said to the guys that it was not a great season because you hold trophies at the end of those, but it was a good season despite all the hurdles. Whether it was breaking the points record, the away wins record or making the playoffs twice in a row for the first time in a while, there are a lot of good takeaways. More importantly, this team continues to show what we’re capable of and more and more what it means to be a Houston Dynamo player. I am very proud of the season and the effort in these last two matches.”
On Houston’s ability to fight back:
“The fight tonight was great. We’ve had some wonderful moments at Shell Energy Stadium over the last two games, and to get a goal that late with the fans pushing us to penalties was another great moment. That's what I love about this team – there are great moments. We're still building this fan base back, and even though we lost, I still think people appreciate the way this group plays and the entertainment value that the team brings. So, these moments count.”
HOUSTON DYNAMO DEFENDER GRIFFIN DORSEY
On the result:
“It’s a brutal way to end the season, with two penalty shootout losses. We’ve made some humungous strides over the years that I’ve been here, but we still have a long way to go. I want to lift the MLS Cup here, and I know that we have players, coaches and management that want the same thing. It’s about figuring out how to work harder and smarter to get more results, while being resilient, so we can achieve something, not just as a team, but as a city.”
On the last two home games against LA and Seattle:
“The last two home games that we’ve had describe the amount of want that we have in this organization. We’re never going to quit. We are always going to keep going, and now it’s just about working to get to where we want to go.”
On his message to Dynamo fans:
“The fans mean everything to us in that locker room. You guys are the reason that we do it. I can say personally that you guys are the reason that I was able to keep running for 90-plus minutes tonight. Without you, I’m cooked. I appreciate it, and I would say that all the hard work that we do day in, and day out is for you guys. Keep supporting us because we need it.”
