The Houston Dynamo will look to take a step closer to a third MLS Cup title in four years today when it hosts the Sounders in Game Two of their Western Conference first-round series (3pm, Telefutura).
The Dynamo held off Seattle's dangerous attack in Game One, posting a scoreless draw in a sold-out Qwest field. The Sounders created plenty of chances in the first leg, but couldn't finish and saw some shots hit woodwork. Fredy Montero struggled to make his mark and failed to beat Dynamo defender Geoff Cameron, but Freddie Ljungberg showed some good form in his match-up against a hobbled Ricardo Clark.
Houston had a handful of chances as well, but will need to step up the attack at Robertson Stadium to avoid a second straight home playoff loss. Brian Ching failed to get involved in Game One, but he will need to be more involved today. Stuart Holden and Brad Davis showed flashes in the first leg, but will be the keys to taking Houston's attack into another gear.
If you will be watching today's match, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions and some play-by-play in the comments section below.
Enjoy the action.
Thanks .. you guys are better than Barça.. more so, the best team to walk this earth. We are fearful
The physical Houston play was cute – but 5 years ago. Great they won a few tites. Great. Good for them. but can the league move on? will they produce another 0-0 game? 9 guys behind the ball? Really? Can the league move behind these rugby players already (davis, Clark, Weibel, mulrooney,etcetc?) It is enough already. I dont know if LA will stand for it. They wont and cant play this physical.
When the Sounders came out of the box hot and heavy management claimed, this is not your typical expansion squad that plays defensively for 0-0, 1-1 ties, but that is exactly what they morphed into around game eight. The attacking game crumbled with injuries and loss of nerve from Sigi and his staff.
Rio Tinto is very nice. I hope I can visit it soon. I surely hope the powers that be get off their asses and get a stadium built in Houston.
The field looked horrible yesterday as it always does during football season, but I hate plastic fields even more.
Chicago Fire:
Still the ONLY expansion team to win (or even play in) an MLS Cup Final.
Sorry Sounders, you’ll be fine once you grow up a bit.
We got outplayed fair and simple, our offense has not clicked consistantly since Brad Evans left for US Gold Cup, Ever since than its been a struggle, Hats off to Houston for employing an excellent strategy in both matches, People who were mad at Houston for how htey played in the First match are lol dumb. Brian Ching despite your goal I will always love you for your play at Gonzaga and with the USL Sounders,
Best of luck in the Playoffs
It’s the same in college basketball. Every nike school looks the same, just different colors. Almost no originality anymore.
Wow. All the rough play talk is funny. Was there today and the ref was fair, and to be honest let things go for both teams. Got an up close view of Ching take a 105 minute beating and the poster above is right, he just got up and ran the other way.
IMO, Seattle was too busy jawing at the ref to play soccer today. Funny thing was it actually worked. I think they got some calls that were borderline. Seattle will be good next year and beyond and hopefully the Dynamo reload after the surely coming losses of a few guys.
I would prefer it played at Rio Tinto, which blows either out of the water. And from watching the play on tv, it sure seemed like the two defenders trying to defend the ball didn’t let up, at all. But after watching the ball bounce on that surface in Houston, I think I would prefer to see a match played almost anywhere else, except maybe Gillette or Giants stadium.
Jeez, give it up already. Yes he should have played advantage, but he blew the whistle and the Dynamo stopped. If he would have played advantage, then the Dynamo defender and keeper would not have looked the ball into the goal.
So, in conclusion, the ref didn’t call back a goal, he did make a mistake though.
I would rather watch “sandball” than watch a ball skid across polypropylene!
Not sure why you put quotation marks around dirty… I hear the USA is starting a rugby league next year, I think the dynamo would be a GREAT addition 🙂
Houston deserved the win..
Seattle will be back next year for sure.
Philly,… FYI,.. pay no mind to the haters because in the end they are mostly from the teams that miss the playoffs
I don’t think Seattle has anything to be ashamed of. That was a great first season in MLS.
I don’t agree at all with that Houston “anti soccer” bs above tho. Most teams in MLS play physical including Seattle. They were attack oriented for most of the game and straight out-played Sounders.
I’ve been very happy with the whole of the MLS playoffs so far.
Do wish the Dynamo would get their own stadium as that field was torn up from the weeks of football being played on it.
The Dynamo always rank in the top five in attendance. Today they had over 27,000 at the game with threat of thundershowers. The Dynamo aren’t ruining soccer in Houston. They’re growing the game.
Your delicate flowers in Columbus couldn’t even sell their stadium out in their attempt to defend the Cup. And the delicate flowers in DC couldn’t even get into the Cup playoffs. Your delicate flowers from Seattle were the ones that got frustrated and had a player sent off.
I think you give the Dynamo too much responsibility for the style of play in the US.
Let’s face it, you don’t like the Dynamo. Someone like Brian Ching must have kicked sand in your face when you were a kid. You must have been in the Chess Club and resented the kids that were bigger and more physical. Why not stop bringing your pathetic emotional baggage into this chat area.
Houston played to what the ref let them last week, and I thought played a clean game today. They scored so they move on.
I have no real complaints about the Sounders this year, because they exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations. From the play to the crowds. I will hang my hat on the fact that they did win a trophy this year.
Good luck and we will see you at the cup on the 22nd
Houston had more possession and two really good looks at goal and scored on one of them. The glaring problem of not finisheing doomed the Sounders again. Jaqua in fron twice and doesn’t even put it on frame. Montero missed the goal on at least two other good chances.
That field was a joke, I will take field turf over that mess any time
It is already guaranteed to be a sell out, it was part of our season ticket package.
Teams remaining that I will root for in this order should they be playing in the final
1. Houston
2 Chivas
3. RSL
4. Galaxy
5. Fire–When you affilated yourself with Timers Army for the game here you lost all of my respect
Sigi, when the whole team is flat that’s your bad bother.
Well, Houstons “anti soccer” prevails. As expected. They are ruining the MLS. They play way too physical and the refs allow them to do whatever. This is horrific for the MLS and its growth.
Woly and Mbuta are better than Oduro. Oduro and Richards is a wash. Oduro was utter crap in the minutes he got with NY.
I think my man of the series is the official on the first leg that called back Seattle’s goal to give them the ball after a foul. Houston should probably have a ticker tape parade for that guy. Well, hopefully LA wins tonight so I don’t have to watch another match of sand-ball in Houston. Well, RSL will have to beat some other team from the Western Conference.
Good thing the RedBull got tid of the best player on the field today Oduro without even giving him chance to play. I guess woly, mbuta and richards are a lot better.
by playing for a draw, i mean that they wanted to just get to a shootout.
The first half was dominated by Houston, they had a lot of chances. The second half was meh, and then Ching’s goal in ot was
Bretos: “YYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhh 95th minute brian ching” kinda thing
then huge laughs as clark and holden get mad at ching just like supsam posted
clark and holden: damnit ching, why, did you show up today?
seattle seemed like it was playing for a draw (especially in the first half), but no player truly plays for a draw, you want the win, so i guess that isn’t a correct statement. They look like a completely different team at home than away. Out of the two teams, i think houston plays more consistently than seattle when comparing their home vs away play or form. I enjoyed the game for the most part.
now to wait to see who houston plays.
bad game, but great first season for the Sounders.
That was a disapponting finish to an otherwise great season. Seattle played horribly. Our best chance was the near own goal.
If this is true then he is an idiot.
why the !@#$ would Castillo give up virtually the only chance he has to get into the WC squad????? Not only that, but it pisses the USSF like hell for wasting their time.
hahaha thats one way to put it!
Clark: Damn it Chingy!
Ching: If Im not getting called up then you guys arent either bwahaha!
Holden: But im starting to get more playing time too….this blows!
The last game was a lot more fun
If by Houston you mean Seattle having a player sent off than losing 1-0. You were right.
Believe it or not just because Houston doesn’t flop over when someone from the other team looks over at them doesn’t mean they play dirty.
Houston has been bad?
Right… they also just dominated that game.
James Riley is easily my least favorite player in MLS. What a clown. Every situation with the referee, he shows up to jaw at him. Then he makes terrible tackles like that, acts shocked when he is sent off, and causes more problems. He’s like a more John Legend-looking version of Carlos Ruiz.
This is a loss for the Seattle Sounders organization, their worst game of the year. They had 9 days to prepare and the entire team is out of form. What Sigi did with this team the past 8 days tells the story of this game.
agreed! in the meantime, if you’re a fan out there and you live anywhere near a current MLS venue, you need to buy season tickets!