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.
sounds like he’s not interested in getting to south africa
Seattle looks finished. They haven’t looked like they were interested in scoring the entire game. Too bad, because they have some talent, but to lose to Houston, especially as bad as they have been the last few months, is criminal.
so Ching just denied Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark the opportunity to play Slovakia/Denmark?
how sad is that most the league couldnt sell out a playoff game….
If Seattle isn’t in the finals…please watch the championship. I’ll bet money that it doesn’t sell out.
WOW. Looks like Ching just got “more involved”
CHING!!!
30 minutes
is it a full 30 minute ot or golden goal? i can’t remember.
OT in Houston. First team to complete three consecutive passes in attack will win.
please no shootout.
And if both teams play like this again I think it is pretty safe to say whoever wins the LA series will probably go to the Cup. SEA and HOU are both playing poorly
Landin just came on for Oduro.
Because all the teams are sponsored by Adidas, if the MLS lets the teams decide who sponsors them, such as Nike, Puma, Adidas, Reebox, Diadora, then there wuld be alot more diversity, but some jerseys look tite, like Galaxy’s are i think the only one that doesnt follow the simple stripe going on the sides, it’s its own layout
Landin for Oduro. Cameron looks like he’s done. Gave up his knee to stop that Jaqua shot. Ouch
Anyone else think that Onstad’s trucker stache looks totally dirty?
I came from MLSnet’s commentary. I’ll just have to deal with it.
I wonder why both teams look so unprepared to play having so much preparation time? Too bad they both can’t lose.
mlsnet.com or espnsoccernet man
use mlsnet.com’s game nav. its much more detailed
Is Landin available?
Could someone please post the available subs for both teams please? Thanks in advance
not just 4 updates*
This second half is either very boring, or ESPNsoccernet’s commentators aren’t really watching the game. The last 4 updates:
keller takes a long goal kick
throw-in
onstad takes a long goal kick
Levesque hits a good header, over the bar
Keller takes a long gal kick
Keller makes a very good save
wtf?
In due time. First we need to sell these stadiums out, make money, get strong followings before good stadiums come along. The league is still very young.
Houston’s field and both teams jerseys are an embarrassment. Is it me or do every teams jersey’s have the same pattern just in different colors (exeception is Chivas and FC Dallas). Why is there no originality when it comes to team jerseys in MLS?
A bit irrelevant to this match and the playoffs, I know, but that field looks just god-awful. There’s all this talk about legitimizing soccer here as compared to Europe and Latin America and so forth, and typically that seems to focus on of course the level of the play and players, and also the schedule of the season and the lack of a single table and those sort of league office kinds of things, and naturally we get to issues of attendance and fan support, too.
But what about the facilities? I cringe when I see a supposedly big playoff game between 2 top teams of our highest pro level being played on what looks like poorly cared for carpet installed 2-3 decades ago, with university logos and American football lines and so forth clearly visible beneath. Talk about the haves v have-nots, how long till we can ge past that need to cringe and take it for granted that every MLS game will be played on a proper field?
Really hate the punks in Seattle. I’m getting tired of Ljundberg’s constant complaining.
Ching just got chopped down by Marshall, but simply got up and ran back down the field.
refer to the playoff loss to new york last year. that aging defense got smoked repeatedly by the faster red bulls
Jaqua looked very dangerous last game and is starting to assert himself again. Dynamo defense just can’t handle him
Jaqua misses easy put in at Near Post.
I guess everyone already knows the game is on Telefutura, right? Albeit in Spanish, but at least the picture is good.
Does anyone else find it strange that the entire championship winning defense for Houston from 2007 are now all backups? Have they really declined that much that Robinson, Waibel, Cochrane, and Barrett cannot crack the lineup of Chabala, Hainault, Boswell, and Cameron? Must be nice to have an entire championship winning defense as backups!
Four minutes in to second half, Sounders have yet to play a ball on the ground. Ljungberg, looks in poor form.
call 411 and ask for the nearest cantina
http://www.justin.tv/dynamoguy isn’t sharp, but it’s a smooth stream.
It’s not the greatest feed by any means, but give this a try, tyson.
http://atdhe.net/10379/watch-houston-dynamo-vs-seattle-sounders-fc
this is total crap. i am in las vegas, land of sports books an bets, and i cannot find a bar, pub, or sports book that is playing the game. and i tried to get it on my computer via mlsnet.com and they are not playing it even though i paid for it. any help guys?
field does look like it’s been overseeded…. poor footing, patches of sand everywhere, or something
A lot of slipping and sliding in Houston. Whoever wears the correct boots in the second half should win.
Dynamo defense have taken out Ljunberg a few times now. Need to be careful or the cards are going to start coming out
I’ve never seen the Sounder defenders back up so much. No high challenges. Soon they’ll be defending at the six.
Sounders look like they haven’t touched a ball for the past 9 days.
Montero misses easy try. Note to Sounders opposition, Seattle attackers go short side near post 90% of time.
channelsurfing.net or atdhe.net
Oduro is playing like a man possessed!
i’d hardly call houston “dirty” in anyway. If anything they play more like soccer should be played, compared to many other teams in the league
Any kind soul have a good stream?
This should be a fun game but I think Houston will try to do what NE did and that is play a dirty game. My guess, Seattle wins 1-0 after Houston goes down to 10 men early in the 2nd half.
Also, how sad that Columbus is the defending champs and can’t even sellout in such an important game.
Sad, very very sad.
weekday games don’t sell out in Columbus, I’ve heard paid attendance is up a few percent from last year though. It’s still depressing.
Scarves up, Seattle!
If Ljundberg’s work rate is at end-of-season levels, things are going to be tough for Houston in the back third.
Seattle sells out, Chicago sells out, yet New England and Columbus struggle to fill half the stadium. Is there a widening gap between the attendance have vs. have-not’s?
Lets see how “dirty” Houston is this game. A lot of people seem to think they are but it’s just playing hard and tough. Dirty is when someone trys to hurt someone. The Ref last game seemed to call the game letting a lot of stuff go, but was even with both teams, I like that.
Last game was a good game, a lot of people think the ref didn’t do a good job, I disagree. He could’ve easily called a red for the dynamo goalie shove but called it properly. The executive of all the refs was at the game, so if anyone feels it was called improperly then it would’ve been dealt with.
We’ll see what the ref of this game does