The Seattle Sounders are returning to Toronto to defend their MLS Cup against Eastern Conference Champions Toronto FC in a rematch of last years MLS title game which the Sounders won 5-4 on penalty kicks.
The Sounders used a dynamic, entertaining performance in their 3-0 win over the Houston Dynamo Thursday night at CenturyLink Field. The Sounders won the two-legged match 5-0 after scoring two goals in the first leg in Houston.
The Sounders played containment soccer for the first fifteen minutes, keeping Houston Dynamo players in front of them when defending and used the wide areas of the field to counter-attack when the opportunity presented itself.
By using the width of the field, the Sounders were able to create space in the middle of the pitch by spreading out the Dynamos defense. The Sounders then sent runners into the open space resulting in flashy passing between Will Bruin, Victor Rodriguez, Clint Dempsey and Nicolas Lodeiro.
The Sounders dominance in the middle of the field came to fruition in the 22nd minute when Bruin feeds a through ball to Rodriguez who blasted the ball into the back of the Houston goal for the 1-0 lead game lead and 3-0 aggregate lead.
The Sounders continued their ball control offense but were unable to get a second goal before the halftime break. Dynamo midfielder Tomas Martinez had two good looks at the Sounders goal in the 37th minute and 44th minute but both shots were saved by Frei and the Sounders went into the break with the 1-0 lead.
The Sounders continued their ball possession dominance and went up 2-0 when Joevin Jones fed Clint Dempsey with a perfect slide rule pass that ended in the back of the Houston goal courtesy of a right-footed blast by Dempsey.
” We appreciate the fact that we won a Western Conference Championship but the goal is to win an MLS Cup, our goal all year was to repeat and we put ourselves in a position to do that and if we just have to go out and play the best possible game we can and I know if we are at our best I am confident in this team Dempsey”, said after the game.
A video replay review in the 68th minute resulted in Houston midfielder Martinez being issued a red card and a yellow card for Seattle Joevin Jones. The Sounders advantage of the man advantage in the 73rd-minute substitute Harry Shipp hit Bruin with an exquisite left-footed pass the forward blasted into the back of the Houston goal for the 3-0 lead.
Sounder forward Jordan Morris came in for Jones in the 76th minute seeing his first action since going down with a hamstring injury in the September 10th game against the LA Galaxy.
