Sounders show maturity in professional 1-0   win over Houston Dynamos.

After a disappointing  2-2 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes on September 18^th, Brian Schmetzer and his staff had plenty of time to get his team right. The disappointment from the Earthquakes game was allowing an 89th-minute goal that resulted in dropped points. All week, the Sounders worked on being compact when defending, making good decisions with and without the ball, and stopping the opponent’s counter-attack.

GROWTH SHOWS  IN CRITICAL SHOWDOWN WITH   HOUSTON DYNAMO

Fast-forward ten days to Saturday’s crucial match with the Houston Dynamo. The game was essential in providing an opportunity to get right mentally. Building confidence and belief was vital with three regular-season games left. Going into the game, the teams sat fifth and sixth in the Western Conference standings, with Rave Green behind the Dynamo.

UNDER SEIGE EARLY

The strategy for the Sounders at every home game is to start fast, move the ball up and down the field with quick passes, and shoot early and often.    None of those things happened in the first 15 minutes of the game.  I would say the exact opposite occurred.   Houston had three shots on goal within the game’s first ten minutes. The visitors were on top of a lethargic home side that gave up possession in the middle of the pitch. The  Dynamo has a 71% possession advantage.  The saving grace for the Sounders was their resolute defense.  Fullbacks Nouhou on the left and Alex Roldan on the right guarded their prospective space and closed down on their man when they had the ball. Centerbacks  Jackson Ragen, fresh off a new contract extension, and Yeimer stayed compact in front of Stefan  Frei, cleared aerial crosses, and blocked early shots from the Dynamo’s  Amie Bassi and  Ibrahim Aliyu.

EARLY ADJUSTMENT

 With his team under siege, Schmetzer implemented a high press to catch the aggressive  Dynamo off guard. The plan worked to perfection in the 22^nd minute. The high press initiated by Jordan Morris forced a Dynamo turnover that resulted in a Sounders throw-in.  Cristian Roldan threw the ball to Obed Vargas, who passed it to Morris, who then found a charging  Albert Rusnák. Rusnák continued his run toward the Dynamo goal but was knocked off the ball. An opportunistic Paul Rothrock pounced on the free ball and blasted it past the  Dynamo keeper  Steve Clark for the game  ‘s only goal.

GROWING INTO THE GAME

While they searched for a second goal it never materialized as the Sounders entered the halftime break with a 1-0 lead. The growth in the Sounders was twofold. In the second half, the team looked, searched, and prodded for a second goal without compromising their defensive shape. All three blocks stayed compact when they ceded possession, and at least one player slowed down the Dynamo’s attack to give other players back on defense.  Another growth point was having the awareness to make quick passes when there was an open man, keeping the ball, and refraining from forcing passes.

THE BIG PICTURE

With the win the Sounders head back to the playoff for the 15th time in 16 years how the Sounders is just as important. The team played good team defense, smart , and opportunistic offense. The shutout was Stefan Frei’s 114th. If the Sounders are going to go far in the postseason, they will need to continue to play team defense to a man. Yes, they could have been more courageous in attack, but that is something Schmetzer and his staff can work on in the team’s last three regular season games.

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POST GAME NOTES

MATCH NOTES

• With tonight’s win, Seattle sits in fifth place in the MLS Western Conference with 50 points (14-9-8), tied on points with Colorado but trailing via the total wins tiebreaker. The Rapids and Rave Green face off at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park next weekend.

• In 16 MLS seasons, Seattle has now reached the 50-point mark on 12 occasions, tied for second all-time in MLS history alongside D.C. United, who began league play 13 years earlier. Fellow MLS original LA Galaxy leads the pack with 14 seasons where 50 points have been attained.

• By clinching a spot in the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs tonight, Seattle has made the postseason in 15 of its 16 seasons in MLS, the most playoff appearances by an expansion team in MLS history.

• Seattle midfielder Cristian Roldan made his 339^th appearance in all competitions tonight, tying club legend Osvaldo Alonso with for second in club history. Stefan Frei leads that category with 380.

• Paul Rothrock’s goal in the 22^nd minute was good for his fourth in MLS play and seventh in all competitions this season. The Seattle native has scored against Houston in all three matches he’s played against the club dating back to last year.

• Tonight Paul Rothrock became the second Sounders FC player to score in his first three matches against a single opponent, joining Fredy Montero who scored in his first three fixtures against D.C. United.

• Stefan Frei achieved his 114^th regular-season shutout of his career tonight in the 1-0 win. The club captain recently passed Kevin Hartman for second all-time in that category.

• Seattle holds a 16-5-7 record in the regular-season against Houston since joining MLS in 2009 and is unbeaten in the last six matches against the Texas side.

• The Rave Green have never lost at home to Houston in MLS play (regular season and MLS Cup Playoffs), amassing a 13-0-3 record at Lumen Field.

• Sounders FC has only lost twice in its last 14 matches against the Dynamo (11-2-1).

Seattle has 13 clean sheets against Houston in regular-season play, tied for second-most shutouts against a singular opponent in club history.