Win’s a win: Sounders outlast Dynamo in penalties

It took a penalty shootout and the better part of two hours of game time, but the Seattle Sounders took the advantage going into Game 2 of the best-of-3 series on Monday. The game finished 0-0 against the Houston Dynamo after regulation and extensive stoppage time, but the Sounders won the penalty shootout 5-4 with Alex Roldan converting the winning spot kick.

Seattle were the more threatening side throughout, but never truly tested Steve Clarke during regulation. This despite going up a man in the 66th minute after a video review of a scuffle following a foul by João Paulo in the midfield around the hour mark determined that Coco Carrasquilla deserved a red for kicking at Albert Rusnák which was actually separate from the yellow card he was initially shown for a “lack of respect for the game.” The Sounders out-shot Houston 11-3 while playing with a man advantage and 19-7 overall, but were largely forced into hopeful efforts and acrobatic wishes rather than truly dangerous shots on goal.

It looked like they may have found a lifeline in stoppage time when a fantastic cross from Danny Leyva reached Cristian Roldan at the back post. Roldan headed the ball back across goal and it struck Houston center back Micael – first hitting his chest, then his hand – and referee Ted Unkel blew for a penalty. After a review, however, the decision was reversed and play continued until time ran out and the game went straight to a penalty shootout to decide a winner of the first bout in the best-of-three match.

Both sides were perfect through the first three rounds of penalties as Raúl Ruidíaz, Albert Rusnák and Jackson Ragen all finished their attempts and Stefan Frei was unable to stop any of Houston’s takers. Erik Sviatchenko stepped up to take Houston’s fourth penalty and sent his effort just wide of goal, opening a door for the Sounders. Cristian and Alex Roldan took Seattle’s fourth and fifth penalties and made sure to take care of business with aplomb. Both scored their PKs with Daniel Steres doing his best to keep Houston alive in the shootout between the brothers’ takes, but Sviatchenko’s miss proved decisive.

It’s not how you want to do it, especially in a match where you played for over half an hour up a player, but a win is a win. Worse than the difficulty finding a way through a stingy Houston defense was the apparent hamstring injury that Jordan Morris suffered, which forced him to leave the game in the 52nd minute.

The two sides will now have to turn around and do it all again in Houston on Sunday, November 3 for the second game of the series.

Key moments

6 - Shot! Cristian Roldan collects the ball at the top of the box and forces a save from Steve Clarke after an earlier attempt from Alex Roldan was blocked.

11 - Chance! Albert Rusnak sends in a good free kick for Paul Rothrock at the back post. The ball clearly goes out off of Griffin Dorsey, but it’s incorrectly called a goal kick.

48 - Goal kick. Houston’s most dangerous chance so far as Ibrahim Aliyu sends in a low cross for Ezequiel Ponce that he puts out for a goal kick.

56 - Shot! Rusnak takes a short free kick to Georgi Minoungou on the right wing. Minoungou gets beyond a couple defenders and reaches the end line where he plays a ball in that’s flicked on by Raul Ruidiaz and reaches Yeimar at the back post. Yeimar takes a touch to get space and hits a shot that’s blocked out for a corner.

58 - Stop! Houston appear to have a chance for a counter, but Alex Roldan slows down Coco Carrasquilla in midfield and Yeimar and Jackson Ragen step up and combine to win the ball back.

66 - Red card! Following an altercation and video review, Coco Carrasquilla is shown a straight red for violent conduct after hitting Rusnak in the face. Houston are down to 10 men for the remainder of the match.

90+9 - Penalty review. Danny Leyva sends in a cross for Cristian Roldan at the back post, who heads it back across goal but it’s stopped by an apparent hand ball, but the call on the field is reversed after a review.

Shootout

Houston PK 1 - Ezequiel Ponce goes down the middle and beats Frei. 1-0 Houston

Seattle PK 1 - Raúl Ruidíaz hits a panenka over Clark as he dives to his right. 1-1

Houston PK 2 - Griffin Dorsey calmly slots his shot past Frei. 2-1 Houston

Seattle PK 2 - Albert Rusnák tucks his shot into the bottom left corner. 2-2

Houston PK 3 - Sebastian Kowalczyk slams his shot to the left as Frei goes the other way. 3-2 Houston

Seattle PK 3 - Jackson Ragen smacks his shot off the underside of the crossbar. 3-3

Houston PK 4 - Erik Sviatchenko sends his effort wide of goal! 3-3

Seattle PK 4 - Cristian Roldan absolutely roofs his penalty in the right corner! 4-3 Seattle

Houston PK 5 - Daniel Steres puts his shot just out of Frei’s reach. 4-4

Seattle PK 5 - Alex Roldan sends Clark the wrong way and clinches the game! 5-4 Seattle

Quick thoughts

The midfield engine: There are plenty of things to pick apart and feel frustrated about from this one. The Sounders won, but for far from the first time this season it felt like the attack struggled to get into gear. One thing that is worth praising, though, was Cristian Roldan’s work in the middle of the field once again. Operating as the more advanced member of the double pivot alongside JP in Obed Vargas’ absence, Roldan completed 46/52 passes with some really slick line-breaking balls mixed in there. He helped keep the game moving for Seattle and pitched in by winning 6/7 ground duels and adding 4 defensive actions and 5 recoveries. He could and arguably should have done more to help Seattle score – some questionable shot selection and sending his header across goal rather than at goal on the reviewed penalty stand out – but Roldan looked good once again in the middle of the field keeping the show running.

Still looking for that spark: This is yet another game where the attack felt particularly unsatisfying. The Sounders felt like they were just that far away from opening the game up in transition during the first half, but a pass that just wasn’t quite hit right or a slightly heavy touch here or there tended to turn an opening into something a bit less. In the second half Seattle were faced with the task of trying to break down a Dynamo team that was looking more and more interested in taking the game to penalties, particularly after Carrasquilla was sent off. Georgi Minoungou made beating players on the dribble look easy, frequently getting into the box or winning free kicks in dangerous spots, but always heading into a packed box. The game in Houston will likely look a little different as the Dynamo potentially have to open up a bit more at home as they look for a win to keep their season alive, but Seattle’s attack will need to find some form soon if the team wants to keep playing beyond this series.

Penalties: I hate penalties. I’m not a fan, they give me a deep anxiety. When the Sounders won the 2016 MLS Cup I didn’t watch a single kick live, I hid behind Mark Kastner’s couch and covered my eyes as I hoped for the best. Seattle’s penalties tonight were delightful, each one a sweet gift to the football gods. Of course Ruidíaz hit a panenka, and the Roldans hit theirs like the seasoned veterans and leaders that they are. Jackson Ragen dinking his off the bar like it was a game at training rather than a playoff match was gorgeous. To do it all in the first Sounders shootout win in Lumen Field is even better. It won’t change how I feel about penalties, but it’s always nice to have it work out like that.

Notable quote

Player Spotlight

The centerbacks – Jackson Ragen and Yeimar are two very different players who do very different things, which is why they’re such a good pair. Ragen finished his penalty with ice in his veins to cap a night where he went 59/61 passing with 7/7 long balls to go with 5/8 combined duels, 6 defensive actions and 5 recoveries. Meanwhile his partner went 47/58 passing, completed 1/2 dribbles, had 15 defensive actions and won 8/10 duels.