Nov 3, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Seattle Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei (24) plays the ball in the first half against the Houston Dynamo FC in a 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One match at Shell Energy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei stopped Houston’s Tate Schmitt in the seventh round of the deciding penalty shootout as the visiting Sounders outlasted the Dynamo 1-1 (7-6) on Sunday evening to clinch the teams’ Western Conference first-round playoff series.
The Sounders, the fourth seed in the West, advance to play either top-seeded Los Angeles FC or eight-seeded Vancouver in the conference semifinals. The deciding Game 3 between LAFC and the Whitecaps is scheduled for Friday.
Seattle forced the penalty shootout after Houston scored an own goal in the third minute of second-half stoppage time. Griffin Dorsey’s pass deep into the box was deflected off the Sounders’ Cristian Roldan and tied the score.
Roldan scored in the 87th minute on Seattle’s only shot on goal in the match to put the visitors on top.
Roldan, Jackson Ragen, Alex Roldan, Danny Leyva, Raul Ruidiaz, Georgi Minoungou and Obed Vargas all converted their penalties against Houston keeper Steve Clark. Ezequiel Ponce, Dorsey, Sebastian Kowalczyk, Sebastian Ferreira, Daniel Steres and Brooklyn Raines were successful against Frei.
Vargas’s goal proved the difference when Frei came up huge against Schmitt.
The Dynamo, the West’s fifth seed, opened the match aggressively, producing four shots on target over the first 45 minutes after going the full 90 minutes and added time without one in their Game 1 loss Monday.
Houston’s best scoring opportunity in the first half came in the 41st minute. Ponce took a left-footed shot from just inside the 6-yard box but it was kicked away by the Sounders’ keeper.
The Dynamo continued to pepper Frei in the early part of the second half. Ponce, Hector Herrera and then Ibrahim Aliy put shots on goal in the 53rd, 58th and 62nd minute, respectively.
The match changed dramatically in the 66th minute when Herrera was sent off on a red card for poor sportsmanship after he spit in the direction of referee Armando Villarreal. Villarreal had his back turned to Herrera after accessing the Houston captain a yellow card for a foul and went to VAR to determine if Herrera’s subsequent actions were enough for a disqualification.
Herrera’s red put the Dynamo down two of its main playmakers as Houston was without Adalberto Carrasquilla he was booked for a red card in the 66th minute of Game 1.
–Field Level Media
