Houston Dynamo 1 : 0 Sounders FC

Brave Sounders fall to Ching's goal in extra time.

Sounders FC’s first ever MLS season came to an end tonight in Houston as the side lost 1-0 to the Houston Dynamo. A goal from Brian Ching in the 5th minute of extra time settled a close affair. Like the first leg in Seattle, the game in Houston finished goalless after 90 minutes of a hard fought battle.

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Houston will now go on to meet the Los Angeles Galaxy on November 13 at Home Depot Center. Galaxy beat local rivals Chivas USA 1-0 on a Landon Donovan penalty kick in the 73rd minute of the second leg of their playoff match, after a 2-2 draw in the first leg.

The 2009 inaugural season in MLS of Seattle Sounders comes to an end, but the season can be considered an extraordinary triumph. Sounders FC won US Open Cup, qualified for the post-season, had one of the best defensive records and broke all manner of records for attendance. In one year, Seattle has become more or less the capital of soccer support in the United States. With the arrival in 2011 of Portland and Vancouver, the wider pacific Northwest is set to become a regional stronghold for the sport.

Although they came up short against an excellent side, who finally beat them at the fifth attempt, Sounders FC can hold their heads up high this evening. Houston Dynamo are a fine side with real quality players. To have become an on field rival to them in year one, is a mark of Seattle’s success.

On the night, it was Houston who looked the more threatening for most of the game, an area around the half time whistle being the exception.

Houston posed the first real serious goal threat of the match in the 3rd minute. But luckily for Seattle, James Riley was in the right position to clear the ball from under the crossbar.

Houston still had the better of the opportunities in an otherwise even opening 10 minutes. Twelve minutes in, Seattle had their first attempts on goal. From a Freddie Ljungberg corner Jhon Hurtado flicked ball toward Tyrone Marshall who headed it over the bar.

After surviving the first 15 minutes, Sounders found their footing with Steve Zakuani causing trouble with a couple of runs down the Seattle left. In the 16th minute, Kasey Keller saved Seattle after Oduro flicked a point blank range header directly at him. Shortly after in the 22nd minute, Oduro got another opportunity to shoot again after James Riley backed off but only managed to hit the left post, with Keller totally stranded. The action continued in the next minute when Marshall received a yellow card after tackling Oduro who was racing through on goal, but in the resultant free kick Ching flicked Brad Davis’ kick wide.

In minute 27, Montero missed a seemingly easy goal after Jaqua flicked through to the Sounders forward. In truth, it was an appalling miss that has characterised his season and one that Seattle finally would have cause to regret. In fact they nearly paid the price immediately, Keller just beating Brian Mullan to a through ball, less than a minute later.

Seconds before the half hour mark, Oduro out-paced Sounders’ rear guard, but slid his effort narrowly past Keller’s unprotected right post, as the rangy forward continued to prove himself a handful for the Sounders defence.

As the half hour progressed, Sounders seem to be under siege. 30 seconds after the previous escape, it was Ching who found himself bearing down on Keller. Thankfully for the Seattle side, he too put the opportunity wide. It seemed however, only a matter of time before the Sounders were made to pay.

Three minutes later, after Leo Gonzales was penalised for a foul on Ching, Brad Davis hammered the ball directly into the wall on the free kick.

Steve Zakuani was involved on those occasions where Seattle did manage to break out. He was bearing down the left at speed, after the ref played a good advantage to Seattle. Geoff Cameron deflected his cross towards his own goal, and keeper Onstad had to react quickly to prevent an own goal. Sad to say, it was probably his best save of the match. Sounders’ sole avenue of creativity had been down the left flank through Zakuani at this point, but still their best chance had come from a Houston boot.

Cameron should have received a yellow card for a bad tackle on Ljungberg, one of many on the Swede. Riley and Ljungberg himself were quick to point out that Marshall had received a yellow for a lesser attempt some minutes earlier.

They did receive a foul however and from the free kick Ricardo Clark nearly provided Sounders with another own goal when he headed a ball towards his own net. Onstad had to be sharp to block the attempt and the scramble continued in the Houston area until Onstad was awarded a free kick for subsequent pushing.

Houston finally received their first yellow just before half time when Mike Chabala was penalised for team persistent fouling.

Sounders finished the first half the stronger of the two teams, with the last ten minutes of a half that Houston had dominated.

Seattle wasted the first opportunity of the second half when a free kick was awarded for Ljungberg after another foul by Cameron. Ljungberg shot straight into the wall, and the ball was easily cleared by Houston’s defence.

In the 52nd minute, it was Nate Jaqua’s turn to pass up a valuable goal scoring chance when he side-footed a Ljungberg cross agonisingly inches wide of a helpless Pat Onstad goal.

At this point in the game, if there was momentum it seemed to be pointing towards the visitors, if only they could convert one of the half chances they were creating. Houston’s threats were sporadic and Keller easily collected a direct shot from the fading Oduro.

Montero produced a snap shot just before the hour mark. But his substitution seemed inevitable as he began to look out of sorts. Sounders had a lucky escape shortly before the hour when Brian Ching wasn’t marked closely enough by Hurtado from a Holden left corner. But in fairness the Colombian did enough to hamper Ching’s jump, and the young Colombian was probably Seattle’s finest player on the night as he continued to look a quality acquisition.

Fifteen minutes into the second half, Houston had still not managed a post interval shot on goal compared to the seven it had in the first half. This had been Sounders best period, but they never quite looked like turning that into a goal.

The sides took it in turn to create half chances. Ching flicked to Oduro who bored down on Keller ten feet wide of the goal. Kasey expertly shepherded him wide, giving the Dynamo forward no chance to fall.

Half way through the second half, after some creative work by Nate Jaqua, James Riley found Montero on the right side of the penalty box. His narrow angle drive forced Onstad to palm it round for a corner, from which Leo Gonzales blasted a shot over the bar.

Roger Levesque came in as a straight swap for the tiring Zakuani in minute 68. Shortly after Montero shot wide for another attempt on goal, and only Zakuani’s earlier removal seemed to have saved him the same fate. Kasey Keller was the next goalkeeper in action, making a key save in the 70th minute from a low shot by Ching.

Both sides had one more chance in normal time. Roger Levesque swiveled perfectly on the edge of the penalty box and found the onrushing Jaqua who was first to the ball. Sadly for the Sounders, the ball went wide to the left of the goal. Houston removed Oduro and brought in the Designated Player, Mexico’s Luis Landin.

Brad Davis shot over the bar just 80 seconds from the end after a slick passing movement cut Seattle’s defence open. But neither side deserved to lose the right to continue to wage battle and extra time loomed and arrived.

Houston finally opened the scoring in this dramatic tie five minutes into the first period of extra time. Levesque swung at a Mike Chabala cross. He missed entirely and the ball cannoned off Mullan’s chest as he jumped with Levesque. It rebounded to Brian Ching who volleyed past the helpless Keller for the deciding goal.

Eleven minutes into this opening period, Ljungberg finally lost patience with his passing and his colleagues and took a shot himself from wide left forcing Onstad to tip it over the bar. Seattle’s short passing game had been pretty but Houston had more than shown themselves capable of closing it down.

Houston were more than capable of further frustrating Seattle’s attempts to equalise. Riley was sent off just seconds before the end of the second 15 minutes of extra time for a two-footed challenge against Ricardo Clark, as the frustration finally showed.

Seconds later, the final whistle was blown and signified the end of Seattle’s brave challenge and their 2009 MLS Season.

Houston Dynamo – Pat Onstad, Mike Chabala, Bobby Boswell, Geoff Cameron, Andrew Hainault, Brian Mullan, Ricardo Clark, Stuart Holden, Brad Davis (Corey Ashe 98), Dominic Oduro (Luis Angel Landin 82), Brian Ching (Cam Weaver 106).

Substitutes Not Used: Wade Barrett, Eddie Robinson, Ryan Cochrane, Tally Hall.

TOTAL SHOTS: 15; SHOTS ON GOAL: 5; FOULS: 16; OFFSIDES: 4; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 3.

Seattle Sounders FC – Kasey Keller, James Riley, Tyrone Marshall (Sanna Nyassi 104), Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Leo Gonzalez, Osvaldo Alonso, Steve Zakuani (Roger Levesque 67), Brad Evans, Nate Jaqua, Freddie Ljungberg, Fredy Montero (Sebastien Le Toux 90).

Substitutes Not Used: Terry Boss, Patrick Ianni, Tyson Wahl, Peter Vagenas.

TOTAL SHOTS: 10; SHOTS ON GOAL: 3; FOULS: 16; OFFSIDES: 0; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 4.

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