Houston v Sounders Player Ratings

by Dave Clark, Sounder at Heart

In a win you have a hero or heroes. In losses, there is the goat or goats. In a draw, oddly you have both. There are the players responsible for it not being a win, and the players responsible for it not being a loss. In the draw down in Robertson there were players that were both hero and goat.

Kasey Keller – Maybe it is due to our expectation of seeing the spectacular, but Keller wasn’t tested much facing only three shots on target. If he were Superman he could have stopped that set-play magic. 6.5/10

Leo Gonzalez – His runs up the left wing did not appear until Zakuani was on the pitch. Leo overall was skillful on the ball, penetrates well and his defense is as strong as any on the club. 7.5/10

Tyrone Marshall – Won the first ball when it was in the air after the line moved to the higher position, but isn’t he supposed to have been that leader making the decision? 6/10

Jhon Kennedy Hurtado – Really the only Sounder regular who lacked focus and tended to escalate the physicality of the match. He did manage to not get the Yellow, but too often was caught with unnecessary fouls. 5.5/10

James Riley – For the first time in weeks we saw James with some extended runs forward. His cross was well placed. Riley was not burned for being forward either. One of his best yet. 7/10

Roger Levesque – Held to an unmatchable standard by his USL fans Roger had his first opportunity to shine as a starter. At best we saw substitute forced into a starting role who tried to force it a few too many times. 5/10

Osvaldo Alonso – Looks so much more comfortable with Brad Evans as a forward outlet. He was able to connect forward and displayed the defense that the fans have come to appreciate. 6.5/10

Brad Evans – In his more tactical central midfield role he was regularly able to disrupt Houston’s play at the centerline. He fit the offense as a forward outlet on a short pass. 6.5/10

Seb Le Toux – His night was really encapsulated in one brilliant yet unrewarding play. His 50+ yard run down the right wing to win a punt showed the effort his fans love. He then fought through multiple defenders at the edge of the penalty area again to his fans joy. He ended it by trying to force one last move rather than passing off to a waiting teammate. Some get a rating because they hover right at that level, others have great moments and heartbreaking ones to put them at a centerpoint. 5.5/10

Freddie Ljungberg – Dominated a game as few can. Working in the second striker mold he had long runs on either wing and right down the gut. A brilliant clearance by the Dynamo Captain Barrett robbed Ljungberg of the note in the box score his performance earned. 8/10

Nate Jaqua – It is a striker’s life. Every misplay is accented, under the glare of the lights and video replay they seem even more painful. And then they score, but is all forgiven? His offside call was clear and proper, and his statements post match were class. 6/10

Steve Zakuani - He could have walked it in, or chested it. Instead it was the miss of the week. Everyone knows it won’t happen again, but it did at that time. But his positioning on offense continues to be solid. That provided him the opportunity to be the assist man on the tying goal. He won’t ever be noted for his defense, but as a Left Winger he’s one of the league’s best one way players. 6.5/10

Patrick Ianni - Came on late for Hurtado and showed that as a substitute and as depth he is a solid player with a useful role on the club. He immediately started coaching on the pitch. 6/10

Peter Vagenas – He played, briefly.

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Listen to Houston Dynamo’s Jonathan Yardley on the Trip to Panama and the Sounders Match

Houston Dynamo 1 : 1 Sounders FC