Seattle, WA – In another near must win situation, the Seattle Sounders used a second half surge to secure three points against the Houston Dynamo. The theme of the night was resiliency, as mentioned by Brian Schmetzer postgame, as Seattle overcame an early deficit. With the three points, the Sounders are six points out of the last possible playoff spot in the Western Conference, currently held by the Portland Timbers.
Jordan Morris looks to take a shot on goal (Photo by Paul Kahl)
Rough start
The Sounders came into this match gunning, firing off six shots by the 25th minute. Seattle went on to dominate the offensive statistics throughout the match, but Houston struck first. The Dynamo took advantage of a Sounders defense that was not fully set on a corner kick, and chaos ensued. Dynamo midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla launched a ball towards net, and his teammate Daniel Steres would redirect it. The ball flashed past Seattle keeper Stefan Frei, never even having a real chance to stop it.
Nouhou sparks the fire
Through his six seasons with the Sounders MLS club, Nouhou Tolo has never scored a goal. For years, Sounders fans, players, and staff alike wondered when the defender may find the back of the net for Seattle. With the potential of a transfer coming this offseason, it seemed like Sounders faithful may never have gotten to see that very feat. That all changed when Nouhou lit the spark that ignited Seattle’s fire in the 59th minute.
A cleared ball off of a Raul Ruidiaz shot found itself at the feet of Nouhou. The defender centered the ball, and fired away, slotting it bottom corner to get past Clark. The goal equalized the match, and gave Seattle something to build off of in the late stages.
Nouhou scored a goal and added an assist in the match (Photo by Paul Kahl)
Montero creates another memory
With the game level at a goal apiece, Seattle had a massive opportunity in the 75th minute. Nicolas Lodeiro was awarded a penalty that had been drawn by Fredy Montero, and things looked bright. Considering Lodeiro’s solid streak of over 15 consecutive made penalty kicks, it seemed almost certain that Seattle would pull ahead. Houston keeper Steve Clark was able to read Lodeiro, snapping the midfielder’s consecutive penalty goals streak and keep the game level.
Despite the disappointment of having the penalty he drew get saved, Montero remained ready to strike. A mere minute after the penalty was saved, Montero pounded a header past Dynamo keeper Steve Clark. On the assist? Nouhou, the defender had whipped in a brilliant cross, and Seattle had taken the lead. The two perhaps unlikely heroes combine to earn three points for the Sounders, and snap Seattle’s five match winless streak.
Fredy Montero celebrates drawing a penalty kick (Photo by Melissa Levin)
What it means
This win keeps the Sounders technically alive, but the chances of Seattle making the postseason and keeping their streak alive are slim. The Sounders are currently at a thin 19% chance of making the playoffs. Outside of this win, their form as of late doesn’t help foster the most confidence that the group can get it done. Taking that into consideration, the Sounders dominated Houston offensively, out shooting the Dynamo by 16 shots. Seattle out chanced Houston three to one, was more disciplined, while also dominating passing and duels.
What does all that mean? The Sounders are fighting, and while it hasn’t resulted in an outpour of goals yet, Seattle has the spirit they need. As mentioned earlier, this Sounders club is resilient. There are several personnel throughout the organization that have championship and winning DNA, from the staff to the players. It isn’t likely, but if a club can find a way to squeeze in to the postseason, it’s the Sounders.
Sounders players celebrate with Fredy Montero after his goal (Photo by Melissa Levin)
What’s next?
The rest of the slate for Seattle is not exactly easy as the Sounders look to pull of something miraculous in order to earn a playoff berth. The next opponent in line for Seattle is Austin FC, a club that currently occupies the second seed in the Western Conference. After that September 10th match, the Sounders will face four teams that are currently outside of the playoff races. While FC Cincinnati is still technically a potential playoff team, the other clubs (Vancouver, KC, San Jose) are out of the race.
Thank you to Melissa Levin and Paul Kahl for the photos used in this article. Thanks Mel and Paul!
Link to Paul’s article: https://paulkahl.smugmug.com/Sports/SeattleSounders/2022/2022-09-04-Sounders-vs-Houston-Dynamo-FC/
