The Seattle Sounders came into tonight's home match with the Houston Dynamo knowing they'd clinch a 2016 Audi MLS Playoffs spot with a victory, but a lack of finishing touch saw the match end 0-0.
Consequences for the Sounders went beyond the missed opportunity, as they lost Osvaldo Alonsoto a red card suspension when he put hands to the face of Will Bruin in a disagreement. The Sounders also lost Andreas Ivanschitz early to a right knee sprain. Both absences will affect the push to the playoffs for the Sounders.
Even after the red card, the story for much of the night was extended Sounders pressure and dangerous counters from a Dynamo team that rested several starters as they cope with three games in eight days. Best chance of the night may have been taken by Bruin from distance, an attempt that took a fully outstretched fingertip save from Stefan Frei to stay out.
Seattle Sounders FC (13-13-6; 45 points) vs. Houston Dynamo (7-13-12; 33 points)
MLS Regular Season
October 12, 2016 – CenturyLink Field – Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 39,772
Scoring Summary:
None.
Seattle Sounders FC: Stefan Frei; Tyrone Mears, Roman Torres, Chad Marshall, Tony Alfaro (Oalex Anderson 74); Osvaldo Alonso, Cristian Roldan; Herculez Gomez (Nelson Valdez 62), Nicolas Lodeiro, Andreas Ivanschitz (Erik Friberg 16); Jordan Morris
Unused Substitutes: Tyler Miller, Zach Scott, Nathan Sturgis, Aaron Kovar
TOTAL SHOTS: 15 (Chad Marshall, Nicolas Lodeiro, Nelson Valdez and Oalex Anderson tied with 2); SHOTS ON GOAL: 7 (Oalex Anderson 2); FOULS: 6 (Tyrone Mears, Herculez Gomez, Nicolas Lodeiro, Jordan Morris, Erik Friberg and Nelson Valdez tied with 1); OFFSIDES: 0 (N/A); CORNER KICKS: 11 (Nicolas Lodeiro 10); SAVES: 5 (Stefan Frei 5)
Houston Dynamo: Joe Willis; Sheanon Williams, David Horst, Keynor Brown, DaMarcus Beasley (Jalil Anibaba 72); Collen Warner; Andrew Wenger, Eric Alexander (Mauro Manotas 72), Ricardo Clark, Jose Escalante (Boniek Garcia 87), Will Bruin
Unused Substitutes: Calle Brown, Raul Rodriguez, Cristian Maidana, Yair Arboleda
TOTAL SHOTS: 11 (Will Bruin 5); SHOTS ON GOAL: 5 (Will Bruin 3); FOULS: 16 (Andrew Wenger, Collen Warner and Ricardo Clark tied with 3); OFFSIDES: 0 (N/A); CORNER KICKS: 5 (Jose Escalante 3); SAVES: 7 (Joe Willis 7)
Misconduct Summary:
HOU: Ricardo Clark (caution) 43
HOU: Will Bruin (caution) 64
SEA: Osvaldo Alonso (ejection) 64
Referee: Drew Fischer
Assistant Referees: Jeremy Hanson, Cameron Blanchard
Fourth Official: Allen Chapman
