Houston suffers in controversial night against Seattle
Written by Vicente Garcia Miale |
Houston Dynamo FC hosted Seattle in a celebration match
commemorating the franchise’s 20th anniversary in the MLS. The Dynamo (2-5-4)
aimed to maintain a three-game unbeaten home streak. The Sounders (4-3-4)
arrived in the Space City with a four-game unbeaten streak and held seventh
place in the Western Conference standings.
A more-than-anticipated party in Houston was ruined by
Seattle as they quickly advanced through the final third. The first punch of
the night landed 21 minutes in after an unsuccessful clearance by Houston
midfielder Brooklyn Raines allowed Paul Rothrock to control the ball and
dribble down the line before placing a back-post cross to Danny Musovski. The
center forward headed the ball into the net with style as the Sounders obtained
an early lead.
Giving up is not an option, which is why Ben Olsen’s
team forced itself to gain more confidence and attempt to control the momentum
of the game. The cheering fans were rewarded 30 minutes into the match as
Houston center back Femi Awodesu found the equalizer after heading in a
set-piece cross from Jack McGlynn. The Philadelphia native scored his
first-career MLS goal. Despite Awodesu’s effort, a referee call and an
unfortunate play marked another “first” in the rookie’s career. A long ball was
played into Houston’s 18-yard box, striking Awodesu’s arm as he fought against
Seattle’s center forward. Initially, the referee awarded a penalty to Seattle,
but a VAR review compelled Rivas to alter the decision, resulting in a free
kick at the edge of the box and a red card for Awodesu. Consequently, Houston
had to play over 52 minutes with only 10 men, forcing Ben Olsen to make
substitutions.
Although the necessary changes were made, Houston’s low
block was quickly defeated once again. A great combination between Argentine
winger Pedro de la Vega and Albert Rusnak thirty seconds into the second half
caused the entire Houston crowd to remain silent. The left-foot shot couldn’t
be saved by Jonathan Bond, and Brian Schmetzer’s team obtained the lead
for the second time of the night.
Down on the score, the Dynamo tried to manage their way into
Seattle’s final third; however, no real danger was created. Schmetzer’s team
acknowledged Houston’s defensive struggles and began attacking down the wings
with much intensity and verticality. Thus, leading to the third goal of the
night for Seattle. A magnificent run allowed left winger Ryan Kent to place a
short pass in the center of the box, where Rusnak was once again successful as
a right-foot strike found the bottom of the net. Seattle secured the 3-1 away
win and climbed up to fourth place in the Western Conference standings.
Houston will host Minnesota United in a midweek clash on
Wednesday, May 14, at Shell Energy Stadium.
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