2024 Playoffs: Seattle Sounders v. Houston Dynamo

I'll take that 2009 result, thank you very much. Then take our chances in the shootout.

(I'm not implying we can't win outright. Certainly our little posse of cowboys believe and will go after the game.)

It absolutely sucks to fly to SEA from Austin. Just nothing but horrific all-day options changing planes in far-flung connection sites like Anchorage and Houston and such ....

 

Away to Seattle! Here we go sports fans!!

DALE ETERNO BI-CAMPEON!!!

 

I respect the hell out of Schmetzer in SEA. And I'm not making any predictions -- Dynamo are underdogs. BUT ... boy would it be fun to make Schmetzer regret this .....


Brian Schmetzer with @SoundersFC, on challenges he’s faced, but pride of being in Seattle: “We don’t get beat 5-0 at home in a playoff game.”

 

Locker Room chalk board material right there!

GET AT THEM SEATTLE BOYS! VAMOS HOUSTON! DREAM SCREAM BELIEVE!!!

 

Valhalla King Erik Sviatchenko: "The team is the star, I would say. Whereas other teams have these kind of individuals that pop out, we also have them, but I think our main reason for our success is that we work as a team. And when we do that, that's where we are the most dangerous to play against.”

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/dynamo/article/erik-sviatchenko-mls-playoffs-19861092.php

 

Anybody from this group here in Seattle? I came last minute alone if anybody wants to meet up

 

Good on you to make the trip!
No way I could get away from the Monday grind, I reckon most of us cannot likewise. So thanks for getting our colors out in Seattle tonight CG!

DALE DYNAMO!!!

 

Just found this on tonights Game 1 up in Seattle>>>

Seattle’s Iron Wall Prepares to Face Houston’s Midfield Magic in MLS Playoffs

Then there’s Houston Dynamo on the other side. If Seattle’s the wall, Houston’s the team that’s brought a touch of magic to this season. Led by Ben Olsen, Dynamo is the kind of squad that makes fans fall in love with the game, playing with a fire and flair that can’t help but bring a smile to the stands. And 2023? It’s been one heck of a year for them. Much of that success rests on the shoulders of Héctor Herrera. He’s not just a captain; he’s the orchestrator of a midfield rounded out by Coco Carrasquilla, Artur, and Amine Bassi. Together, they’re like the gears of a watch, perfectly synchronized to keep the team ticking, holding possession, and setting up plays.

On one side, Seattle’s defense stands like a concrete wall, and on the other, Houston’s midfield flows like water, always searching for the cracks. This clash of styles isn’t just intriguing; it’s one of those matchups that feels like it’s shaping the very identity of MLS. But not everything’s picture-perfect. Houston’s had some struggles up front this season. Despite all the midfield creativity, they’ve missed that deadly finisher. Ibrahim Aliyu has chipped in where he could, but it hasn’t quite solved their finishing woes. And in playoff soccer, a team without a natural scorer is walking a tightrope. Ponce joined mid-season and has shown some quality, but he’s yet to establish himself as the rock Houston can rely on.

 

Yo. We need a place to watch the first game…. I will DM my phone # to you.

 

Dab dammit! Dynamo are wearing their street drug uniforms. Not much good happens in those things.

Someone start a change.org petition for the Dynamo to never wear those uniforms again…

 

Our Road Raven Black kit was owning it Don! This year's Purple Drank look is a wash on the field of play.

 

Jeez did the Sounders faithful not remember they hosted the first game tonight?!? Very sparse crowd. More so for the self proclaimed soccer city U.S.A.???

 

Early start there on a weekday (5:50). Looks like it has filled in.

 

I haven't watched an MLS game this season.

Decided to give the playoffs a look and the officiating still sucks. These FS1 clowns are pretty pro Seattle.

 

Seattle fans are calling this game....crazy. looks like i haven't missed much

 

First half was damn good game. Seattle’s changes in 2nd half put the Dynamo on the back foot even before the handbags red card.

I think Olsen has the right of it. Unkel called it right. Two yellows, calm everyone down, play on. But the VAR a-hole has to interject. My view of the incident I saw either two yellows, two reds, or two talkings to. Both Rusnak and Coco did the exact same things. Maybe Coco connects more? So he gets a red? Huh? It’s violent conduct so making contact is irrelevant. It is all intent. Someone tell me that Coco intended to do anything Rusnak was not intending. Seriously, watch that and I don’t see how anyone comes to that conclusion. Oh well … you can only control what you do and Coco did not control himself. If the Dynamo lose this series that will be the series defining moment.

But I think the Dynamo can win at home. Then we are back here to decide it all.

I will say this. This game absolutely supports, in my never humble opinion, what I have been saying all season. If you don’t finish P4 or better your season was a bad season. That is not my opinion — that is the MLS playoff format and maths.

 

I was looking at hands and the fact that Coco makes contact with the face which can be a red. Someone pointed out to me that Coco tries to kick Rusnsk. Went back and watched the replay again and saw the replay portion Unkle was looking at on VAR, sure enough he was looking at a kick by Coco. Can't try to kick an opponent and hope to get away with it.

 

Yeah, since I wrote that I saw Artur’s post game and he said that ref told him it was the kick. And you’re right. I still think the ref could have let that go with yellows. But your point is right. And more basically, the whole thing (which I’m not sure you can tell from the broadcast) is over wrestling for the ball. Ragan grabbed the ball to prevent a fast restart and Coco’s insisted on wrestling for it and Ragan flopped to the ground acting like he had been assaulted. So Ruznak shows up to shove Coco and handbags ensue. Coco needs to avoid all that nonsense ….

 

All right. So I went back and watched again. This “kick.” First, Coco is right footed. And he is standing on his right foot and Rusnak comes in and shoves him hard pushing Coco back. His left foot comes up as Coco is falling backwards. These VAR idiots go slow mo and think it is some awkward kicking motion but it is more likely it is just the natural result of getting shoved hard. Seriously — go look at that event. At least three Sounders blindside Coco with hard shoves at different times starting with Rusnak.

Bottom line? Coco needs to never get involved in that nonsense. You can only control what you can control and since your against the Sounders you know you will never get the benefit of the call. Don’t give the ref or VAR the chance. But the “kick out” is in no way a clear error.

BTW: Towards the end there is this shot of Dorsey trying to help Ragan up and Ragan, holding his face, does this little deal where he peaks up at the ref to see if he can stop acting. I tell you this, the Dynamo should be pissed at what chickens**t gamesmanship the Sounders pull. Between that kid on the left flopping constantly and this nonsense it is shameful.

 

This is who coco is. He's the same toddler that needlessly clipped Pulisic from behind in the 88th mnt and got carded. There is no more over hyped player right now and the pressure to be anything but average gets to him. Hands to the face is a zero excuse action & his dumb ass just severely hurt his team. Immature and selfish by act.

Aliyu is trash

How much are we paying Ponce??

The commentators explained Bassi perfectly. "too many touches and his thinking is way too slow".

An additional comment that is accurate--"the dynamo in the back and middle third are doing the hard work & its paying off but there is absolutely nothing in the final third. In the final third of the field, the dynamo completely break down and it's just not good enough". This has been the glaring problem all season & no amount of over priced players from far flung unheard of teams is going to fix it. Maybe Ponce can amount to something next year, but Aliyu, Bassi, & Kolache have to go.
0 SHOTS ON TARGET!!! Absolutely inexcusable.

Did Olsen really think Blessing was gonna make such a huge difference in under 10 mnts? Why bring him in knowing you want Steres to take pks? Not that it really mattered, but seems like an impossible position to put Blessing in.

I love Sviatchchenko. Not getting a PK on frame is a disaster.

HH and Artur did well and Dorsey & Escobar kept Seattle busy going forward. I feel so sorry for those guys doing so much work just to have a bunch of net negatives on the front line negate the effort. It has to be disheartening to know that if you pass or cross to one of our "forwards" the odds of anything positive happening are putrid.

Here's hoping we get lucky next Sunday. Maybe the injuries will keep Morris and De La Vega out or limited.

PS

That was our best 11 on the field.

 

Putting Coco being an airhead aside, this is the thing that got glossed over by VAR officials upon review of the handbags at 20 paces melee, Coco gets shoved blindsided over and over by Seattle players running up to the scene and nothing, nada. But Coco gets a red on top of the initial yellow card for each player. VAR has hurt this traditional sport more than it has helped. Goal line technology, yes, check, offsides by a shoelace taking back a great run of play goal, jeez ok, letter of the law concept, but this slow motion review of a previous event, to nit pick the players actions in a heated playoff match is just a wash!

Yup.

I thought he was solid on the night, did what a winger is asked, get up that line and track back. The goal scoring is on our #9 and # 10 players, which they are very lacking in their roles.

Correct!
And that fool Sebas!!! He and his agent have taken our club to the cleaners!!!

Bassi is class on the ball but he does indeed dilly dally on the pill, keeps scanning the action but does not play the early ball to unlock Seattle's backline. All season he slows down our attack way too often.

Our link up out of the back, then into the middle third of the field is very solid, then our run of play just goes and dies when we enter the final third. Just painful to watch.

Man o man, all that effort last night, to secure a road draw in past MLS playoffs versions, to lose it all in this modern MLS playoffs version of instant PK's, to witness El Chenko's el misso off the entire frame of the goal PK shot was a gutpunch!

 

Coco: Yeah, he put himself in a position to get screwed. He should not have done it. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and is part of who he is. Overall? I love the guy, a warrior in orange who fights for his team. That doesn’t excuse what he did, but anti-Coco rhetoric is overblown. These things happen. He will likely find more efforts by chickens**t opponents to get a reaction out of him in the future. He will need to learn. This event was a failure of officiating but Coco cannot control that. He can control his role in this. Fair play according to Unkel would have been for him to go down on Rusnak’s contact holding his face. I kinda respect a guy who doesn’t fake and stands up for himself. I like that that is our team culture.

Seattle? How absolutely shameful is Seattle? Jackson Ragan, all 6’4” 200lbs of him throwing himself to the ground faking that he had been assaulted over an incident he created by not just dropping the ball. Pathetic.

Ponce? 6 goals so far and he has played about 1/3 a season. 18 goals would be a great season. Schmetzer mentioned him in his post game presser. “He is a load.” And he is. Sorry to all you folks that he is not the combination of Ronaldo, Messi, Ronaldinho, Pele and Maradona that you expect. But so far, so good. He is just getting going with the Dynamo. Maybe he doesn’t work out as well as we want, but it is unreasonable to have expected him to fix all Dynamo offensive issues. BTW …. If you don’t know about Olympiakos of Greece then you just don’t follow world football.

Seattle is the best defense in the league. Their back three is big, fast and strong. They have nearly a league record in shutouts.

Lastly, you know, I’ve watched playoff games before. I’ve watched Seattle. In Seattle? The Dynamo did what they needed to do. The red card took away our chance to score. So we gave it our best chance. Someone is going to miss in a shootout. It is pretty random that result. Shit happens. The idea that the Dynamo have to get lucky Sunday is, to my mind, ludicrous.

Bring on the whining about sunshine police.

 

Now that I have offended everyone let me ask for the advice from those of you who know the soccer gods on an issue of paramount importance.

Certainly it would be offensive to the soccer gods to make reservations for LA. I would not think of doing so.

Is it offensive as well if I make reservations now for game 3 in Seattle??