SEATTLE — In a thrilling matchup on Monday night, Alex Roldan scored the crucial goal in a 5-4 shootout after the Seattle Sounders and Houston Dynamo ended regulation time in a goalless stalemate. This game marked the start of a best-of-three series in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs.
Goalkeeper Stefan Frei of the Sounders was not challenged throughout the rainy evening, recording a shutout without making a single save. However, he made a pivotal play during the shootout, successfully anticipating Erik Sviatchenko’s shot, which went wide left. With precision, Roldan netted the decisive penalty kick, placing it in the upper right corner, giving the fourth-seeded Sounders an early lead in the series.
Frei had an outstanding season, finishing with a league-high of 13 clean sheets, adding to his tally of 14 from the previous year. In his playoff career, he has recorded 14 shutouts out of 33 matches, showcasing his enduring prowess with the Sounders. On the other side, Dynamo’s Steve Clark delivered a strong performance as well, making three saves in his 18th postseason start, with his last six appearances coming as a member of the No. 5 seed Dynamo.
The Sounders have a remarkable home record against the Dynamo, never having lost to them at home since both teams have been competing in the league since 2009. The Dynamo’s challenge intensified in the 66th minute when they had to continue the match one player short after midfielder Coco Carrasquilla received two yellow cards in quick succession.
Adding to Seattle’s concerns, their top scorer Jordan Morris was forced to exit the game with an injury in the 52nd minute. He was substituted by Raúl Ruidíaz, who made an impression by scoring the first penalty for the Sounders in the shootout. Further contributions came from Albert Rusnák, Jackson Ragen, and Cristian Roldan, who all converted their penalty kicks successfully.
The Dynamo’s portion of successful penalties included shots from Ezequiel Ponce, Griffin Dorsey, Sebastian Kowalczyk, and Daniel Steres, adding to the tension of the shootout.
The Sounders have a rich playoff history, making the postseason in 15 out of their 16 years in the league and winning the MLS Cup twice, in 2016 and 2019. Despite a rocky start to this season, with performances lagging early on, they managed to finish strong with a record of 12 wins, 2 losses, and 3 draws in the second half.
Meanwhile, the Dynamo concluded the regular season with a club-record of 54 points and eight victories on the road, demonstrating a commendable turnaround as they prepare to host the Sounders again on Sunday. This will mark the Dynamo’s 10th postseason appearance and their first consecutive qualifications since 2013, having previously drawn 2-2 with Seattle during the regular season and narrowly losing 1-0 in a home game.