SEATTLE — Houston Dynamo goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer delivered an impressive performance, recording four saves in his debut start as Houston faced a stalemate against the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field on Saturday night. Meanwhile, Seattle’s Stefan Frei ensured a clean sheet by stopping the sole shot he encountered, resulting in a 0-0 draw.
Maurer’s opportunity came after Andrew Tarbell, Houston’s regular starter, suffered a knee injury during a 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake, which sidelined him for the season. Maurer, who transitioned to the Dynamo (0-3-2) this year after achieving 16 shutouts over 65 starts in seven seasons with FC Dallas, has seen all of Houston’s three defeats occur on home ground this season.
For the Sounders (1-2-2), Frei celebrated his first shutout of this season and the 100th with Seattle, marking his fourth start of the season. With a total of 119 shutouts in 411 career starts, Frei’s journey began with 19 clean sheets during his 82 starts with Toronto FC.
The first half saw Maurer make three saves while Frei enjoyed a relatively unchallenged 45 minutes. Despite the Dynamo’s ongoing struggle to secure a victory at Seattle’s home turf, last season featured two scoreless draws between these teams.
Overall, the Sounders boast a commendable record against the Dynamo, standing at 12 wins, 1 loss, and 4 draws in their past 16 meetings across all competitions.
Former Sounders captain Nicolás Lodeiro, now with the Dynamo, returned to Seattle and played a pivotal role in ensuring his new team left with a point.
Looking ahead, the Dynamo will remain in the Pacific Northwest to face the Portland Timbers next Saturday, while the Sounders are set to travel for an encounter with the San Jose Earthquakes on the same day.
