The Seattle Sounders defeated the Houston Dynamo 3-1 at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Saturday behind a goal from Danny Musovski and a second-half brace from Albert Rusnák. Femi Awodesu scored the lone goal for the hosts.
Houston had the first good look at goal in the fifth minute when Jack McGlynn had an opportunity from just inside the box off a turnover, but his effort was straight at Stefan Frei.
The Sounders drew first blood in the 22nd minute when Musovski scored in his fifth straight match after Paul Rothrock clipped a beautiful ball to the back post where a wide-open Musovski guided the ball into the net with his head.
Houston almost equalized two minutes later when Ezequiel Ponce hit a free kick from 20 yards out that rattled the outside netting at the near post.
The Dynamo found their leveler in the 32nd minute when a free kick from McGlynn picked out Awodesu at the back post, and the 24-year-old headed it in past Frei.
The match was turned on its head in the 38th minute when Awodesu was sent off for denial of a goalscoring opportunity. Originally whistled as a penalty, the handball offense was changed to just outside of the box after Video Review. Rusnák’s ensuing free kick was blocked by the wall and kept out.
Seattle re-took the lead just 50 seconds into the second half when Pedro de la Vega, freshly onto the pitch as a substitute, picked out Rusnák at the penalty area, and the Slovakian Designated Player hit a left-footed, one-timed effort past Jonathan Bond in goal.
McGlynn looked to equalize for the Dynamo again in the 52nd minute when his left-footed attempt from the top of the box hit the outside netting.
Ponce had a dangerous attempt from 25 yards out in the 56th minute that just sailed over the crossbar.
Rusnák found his brace in the 58th minute after a marauding run by Ryan Kent sliced through the left side of the Dynamo defense before the Englishman put a ball on a platter at the far post for Rusnák to hammer home from six yards out.
Frei came to the rescue in the 60th minute when he made a full-extension diving save to his right to parry away a header from Griffin Dorsey.
Frei made another big save in the 85th minute to keep out a McGlynn free kick looking for the far post.
Georgi Minoungou burned his defender in the 87th minute and looked to add a fourth goal, but Bond came up with a massive stop to deny the Ivorian.
The Sounders are in their second three-match road trip of the early season and will head to Los Angeles on Wednesday for a match against LAFC before visiting the Portland Timbers next Saturday.
THREE TAKEAWAYS
Flying high
Seattle is now unbeaten in its last five matches with four wins in that stretch, taking 13 points from 15 on offer and outscoring its opponents 12-3.
Musovski five-for-five
Musovski continued his goalscoring form, finding the back of the net for the fifth consecutive match. Musovski joins elite company in Raúl Ruidíaz, Fredy Montero and Obafemi Martins as just the fourth Sounder to score in five straight games.
Kent cooking
Winger Ryan Kent got his first start as a Sounder on Saturday and recorded his third assist in his last two matches. The former Rangers and Galatasaray man was a menace on the left wing all evening.
