The Seattle Sounders defeated the Houston Dynamo 1-0 on Saturday night behind a second-half goal from Albert Rusnák. It was the Sounders’ second 1-0 win over the Dynamo in the last two months after taking three points back from Houston on May 13.
Rusnák had the first good look of the half in the 10th minute when he one-timed a deflected ball, but his shot was right at goalkeeper Steve Clark.
AB Cissoko made his first start of the season at center back for Jackson Ragen, who was suspended because of yellow-card accumulation. The Frenchman picked up an early yellow card himself in the 18th minute but played well afterward to help Seattle keep the clean sheet.
It was a relatively quiet first half, with each team’s xG under 0.5, but Rusnák had Seattle’s best chance in the first minute of stoppage time when Nicolás Lodeiro sprung Léo Chú in behind, but Rusnák couldn’t get his foot around the Brazilian’s cross in time, and it was deflected out for a corner.
The Sounders nearly took the lead in the 47th minute when Lodeiro had a close-range opportunity that was deflected out for a corner by Erik Sviatchenko.
Houston almost pulled ahead in the 49th minute when Artur hit the post from outside the box on a left-footed strike.
The match tilted in the Sounders’ favor in the 62nd minute when Micael was sent off after receiving two yellow cards a minute apart. The Dynamo received three red cards in their two matches against Seattle this season after going down to nine men in the teams’ first meeting earlier this year.
Rusnák made the Dynamo pay just five minutes later when he fired home a left-footed shot after a beautiful give-and-go combination between Lodeiro and Chú. The assist was the team-leading eighth of the season for Chú.
Chú and Rusnák nearly connected again in the 70th minute when Chú dropped a cross back to Rusnák, but his first-time shot went over the crossbar.
The Sounders had a chance for an exclamation point in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Héber picked out Lodeiro on a cross at the far post, but Lodeiro’s shot went over the bar.
The Sounders will head north of the border next Saturday when they take on Cascadia rival the Vancouver Whitecaps (7:30 p.m. PT; Watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
THREE TAKEAWAYS
Another clean sheet
The Sounders and goalkeeper Stefan Frei extended their league-leading clean sheets with 11 through 21 matches. Seattle has conceded just 18 times and is on pace for its best defensive record in the club’s MLS history.
Houston streak
The Sounders have defeated the Dynamo in 12 of their last 13 matches, including the playoffs, and have not lost to the Dynamo in 15 all-time home matches. Only the Portland Timbers have a better home record against one team in MLS history, going 16 unbeaten against the San Jose Earthquakes.
Brad Smith returns
Former Sounders left back Brad Smith made his first appearance at Lumen Field since he left the club at the end of 2021. The Australian, who joined the Dynamo this past offseason after spending last year with D.C. United, spent four seasons with Seattle including helping the club lift the 2019 MLS Cup.
