Well, that was certainly a game against the Houston Dynamo last Monday. Seven shots against, none on target was the defense we expected. Twenty shots for, but only three on target was the offense we hoped we’d left behind. It all added up to a cagey midfield battle as two strong defenses duked it out. Even after some fireworks with a third of the match left, Seattle couldn’t break down the organized Houston defense. With the regular time score deadlocked at 0-0, penalties were not a great result, but the response from the Seattle penalty kick takers was absolutely fantastic. Stefan Frei did just enough, and the shooters took over from there. All five who stepped up scored, with Jackson Ragen and both Roldan brothers standing out for their unsavable penalties. The game wasn’t pretty, final score 0-0 (5-4), but it was enough, and now Seattle can punch their ticket to the next round in Houston this Sunday. 

Positive reaction: Failing to score against one of the best defenses in the league isn’t a big deal, but dominating play throughout and finding a way to win are repeatable traits. 

Negative reaction: The difference makers didn’t make enough difference, and the playoffs are about difference makers. 

Goalkeeper

Another game, another shutout for Frei, who can earn the mark for most ever in the playoffs as soon as the next match against Houston. There wasn’t a lot that Frei had to do to earn this one, as he wasn’t credited with a single save in the match. He did organize the defense well, had a tidy 91 percent passing clip from the back to preserve vital possession, and did his part to get to penalties. In the shootout, he should have saved the first shot but didn’t, and was a nonfactor as Seattle’s shooters did their job and Houston’s did not. 

Positive reaction: Playoff Frei is capable of THE SAVE and there’s a reason he is about to have the all-time record. 

Negative reaction: If more games come down to penalty kicks, does anyone have confidence that Frei is the one to make those critical saves needed?

Defense

Nouhou played a conservative, defensive match against Houston, as Seattle struggled to find quick enough play through the lines and relied on the back line to stay compact. A clean, muted outing for Nouhou through 49 touches and a stellar 94 percent completion rate was mostly him doing his defensive job and shuttling safe passes to teammates. It was odd that he wasn’t subbed out earlier in the match, with Seattle coaches matching his conservative play and favoring defensive stability over offensive push, even up a man. He did have a fantastic 77th minute volley that probably put the center back who saved a goal with his face into concussion protocol. 

Positive reaction: Calm, controlled Nouhou was a brick wall down his wing, repeatedly shutting down Houston’s intermittent attacks, most of which tried to get Coco Carrasquilla or Griffin Dorsey isolated on the right in a matchup that didn’t work out the way they intended.

Negative reaction: If Seattle repeats this inability to score, having a more offensive-minded creator at the left back position may more than offset the defensive loss with Nouhou on the sideline.

Ragen got the news that he’s a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year prior to this match and then showed why. His play was exactly what earned him that nod, a few defensive interventions and strong positioning, but more importantly a vital rudder for the team’s possessive thrust. He had 72 touches and a sparkling 97 percent passing rate, going 59/61 passing for the match. Part of this included important long balls, but even more impressive was his ability after the red card to move forward aggressively and become another central midfielder to help probe around the Houston defense for holes in the second half. 

Positive reaction: Having a center back become a de facto extra midfielder who completes nearly 100 percent of his passes gives more attacking numbers to a team that completely controlled the match. 

Negative reaction: Seattle needed more dynamic passing, and expecting Ragen to distribute more and at the same time not get beaten in transition is a big ask. 

Playoff Yeimar was in full effect, and he has been completely dominant the past few weeks. He somehow had almost as many stats as the entire defense around him combined: four tackles, four interceptions, six clearances, a shot, a key pass, and 13 passes into the final third. When Houston attempted to switch the field through the middle it was constantly Yeimar who blocked their way, Yeimar who pushed the ball forward to the attackers, and Yeimar who completely denied Houston from quality chances on goal. Offensively, one of the best chances in the match was also from the Colombian, who had a deft first touch to cut away from the defense in the box in the 56th minute before offering a thundering shot that was blocked by Houston. 

Positive reaction: If Ragen is a finalist for DPOY, Yeimar is the real MVP. 

Negative reaction: Seattle’s defense is only as good as their discipline. Overly aggressive plays often hurt them and leave them exposed to counter attacking teams. 

Alex had another solid match, one that saw him spend a majority of his time in wide spaces as the central midfielders controlled the middle okay without him. Roldan knew when to come inside to combine and support and was all over the ball, leading the team with 92 touches. He did some of everything, including four tackles, two shots, and seven won duels. His ability defensively mirrored the quiet effectiveness of Nouhou on the opposite side, limiting Houston to almost nothing from the width. A strong outing got even more impressive as he strode to the spot with a chance to end the penalty shootout in favor of Seattle. Under that pressure, he calmly put an unsavable ball into side netting and pushed the Sounders to victory. 

Positive reaction: Seattle is putting up results, although not always pretty, with Alex playing a chameleon on the right, able to adjust his role to fit the needs of the match. He has responded by upping his output, with consistent outings as sharp as that sweet, sweet ‘stache. 

Negative reaction: The Sounders are still missing that offensive spark that Alex Roldan used to bring, and without it, have struggled when their first few options are denied. 

Defensive Midfield

JP was pushed into a starting role due to Obed Vargas’ card in the previous match, and he showed a bit of rust from his injury. Although not as ball dominant as we’re used to, João put in a tidy shift of 70 minutes, got a shot on target, completed 87 percent of his passes, and had six important recoveries in the midfield. Even more essential was his strong combination with Cristian Roldan in the center of the field. These two combined and moved off of each other excellently, denying Houston opportunities to break out until JP began to tire. This dominant Seattle midfield didn’t score, but did control the match and created most of the vertical thrust for the team. 

Positive reaction: Able to perform in spurts like this, JP is still a quality asset who can step up for the team. Although his role was diminished, he did what the team needed of him. 

Negative reaction: João was clearly tired when he was beaten badly. He was lucky to be close enough to earn a yellow on a play that could have led to a transition goal for the away side. 

Cristian had more ground to cover in this match, paired with a less mobile center midfielder whose movement was more erratic than he was used to. Roldan responded by doing a bit of everything. Defensively stout, he had three tackles, six recoveries and three clearances. Offensively, he led the team with five shots, and it was his vertical position and header that forced a penalty call that nearly changed the match in regulation. Cristian’s ability to be ball dominant in both the defensive and offensive halves of the field has been the driver of the team, and he was excellent against Houston’s quality midfield. I don’t recall how many PKs Roldan has taken in his Sounders career, but none were better than the one he took fourth in the shootout, an absolutely perfect and unstoppable shot casually deposited into the upper corner. 

Positive reaction: Seattle will go as far as Cristian takes them, and judging by the confidence of his PK take, we are in for a long ride. 

Negative reaction: Cristian having to be the defensive fulcrum and the offensive impetus is asking a lot in comparison to other teams with more weapons.

Attacking Midfield

Rothrock played 94 minutes and didn’t have much to show for all that time on the field. He ended with 40 touches, two shots (neither on target), and a single key pass. He also got a yellow card and likely was a big reason that Houston got most of theirs, as the Rock was at his inflammatory best against the Dynamo, kicking, tugging, chirping, and just being the annoying chihuahua Seattle needed to get under the skin of the opponent. His four fouls committed was part of a hard fought battle on the wing as for once, Seattle gave some back to physical teams who tried to abuse them off the ball. Going 0/3 crossing and being unable to convert all the antics into scoring chances was frustrating.

Positive reaction: Every team needs a tough guy who can get in the heads of opponents, psych them out, and then thread the sweet pass through for the game-winning goal. 

Negative reaction: Let’s have less talk and more actual production on the field, as these starting wingers struggled and created zero for Seattle. 

Rusnák was a facilitator who combined well with teammates, put in great set pieces, and helped everyone around him move towards the goal. He created two big chances, had a shot, and completed 94 percent of his passes, often under pressure amidst the congested Houston defensive spaces. He only missed two passes all match, continually putting the ball into teammates, but it would have been nice to see him attempt more dynamic unlocking passes, which failed to materialize against the aforementioned numbers that Houston was consistently throwing behind the ball. 

Positive reaction: Rusnák did his job against a tough defense, finding teammates in opportunistic spots and when given a chance to score, finished his PK into the net.

Negative reaction: The defining play of DP stars is what drove Seattle to those trophies in the cabinet. If they want more, Albert has to find that level every match to be a game-changer, not just a facilitator.

This was a disappointing outing from PDLV, who struggled in most aspects of the match. Although he contributed a key pass and a shot, a majority of the time he was not in the same book, let alone the same page as the rest of the Sounders. This showed up in his abysmal 67 percent passing and five turnovers. He was pressing too hard, shooting into the Hawks Nest seemingly on a whim, dribbling into the defense, fighting with shadows. The movement he makes can be so good, but it must be supported by quality combination with those around him, and that disconnect often meant that the right wing was where attacks went to sputter and die. He was pulled early in the second half and seemed disgruntled, however it was great to see him celebrating the shootout with his team. 

Positive reaction: Just a blip in the radar of a young kid getting his first taste of MLS playoff defense and atmosphere. Live and learn. 

Negative reaction: Is our biggest signing in years really a worse option than not one but two guys promoted from Tacoma Defiance?

Forward

Morris had an injury-shortened outing in which he struggled to get involved, mostly due to a lack of service and connection through the right and central channels. In 51 minutes he only found 10 touches and a single key pass against a very defensive Houston team. That number would have been even lower had not Cristian looked over the top for him multiple times. The wings were clipped by the Dynamo position and some of their own poor play, and this meant service to Jordan dried up. Repeated sprints in behind went unrewarded, and may have contributed to his eventual sub for a tight hamstring. 

Positive reaction: Seattle should cruise into the next round, giving Jordan time to rest while the team’s all-time leading scorer happens to be in the wings, hungering for an opportunity. 

Negative reaction: Morris has been so good for this team due to his ability to stretch the field and do more with fewer touches. The only dependable scorer on the team just got hurt. Pain. 

Substitutes

The legend Raúl Ruidíaz entered the game earlier than expected, arriving as a precaution against the further injury of Morris. With the game state changing soon thereafter and more possession in the opponent’s area, this match could have had a storybook ending for Raúl. Instead, Seattle inexplicably resorted to launching crosses to the diminutive striker, who tried, but won zero headers. He did complete 100 percent of his passes, however he only touched the ball 16 times in nearly an entire half of soccer, as the team had no idea how to find him. When they did, he repaid them by planting the ball into the stands. He had four shots, none on target. However, when the shootout started, he put the key first penalty kick into the net, setting the tone with a nasty panenka that briefly silenced the Houston goalie. 

Positive reaction: Warmed up and looking to start, the Ruidíaz resurgence starts now. 

Negative reaction: Nothing about this performance evoked confidence that he can score a goal in the run of play or combine with teammates to do similar.

Minoungou came on and was the dynamic winger the team had been thirsting for all match, repeatedly victimizing the Houston defense to the tune of three key passes, four chances created, seven duels won, 5/5 dribbling, and multiple won free kicks. He was Seattle’s offense, repeatedly getting the ball in isolation, as he went over, around, and split multiple defenders on the way to nearly all of the Sounders’ best chances. He was magnificent. 

Positive reaction: The jury is in: start Minoungou and let him cook. 

Negative reaction: The jury is out: all his fancy moves still resulted in zero goals. 

Danny came in and did well, playing a sort of withdrawn attacking midfielder adjacent to Rusnák. His creation was on display to the tune of a shot and two key passes, the most essential being a beautiful pass to Cristian that created the near-PK call late. On the flip side, his defense wasn’t great, and he was carded within a minute of arriving, luckily without serious consequences for the team. 

Positive reaction: Leyva’s creative flair was a bright spot, showing his vision and potential.

Negative reaction: As a defensive midfielder he didn’t defend well and lacks a true position.

Reed came on very late in the match, replacing the defensive Nouhou. He only managed five touches in this short stint, failing to have an impact either way. 

Positive reaction: A smooth offensive option like Reed needed more time on the field to help create, especially being up a man for so long. 

Negative reaction: RBW hasn’t shown much to earn more than the few minutes he received. 

Musovski made a surprise appearance late, replacing Rothrock and adding some height for a team desperate to win the crossing olympics. He touched the ball twice, completed his pass attempts, and had little impact. 

Positive reaction: Getting this player with a true aerial ability more minutes would have helped with Seattle’s stale crossing offense. 

Negative reaction: Finding room for a guy with a single goal half a year ago won’t pay off too often. 

Referee

Unkel, unlike last game’s referee, understood the pressure of playoff soccer and did a solid job refereeing the match. He kept control, used proper advantage play, and leaned on his support staff to do exactly that. This meant when a fracas erupted in the middle of the field, he patiently waited to hear the people upstairs with a better view, verified, and correctly sent off the Houston offender. This also, unfortunately, meant he was willing to admit a mistake late when he called a penalty that was correctly changed. In all, he called an even match with six cards, kept control of the play, and let the game be about the players. 

Positive reaction: The difference in professionalism and skill from the Portland match to this one was stark, a compliment to a quality refereeing job. 

Negative reaction: Let’s be honest, this was a lucky Unkel day, from a ref who is just as likely to rate a 3 performance as a 7. 

Houston Dynamo MOTM

Héctor Herrera did some things in this one. In the 56th, he blocked Yeimar’s vicious effort — arguably Seattle’s best of the night. Moments later, he sprung a Dynamo counter that was only stopped by JP’s tactical yellow. Herrera was also perfect in the shootout (because he subbed out in the 81st).

Upcoming: Finish it in Houston.