Houston looks for upper hand on Seattle
Dynamo went 0-1-1 against Sounders FC during regular season
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Sounders FC have gotten the best of the Dynamo thus far in their inaugural MLS season, winning twice and tying once in two MLS regular-season matches and a U.S. Open Cup semifinal. While looking back at the previous three encounters might provide some insight, Dynamo coach Dominic Kinnear doesn't want his team to lose focus on what is important.
"When you start the playoffs, no matter who you play against, you start all over again," said Kinnear."No matter how you did against the team in the regular season, there are guys that come in and change the team. There are some things that went on that possibly carry over, but if you look at the three games you played previous you are focusing on history instead of how you are going to play."
The history wasn't exactly kind to the Dynamo. In the first match on July 11, 2009, the Dynamo fell 2-1. With starting center backs Geoff Cameron and Bobby Boswell suspended and Brian Ching, Andrew Hainault, and Stuart Holden away on national team duty, the team that took to Qwest Field in orange was a shadow of its typical self.
The game though will be best known for the impressive goal line clearance that Mike Chabala made. Unfortunately for Houston, the linesman and referee ruled what looked like an impressive clearance a goal for Fredy Montero. Former Dynamo defender Patrick Ianni provided the game-winner as he came back to haunt Houston with a bicycle-kick winner.
The second game between the two sides saw the Dynamo again traveling to Seattle for the U.S. Open Cup semifinal. Kinnear started Brad Davis, Bobby Boswell, Andrew Hainault and a collection of Houston's reserves. Houston scored first through former Dynamo forward Ade Akinbiyi.
However, Seattle's attack was working well as Sounders FC put together an impressive 26 shots (to Houston's seven), including 12 on goal. Tally Hall made 10 saves on the day, but couldn't stop Nate Jaqua's late, 89th-minute equalizer or Stephen King's winner in the 95th minute.
The physical play in that particular game stood out as former Dynamo forward Nate Jaqua was a wrecking ball in the Dynamo interior, literally. Jaqua scored his equalizer with his head bandaged in a game that saw eight yellows and a red card.
In the two defeats the Dynamo suffered, they clearly didn't have their first team in either game -- something the team has grown familiar with and has not relied on as a crutch during the season.
"We have been depleted a lot this year," said midfielder Brad Davis. "We are usually a team where Dom likes to stick with 11 guys ... but this is definitely a year where we haven't had that. I think there have been some people that have doubted us, but I don't think they realized what it takes and we have set such a high standard with our team."
The final game between Seattle and Houston occurred at Robertson Stadium on August 23. Sounders FC put on an impressive display of attacking soccer on the road, bringing the game to the Dynamo. A Davis free kick was deflected past Kasey Keller by Cameron to open the scoring, but a Jaqua equalizer in the 70th minute kept leveled the score.
In this final game, both teams used what many would consider to be as close to each team's starting 11, certainly compared to the lineups in the other two games. Once again Seattle outshot Houston and midfielder Freddie Ljungberg caused fits for the Dynamo defense all night with his runs from midfield.
While the three prior games are truly meaningless as the team's start anew on Thursday night, both teams will do their best to try to mitigate some of the successes each had in the early matches.
Dwain Capodice is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
