Houston Dynamo FC fell 1-0 on the road to Seattle Sounders FC earlier tonight after going down to 10 men in the 62nd minute when Micael received his second yellow card of the evening. This is the first ejection for the Dynamo in league play since May 31 when Houston faced Vancouver Whitecaps FC on the road.
Seattle took the lead in the 67th minute after Léo Chú found midfielder Albert Rusnák inside the box for his second goal of the season.
Dynamo forward Nelson Quiñónes forced a save in the opening minutes of the match after fellow forward Amine Bassi found him running up the left touchline. The 20-year-old Colombian outran the Seattle defender, cut inside to the top left corner of the penalty box and managed a strong strike that required the attention of goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
Dynamo goalkeeper Steve Clark was called into action in the fifth minute to save a long-range effort from Raul Ruidiaz. The Dynamo shot stopper finished with four saves against Seattle.
Houston’s next opportunity came off the right foot of forward Corey Baird in the 25th minute. Midfielder Artur secured a ball outside the box following a set piece and played the ball into Baird near the penalty spot, but his effort went wide of the near post.
Artur and defender Franco Escobar connected on a one-two pass sequence in the 35th minute that generated a threat in the final third. The defender played the ball to Baird outside the box, and he chipped in a pass into the box that was ultimately handled by Frei.
Dynamo midfielder Luis Caicedo made a critical tackle at the end of the first half to keep the game scoreless prior to break. The Colombian midfielder got a foot on the ball prior to a shot attempt from Rusnák in the six-yard box. Caicedo is one of 16 new players to join the team this season and this was the 14th appearance of the season for the 27-year-old.
Artur was denied by the post in the 50th minute following a clearance from the Sounders backline. Escobar’s initial cross was intended for forward Aliyu Ibrahim but was cleared by the defense. The ball fell to the Brazilian midfielder at the edge of the box, but his effort bounced off the bottom of the near post.
Houston had a final chance to tie the match in the 93rd minute when defender Brad Smith put the ball into forward Thor Úlfarsson near the penalty spot, however, the 22-year-old’s attempt was handled by Frei.
The Dynamo return to Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday, July 8, to host Sporting KC at 7:30 p.m. CT before hosting Minnesota United FC on Wednesday, July 12.
