SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC (MLS) vs. HOUSTON DYNAMO (MLS)
Tues., July 21, Starfire Sports Complex, Tukwila, Wash., 7 p.m. PT
Separated by just four points at the top of the Western Conference, either Seattle Sounders FC or the Houston Dynamo will be guaranteed to play for the Dewar Trophy for the first time in club history when the teams meet in Seattle in their Open Cup semifinal just 10 days after playing for the very first time ever, in an MLS league match.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
Seattle Sounders FC came back for a 2-1 win at Qwest Field on July 11 in the first meeting ever between the club. ... The Dynamo opened the scoring just 12 minutes into the match as Brad Davis stroked home a left-footed shot from just inside the area. ... Sounders FC pulled level in the 32nd minute when Fredy Montero looped a shot over goalkeeper Pat Onstad that Dynamo defender Mike Chabala appeared to have cleared off the line, but linesman Emiliano Monje indicated to referee Mark Geiger the ball crossed the line and the goal was given. ... Seattle then scored the winner seconds into the second half. A corner kick was nodded toward goal and former Dynamo defender Patrick Ianni threw himself backwards, hooking a bicycle kick past Pat Onstad and inside the far post for his second career MLS goal.
SEATTLE (4-1-3-2): Kasey Keller - James Riley, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Patrick Ianni, Tyson Wahl - Peter Vagenas - Freddie Ljungberg (Roger Levesque 90), Stephen King, Steve Zakuani (Sebastien Le Toux 56) - Nate Jaqua, Fredy Montero. Substitutes Not Used: Osvaldo Alonso, Terry Boss, Lamar Neagle, Sanna Nyassi, Nathan Sturgis
HOUSTON (4-3-1-2): Pat Onstad - Richard Mulrooney, Julius James, Craig Waibel, Mike Chabala (Erik Ustruck 60) - Brian Mullan (Danny Cruz 54), Ricardo Clark, Corey Ashe - Brad Davis - Dominic Oduro (Ade Akinbiyi 62), Kei Kamara. Substitutes Not Used: Wade Barrett, Tally Hall, John Michael Hayden, Cam Weaver
SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
THIS YEAR IN THE OPEN CUP: Seattle Sounders FC advanced to the semifinal after a 1-0 win against the Kansas City Wizards in a July 7 quarterfinal at Starfire Sports Complex. ... Wizards 'keeper Kevin Hartman was ruled to have tripped up Fredy Montero in the box in the 88th minute, and Sebastian Le Toux converted the resulting penalty for the victory. ... Here's Schmid's team: Kasey Keller, James Riley, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Patrick Ianni, Tyson Wahl, Sanna Nyassi (Roger Levesque 78), Stephen King, Nathan Sturgis (Peter Vagenas 89), Steve Zakuani (Sebastien Le Toux 71), Fredy Montero, Nate Jaqua ... Sounders FC won the club's first match in the U.S. Open Cup proper, defeating the USL1 Portland Timbers 2-1 at PGE Park on July 1. ... Roger Levesque put Sounders FC ahead after 47 seconds, then Stephen King doubled it in the 27th minute, before Mamadou Keita pulled a goal back just before halftime (43). ... The MLS expansion side reached the tournament proper after two home victories in the MLS qualifying round. In the second play-in round, Sounders FC defeated Real Salt Lake on April 28 at Starfire (Le Toux 24 pen, 55; Nyassi 26; King 53; Le Toux 55) ... Then in the third qualifying round, Sounders FC defeated the Colorado Rapids 1-0 in Tukwila on a 61st-minute goal from Kevin Forrest.
FORM GUIDE: Sounders FC's last league match was the 2-1 win against Houston, which extended their unbeaten streak to five games. Last weekend, Seattle took the round off from MLS play, falling 2-0 to Chelsea FC before a huge crowd at Qwest Field.
USL SEATTLE SOUNDERS: A year ago, the USL1 Seattle Sounders reached the semifinals, falling to the Charleston Battery. Along the way, they defeated the Kansas City Wizards in a penalty shootout after a scoreless draw in the quarterfinals, and defeated Chivas USA for a second year running in the third round ... Current Sounders FC forward Sebastian Le Toux led all Open Cup goalscorers with five ... The year before, the Sounders lost 2-1 in extra time to FC Dallas in the semifinals at Qwest Field, after defeating Chivas USA 3-1 and the Colorado Rapids 5-0 along the way ... The Sounders had once earlier defeated an MLS foe, a 1-0 win against the San Jose Earthquakes in the fourth round in 2003. ... The last time the Sounders had reached as far as the semifinals came in 1995, when the A-League side lost to the El Paso Patriots at that stage.
HOUSTON DYNAMO
THIS YEAR IN THE OPEN CUP: The Dynamo finally defeated the Charleston Battery, winning their U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal 4-0 at Blackbaud Stadium ... Geoff Cameron scored twice (16, 73) and Bobby Boswell (47) and Dominic Oduro (52) netted early in the second half; John Michael Hayden recorded a pair of assists ... Each of the last two seasons, the Dynamo had lost to the USL1 Battery in Charleston in the Open Cup ... Here's Kinnear's team: Tally Hall, Mike Chabala, Bobby Boswell, Julius James, Danny Cruz (Brad Davis 81), John Michael Hayden, Erik Ustruck, Geoff Cameron, Corey Ashe (Brian Mullan 46), Ade Akinbiyi, Dominic Oduro (Kei Kamara 62) ... The Dynamo advanced to the quarterfinals with a 2-0 third-round victory against USL-1 Austin Aztex in the Texas state capital. ... Second-half substitute Corey Ashe played a part in both goals, heading home a rebound from a saved free kick in the 71st minute, then providing the service for Dominic Oduro to volley home in the 90th minute.
OPEN CUP HISTORY: The Dynamo have reached the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup for the second time in club history. ... Each of the last two years, the Dynamo saw their Open Cup run ended at the first hurdle, in losses to Charleston at Blackbaud Stadium ... In their first season in Houston, the Dynamo reached the semifinals before going down to defeat. They began their Open Cup history with a 4-2 win against PDL side Carolina Dynamo, then continued their dominance over in-state rival FC Dallas with a 3-0 win in Houston in the fourth round, before losing 3-1 to the Los Angeles Galaxy in the semifinals.
FORM GUIDE: The Dynamo have won just once in their last five league games, but still came back to salvage a 1-1 draw at Toronto FC on Saturday. Dwayne De Rosario put TFC into the lead with a 37th-minute goal against his former club, but Bobby Boswell hit for the equalizer with a quarter-hour to go. ... Here's Kinnear's team: Pat Onstad, Craig Waibel (Ade Akinbiyi 72), Bobby Boswell, Julius James, Mike Chabala, Brian Mullan (Danny Cruz 66), Geoff Cameron, Ricardo Clark, Corey Ashe, Dominic Oduro (Erik Ustruck 80), Kei Kamara. Substitutes Not Used: Wade Barrett, Tally Hall, John Michael Hayden, Cam Weaver
