Seattle Sounders FC got their second straight victory with a 1-0 win over Houston Dynamo FC at PNC Stadium on Wednesday evening in a match that saw both sides finish with 10 men.
Seattle opened the scoring on 28 minutes, with Raul Ruidiaz finishing off a well-worked team goal. Alex Roldan delivered the final ball of a clinical 22-pass build-up, hitting the Peruvian with a cross back across goal following some nifty combination play between Nicolas Lodeiro and Jordan Morris.
Houston went down a man in the 54th minute, as Adalberto Carrasquilla received his marching orders for a tactical foul on Lodeiro, the Panamanian midfielder's second such infraction of the match.
After finding themselves unable to add to the lead despite the man advantage, Seattle went down a man themselves in the 82nd minute, when Alex Roldan was issued a second yellow for a tactical foul of his own on Houston's Beto Avila.
Back on level footing, the Dynamo could never quite find an equalizing goal, as the Sounders killed the game off late and took all three points.
Goals
- 28' – SEA – Raul Ruidiaz | WATCH
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Seattle made it more difficult on themselves than they needed to, but in the end it's a second straight victory in league play and three valuable road points as the Sounders turn their focus back to MLS following their victorious Concacaf Champions League run. Houston responded well after going down a man, generating some decent looks at a potential leveler, but the first-half concession and second-half red card ended up being too much for the Dynamo to overcome.
- MOMENT OF MATCH: The whole sequence on Ruidiaz's first-half game-winner was delightful team soccer from the Rave Green, and well worth another look.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Ruidiaz hadn't scored in league play before last week. He's now netted in two straight, this time delivering his team an important road result.
Next Up
- HOU: Wednesday, May 25 at Sporting Kansas City | 8:30 pm ET (ESPN+) | Lamar Hunt US Open Cup Round of 16
- SEA: Sunday, May 22 at Colorado Rapids | 8 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+)
