MLS Playoffs: Scoreless In Seattle As Houston Draw

SEATTLE, Wash.—In the first match of Major League Soccer's first playoff match of the 2009 season, the Houston Dynamo and Seattle Sounders FC ground out a gritty 0-0 draw. Both defenses held firm in the scrappy encounter. Heading into the second leg in Texas, Houston will take a slight advantage over the expansion club.

Before the match, both teams struggled with injuries. Kasey Keller (ankle) and Fredy Montero (flu) shook off midweek ailments to start, though Tyrone Marshall was a late scrap at the back. Former Dynamo Patrick Ianni stepped into the defensive line in his place.

With Luis Angel Landin and Cam Weaver holding lingering knee knocks, Dominic Oduro started up top for Houston.

First Half

In front of a rabid crowd of 35,807, both teams started at full throttle, looking to take early control of the tie.

Within minutes, Andrew Hainault powered a Stuart Holden corner inches wide of glory. The fullback may still have been ruing his miss when Freddie Ljungberg and Brad Evans combined with some nifty one-touch play to set Steve Zakuani loose as Hainault stood too far off the winger. Zakuani skipped in on net and smashed a low drive on frame. Pat Onstad batted it away.

Houston set the pace early on by controlling the midfield. Before the 10th minute, the Dynamo carved out yet another headed chance. Down the right, Brian Mullan cut back to Holden, who one-touched a lob to the back post. There, a wide open Brad Davis pushed his header wide, with the goal gaping.

Seattle used quick releases and pace on the flanks to slice up the Dynamo defense. Rookie fullbacks Hainault and Mike Chabala in particular looked suspect. Using the wide areas, Seattle won four corners and took advantage of Houston's 10 fouls in the first half to threaten from set pieces.

In the 14th minute, Patrick Ianni nearly cost his old employers. First, he won the ball off Holden in his own half and sprayed a ball ahead to Zakuani, who won a corner. From Ljungberg's far post deliver, Ianni rose unmarked to head an effort past Pat Onstad. Mullan headed out from under the shadow of the crossbeam to keep the score (barely) level.

A minute later, Ljungberg took a corner from the other side. Nate Jaqua, another former Dynamo, glanced his header wide. After the play, Onstad rushed out and chest-bumped Sounders striker Fredy Montero. The theatrical Colombian fell to the turf as if he'd been shot. Both teams piled around, making a bigger deal of the commotion that it warranted, and eventually the referee brandished a yellow card to both Onstad and Montero.

After a frantic opening 15 minutes, the game cooled considerably. Houston, playing its fourth game in 12 days, slowed the pace a bit and Seattle found less space on the counter.

The last good chance of the half came from another set piece. Ljungberg crossed from deep, again finding Ianni unmarked at the back post. This time his bullet header rattled off the crossbeam before pinging back into play and out of danger.

Second Half

The game restarted in the same funk it ended the first half and slowly picked up steam.

Right from the get-go, Montero nearly caught the Dyanmo defense napping. He wiggled down the flank and fired a cross off which Brad Evans rose to head wide.

Montero got on the end of a chance a few minutes later. Jaqua flicked Ljungberg's corner to the far post, where Montero couldn't turn the ball back on net.

The roles reversed for the second half. Seattle controlled play and Houston relied on counterattacks to create chances.

On one of those counters, led by Stuart Holden, Dominic Oduro feebly controlled in the box and blasted his shot into his marker. The ball fell out to Brad Davis, who hit a scrumptious volley from 35 yards that drew a driving save out of Kasey Keller.

Still suffering from his flu midweek, Montero made one of his last contributions just after the hour mark. Jaqua fed him the ball, and the Colombian spun as he trapped, pirouetting free of Geoff Cameron and free on goal. His sidefooted shot whistled just the wrong side of the post.

After Roger Levesque replaced Montero, the game heated up slightly. Evans and Jaqua combined with some quick one-touch passing to set Ljungberg free down the right. The Swede held up the ball until Jaqua could make it to the box and lobbed a cross into the area. Onstad rushed out to punch away from off the bandaged forehead of Jaqua.

Determined to haunt his former club, Jaqua was involved again in the 74th minute. This time he steamed onto a Ljungberg corner, driving a sizzling header down on net. Onstad pulled off the save of the match when he quickly put his hands up to push the ball up and over the goal.

Three minutes later, Jaqua put the ball in the back of the net. The referee had whistled the play back for a foul earlier. That didn't stop the crowd from cheering as if it had seen a goal, but it did mean the score remained level at goose eggs.

Heading toward the final stretch, the game turned scrappy. Players picked up yellows left and right and half chances continued to be spurned. Both defenses tightened the screw, not letting anything past.

Zac Lee Rigg, Goal.com

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