Sounders FC Bags 1-0 Home Victory Over Houston Dynamo FC

SEATTLE, WASH. – Sounders FC (9-7-5, 32 points) defeated Houston Dynamo FC (8-9-3, 27 points) 1-0 on Saturday evening on the Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field. Albert Rusnák bagged his second goal of the season, as the Rave Green kept the shutout to give Seattle all three points.

Rusnák scored the lone goal of the match in the 67^th minute, five minutes after Houston’s Micael dos Santos got his second yellow card and was sent off. Léo Chú fed a ball to Nico Lodeiro, who passed it back Chú before the Brazilian laid it off to Rusnák for the easy finish.

The Rave Green were able to hold on for their league-leading 11^th shoutout of the year behind two saves from Stefan Frei. Frei leads all goalkeepers in clean sheets this year and ranks third all-time with 102. Frei’s 1,170 saves also rank fourth all-time in league history.

With the result, Seattle moves level with LAFC on 32 points, but trails the Southern California side via tiebreakers. St. Louis sits in first place with 35 points.

Following tonight’s win, Sounders FC heads north to Canada for the second time this season to take on Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday, July 8 (7:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, 93.3 KJR FM, El Rey 1360 AM).

MATCH NOTES

• Following tonight’s win, Sounders FC moves to 32 points on the season through 21 matches played (9-7-5), with the Rave Green currently occupying third place in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference, level on points with LAFC but down a spot based on tiebreakers. St. Louis currently leads the West with 35 points.

• Seattle remains unbeaten against Houston all-time at Lumen Field. Including postseason play, the Rave Green are now 12-0-3 dating back to 2009 on home turf against the Dynamo. 

• In the all-time series against Houston, Seattle moves to 15-5-6 in regular-season play.

• On home turf at Lumen Field in 2023, Seattle now has six wins, three losses and three draws through 12 MLS contests on the EQC Pitch.

• Of the Rave Green’s league-leading 11 shutouts, nine have come at Lumen Field.

• Netting the go-ahead goal in the 67^th minute of play, Albert Rusnák recorded his second goal of the season, his fourth in Rave Green overall. The strike was also his 46^th career regular-season tally in MLS.

• Léo Chú had the primary assist on Rusnák’s goal, his team-leading eighth assist of 2023, tying him for second in MLS with Nashville’s Hany Mukhtar and Columbus’ Alexandru Matan.

• Club captain Nico Lodeiro earned the secondary assist on Seattle’s goal, marking his sixth assist of the season and building upon his all-time club record. The Uruguayan now has 90 career assists across all competitions for Sounders FC dating back to mid-2016, 38 more than the next closest player (Fredy Montero).

• Lodeiro’s 76 regular-season assists lead MLS among active players.

• With the start tonight, centerback Yeimar earned his 100^th career MLS regular-season start in Rave Green. The Colombian has been a mainstay in central defense since arriving in Seattle prior to the 2020 season, helping the club to a continental title in 2022, while earning MLS All-Star and Best XI honors in 2021.

• Yeimar becomes just the 18^th player in Seattle’s MLS history to reach the century mark in regular-season starts (since 2009).

• Keeping the clean sheet tonight, Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei recorded his 11^th shutout of the season, keeping him in sole possession of first place in Major League Soccer in this category.

• Earlier this season against Portland on June 3, Frei recorded his 100^th shutout in the MLS regular season. By hitting the century mark, Frei became just the third player in MLS history to accomplish the feat (Nick Rimando, Kevin Hartman). Tonight was his 102^nd career clean sheet.

• There were two changes to Seattle’s starting lineup from its last match on June 24 against Orlando City SC, with Raúl Ruidíaz replacing Héber at forward and Abdoulaye Cissoko replacing Jackson Ragen at centerback. Ragen was suspended for tonight’s match due to Yellow Card Accumulation.

MATCH SUMMARY

Seattle Sounders FC 1 – Houston Dynamo FC 0

Saturday, July 1, 2023

Venue: Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field

Referee: Rosendo Mendoza

Assistants: Chris Wattam, Meghan Mullen

Fourth Official: Joshua Encarnacion

VAR: Younes Marrakchi

Attendance: 31,840

Weather: 70 degrees and clear

SCORING SUMMARY

SEA – Albert Rusnák (Léo Chú, Nico Lodeiro) 67’

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

SEA – Abdoulaye Cissoko (caution) 18’

SEA – Cody Baker (caution) 54’

HOU – Micael dos Santos (caution) 61’

HOU – Micael dos Santos (ejection) 62’

HOU – Luis Caicedo (caution) 89’

HOU – Erik Sviatchenko (caution) 90’+4’

LINEUPS & STATS

Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei; Cody Baker (Kelyn Rowe 58’, Reed Baker-Whiting 69’), Yeimar, Abdoulaye Cissoko, Nouhou; João Paulo, Obed Vargas, Nico Lodeiro, Albert Rusnák, Léo Chú (Dylan Teves 85’); Raúl Ruidíaz (Héber 85’)

Substitutes not used: Stefan Cleveland, Hal Udertiz*, Josh Atencio, Fredy Montero

*Tacoma Defiance player on short-term agreement

Total shots: 12

Shots on goal: 5

Fouls: 14

Offside: 1

Corner-Kicks: 4

Saves: 2

Houston Dynamo FC – Steve Clark; Franco Escobar, Ethan Bartlow, Erik Sviatchenko, Micael dos Santos; Artur (Thor Ulfarsson 85’), Amine Bassi (Brad Smith 77’), Luis Caicedo; Corey Baird (Ivan Franco 85’), Ibrahim Aliyu, Nelson Quiñónes (Chase Gasper 65’)

Substitutes not used: Sebastian Ferreira, Andrew Tarbell, Hector Herrera, Griffin Dorsey, Brooklyn Raines

Total shots: 7

Shots on goal: 2

Fouls: 14

Offside: 2

Corner-kicks: 1

Saves: 4

- SOUNDERS FC -