Seattle Sounders Edge Houston Dynamo in Tense Penalty Shootout
The game, played at Lumen Field on October 29, 2024, ended 0-0 after 90 minutes and an intense period of stoppage time. Despite Seattle dominating possession and chances, Houston’s sturdy defense held strong, forcing the deciding moment into a nerve-wracking shootout.
Alex Roldan emerged as the hero, converting the winning penalty after both sides traded successful shots in the first three rounds. The tension mounted as Erik Sviatchenko missed Houston’s fourth attempt, paving the way for Cristian Roldan to secure Seattle’s victory.
“We will assess Jordan. It’s hamstring tightness and that gives me some hope,” said Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer post-game. “I might be a little conservative but if he wakes up and he says he can play, he’ll play. But if he can’t Raul will be very excited to play.”
While the penalty shootout provided the dramatic climax, the game itself was a tense affair. Seattle, playing with more firepower, enjoyed a man advantage for the final 25 minutes after Coco Carrasquilla was sent off for a red card foul on Albert Rusnák following a fiery midfield scuffle.
Despite their numerical advantage, the Sounders struggled to break down a resilient Houston defense. Cristian Roldan, however, shone in midfield, orchestrating Seattle’s attacks and linking play efficiently.
The Sounders now take a crucial 1-0 lead in the series heading into the second leg in Houston on November 3rd.
Key Moments
6 – Shot! Cristian Roldan collects the ball at the top of the box and forces a save from Steve Clarke after an earlier attempt from Alex Roldan was blocked.
11 – Chance! Albert Rusnak sends in a good free kick for Paul Rothrock at the back post. The ball clearly goes out off of Griffin Dorsey, but it’s incorrectly called a goal kick.
48 – Goal kick. Houston’s most dangerous chance so far as Ibrahim Aliyu sends in a low cross for Ezequiel Ponce that he puts out for a goal kick.
56 – Shot! Rusnak takes a short free kick to Georgi Minoungou on the right wing. Minoungou gets beyond a couple defenders and reaches the end line where he plays a ball in that’s flicked on by Raul Ruidiaz and reaches Yeimar at the back post. Yeimar takes a touch to get space and hits a shot that’s blocked out for a corner.
58 – Stop! Houston appear to have a chance for a counter, but Alex Roldan slows down Coco Carrasquilla in midfield and Yeimar and Jackson Ragen step up and combine to win the ball back.
66 – Red card! Following an altercation and video review, Coco Carrasquilla is shown a straight red for violent conduct after hitting Rusnak in the face. Houston are down to 10 men for the remainder of the match.
90+9 – Penalty review. Danny Leyva sends in a cross for Cristian Roldan at the back post, who heads it back across goal but it’s stopped by an apparent hand ball, but the call on the field is reversed after a review.
Shootout
Houston PK 1 – Ezequiel Ponce goes down the middle and beats Frei. 1-0 Houston
Seattle PK 1 – Raúl Ruidíaz hits a panenka over Clark as he dives to his right. 1-1
Houston PK 2 – Griffin Dorsey calmly slots his shot past Frei. 2-1 Houston
Seattle PK 2 – Albert Rusnák tucks his shot into the bottom left corner. 2-2
Houston PK 3 – Sebastian Kowalczyk slams his shot to the left as Frei goes the other way. 3-2 Houston
Seattle PK 3 – Jackson Ragen smacks his shot off the underside of the crossbar. 3-3
Houston PK 4 – Erik Sviatchenko sends his effort wide of goal! 3-3
Seattle PK 4 – Cristian Roldan absolutely roofs his penalty in the right corner! 4-3 Seattle
Houston PK 5 – Daniel Steres puts his shot just out of Frei’s reach. 4-4
Seattle PK 5 – Alex Roldan sends Clark the wrong way and clinches the game! 5-4 Seattle
Quick Thoughts
The midfield engine: There are plenty of things to pick apart and feel frustrated about from this one. The Sounders won, but for far from the first time this season it felt like the attack struggled to get into gear.
One thing that is worth praising, though, was Cristian Roldan’s work in the middle of the field once again. Operating as the more advanced member of the double pivot alongside JP in Obed Vargas’ absence, Roldan completed 46/52 passes with some really slick line-breaking balls mixed in there. He helped keep the game moving for Seattle and pitched in by winning 6/7 ground duels and adding 4 defensive actions and 5 recoveries. He could and arguably should have done more to help Seattle score – some
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