Obed Vargas scored the deciding shootout goal as the Seattle Sounders secured a 7-6 victory over the Houston Dynamo on Sunday, clinching a sweep in their best-of-three first-round series for the MLS Cup.
After a 1-1 tie in regulation, Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei made a crucial save on a shot by Tate Schmitt in the seventh round, sealing the win for the fourth-seeded Sounders.
The match remained scoreless until the 87th minute, when Cristian Roldan scored his first postseason goal, putting Seattle ahead.
Roldan’s celebration was short-lived, however, as a deflection off him resulted in an own goal in the third minute of stoppage time, allowing Houston to equalize.
Playing shorthanded from the 66th minute after Héctor Herrera’s red card, Houston faced a repeat of Game 1, in which they also played a man down.
Herrera’s initial yellow card for a foul was escalated to a red for unsportsmanlike conduct after he appeared to spit in the direction of the referee’s feet.
In the series opener, the Dynamo’s Coco Carrasquilla was ejected after receiving two yellow cards just minutes apart.
Nouhou Tolo, who entered the match minutes before Roldan’s goal, notched his second career postseason assist on the play, while Danny Levya picked up his first career playoff assist.
Frei, starting his 34th playoff game for the Sounders, nearly claimed his 15th postseason shutout but ultimately found himself in a shootout after the own goal leveled the score.
The Sounders’ victory came after a shootout win in Game 1, where they edged the Dynamo 5-4 after a scoreless match.
Seattle went a perfect 12 for 12 in penalty kicks across both games, securing their spot in the next round.
With this win, Seattle continues its impressive playoff track record, having qualified in 15 of its 16 seasons and claiming two MLS Cups in 2016 and 2019.
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