Houston Dynamo FC topped the Seattle Sounders 2-1 at PNC Stadium on Saturday evening, taking all three points behind first-half golazos from Maxi Urruti and Darwin Quintero.
Left back Jimmy Medranda netted Seattle's lone goal to pull his team within 2-1 in the 41st minute. But neither side scored in the second half despite some wild end-to-end action, allowing the Dynamo to hand Seattle just their third road defeat of the season.
The match was a full-on contest for AT&T Goal of the Week nominees in the first half, with the sides combining for three highlight-reel stunners.
Houston started it off on 14 minutes, courtesy of a beautifully executed set piece. Quintero sent in a free kick, with Urruti sneaking behind Seattle's backline and cashing home a clinical spinning finish past goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
Quintero then took matters into his own hands to double the lead just minutes later, as the Dynamo struck for another world-class finish. The Colombian made a nifty move to set himself up with a feed over Joao Paulo's head, then juked two more defenders before rifling home the finish.
But the Sounders pulled one back just a few minutes before halftime with a golazo of their own, courtesy of a rocket off Medranda's left foot. The left back collected a deflected ball atop the 18-yard box and unleashed a laser shot that gave no chance to diving Houston goalkeeper Michael Nelson.
Quintero nearly added another worldie just after the second-half restart, with an acrobatic bicycle kick that was just inches from giving the Dynamo a 3-1 lead, but glanced off the post. Houston sent three more attempts off the woodwork before the 70th minute, narrowly missing an all-important third goal.
The missed chances wouldn't come back to bite Houston, though Seattle had one last-gasp effort in second-half stoppage time on a Joao Paulo free kick that also clanged off the woodwork.
Goals
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: The Dynamo are well outside the playoff picture, but this is a really strong win over the Western Conference leaders that showcased some of the quality they have on the roster, despite their subpar record. For Seattle, it's a missed opportunity, both to extend their lead atop the West table, and to cover some ground in a long-shot bid to unseat the New England Revolution as Supporters' Shield leaders after the Revs dropped home points against Chicago Fire FC earlier in the day.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: This is just a special sequence from Darwin Quintero on Houston's second goal, which stood as the game-winner.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: This was hands-down Darwin Quintero's best individual performance in a Dynamo jersey, as he factored into both goals and was constantly creating danger.
Next Up
- SEA: Wednesday, October 20 at Colorado Rapids | 9 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+)
- HOU: Wednesday, October 20 vs. LA Galaxy | 8:30 pm (MLS LIVE on ESPN+)
