HOUSTON, TEXAS – Sounders FC (7-3-2, 23 points) concluded its two-match road trip this week with a hard-fought 1-0 win over nine-man Houston Dynamo FC (4-4-2, 14 points) on Saturday evening at Shell Energy Stadium. Stefan Frei recorded his seventh shutout of the season – good for first in MLS – while second-half substitute Paul Rothrock netted his third goal in as many First Team matches for the Rave Green to seal the victory. Seattle now returns home to face Austin FC on Wednesday, May 17 on the Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field (7:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, iHeartMedia, El Rey 1360 AM).
Entering the match in the 83rd minute of play, Rothrock came into the match as a substitute while playing on a short-term agreement for tonight’s game. Including Seattle’s last two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches, the Tacoma Defiance midfielder has impacted three-consecutive contests that he’s played in, scoring in all three. Just four minutes after entering the game, the Seattle native pounced on a loose ball inside the area following a cross from teammate Alex Roldan, securing all three points for his team. Prior to Rothrock’s strike, the match was closely contested, despite Houston having two players sent off in the 21st and 78th minutes, respectively.
Following the club’s upcoming midweek home contest vs. Austin FC on May 17, Sounders FC hits the road again to face Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday, May 20 at BC Place in a Cascadia Cup clash (7:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, iHeartMedia, El Rey 1360 AM).
- Tonight’s win keeps Sounders FC in first place in the Western Conference with 23 points, two points clear of second-place LAFC. Seattle’s seven wins this season are the most in the West.
- Saturday’s match came to a halt in the ninth minute of play due to lightning in the area. Play resumed nearly an hour later due to the inclement weather.
- Seattle leads the regular-season series 14-5-6 between the two sides, including a 4-5-4 road mark. Since the start of the 2015 season, Sounders FC holds a 5-2-3 road record at Houston (including postseason play).
- Tonight marked Houston’s first home loss of 2023 and the first time that the Dynamo conceded a goal at home this season.
- With the winning goal this evening, Paul Rothrock has scored in all three of his First Team appearances this season. The Tacoma Defiance midfielder tallied a strike in Sounders FC’s 5-4 third-round U.S. Open Cup win over San Diego Loyal SC on April 26, followed by a goal in Wednesday’s Open Cup loss at the LA Galaxy. He appeared in all three matches via short-term agreements from Tacoma.
- Houston forward Amine Bassi was issued a red card in the 21st minute of play, forcing the home side to play with 10 men for most of the match. Hector Herrera was then issued a second yellow card in the 78th minute, forcing the Dynamo down to nine men.
- With the shutout this evening, goalkeeper Stefan Frei is now first in MLS in shutouts so far this season with seven.
- Joining the First Team via short-term agreement from Tacoma Defiance, fullback Cody Baker made his first MLS start on Saturday. Baker appeared as a substitute last weekend vs. Sporting Kansas City. Rothrock made his first MLS appearance for Sounders FC when he came on as a substitute late in the second half.
Seattle Sounders FC 1 – Houston Dynamo FC 0
Venue: Shell Energy Stadium
Assistants: Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho, Brooke Mayo
Fourth Official: Diego Blas
Weather: 77 degrees and rain
SEA – Paul Rothrock* 87’
HOU – Amine Bassi (ejection) 21’
HOU – Hector Herrera (caution) 58’
SEA – Nico Lodeiro (caution) 62’
SEA – Jackson Ragen (caution) 64’
HOU – Hector Herrera (ejection) 78’
HOU – Ethan Bartlow (caution) 90’+6’
Seattle Sounders FC – Stefan Frei; Alex Roldan (Josh Atencio 90’), Yeimar, Jackson Ragen, Cody Baker; João Paulo (Paul Rothrock 83’), Albert Rusnák, Dylan Teves (Ethan Dobbelaere 71’, Reed Baker-Whiting 83’), Nico Lodeiro, Jordan Morris; Héber (Fredy Montero 71’)
Substitutes not used: Stefan Cleveland, Xavier Arreaga, Abdoulaye Cissoko, Sota Kitahara
*Tacoma Defiance player on short-term agreement
Houston Dynamo FC – Steve Clark; Franco Escobar (Aliyu Ibrahim 88’), Ethan Bartlow, Daniel Steres, Micael dos Santos; Artur, Hector Herrera, Coco Carrasquilla (Luis Caicedo 80’); Ivan Franco (Brad Smith 60’), Amine Bassi, Corey Baird (Nelson Quinones 88’)
Substitutes not used: Andrew Tarbell, Sebastian Ferreira, Griffin Dorsey, Thor Ulfarsson, Brooklyn Raines