Albert Rusnak scored twice in the second half as the visiting Seattle Sounders defeated the short-handed Houston Dynamo 3-1 on Saturday night.
Danny Musovski, playing for the injured Jordan Morris (hamstring), tied a franchise single-season record by scoring in a fifth consecutive match for the Sounders (5-3-4, 19 points), who extended their unbeaten streak to five (4-0-1).
Femi Awodesu scored for the Dynamo (2-6-4, 10 points), but was sent off late in the first half to leave Houston with 10 players the rest of the night.
Rusnak broke a 1-1 tie in the opening minute of the second half. Yeimar Gomez Andrade sent a pass to Pedro de la Vega, a halftime substitute, who drove to the end line on the right wing before cutting a pass back to Rusnak, who found the lower left corner of the net from 12 yards out with a left-footed shot.
Rusnak scored again in the 58th minute. Ryan Kent drove the ball along the end line on the left wing and chipped the ball to the top of the 6-yard box for an onrushing Rusnak, who sent a right-footed blast into the lower left corner.
Musovski opened the scoring in the 22nd minute on a counterattack. Cristian Roldan sent a stretch pass down the right wing for Paul Rothrock, who dribbled to the top of the 18-yard box before sending a cross to an unmarked Musovski. His leaping header from 5 yards out took one bounce and into the left side of the net, leaving Dynamo goalkeeper Jonathan Bond no chance.
The Dynamo tied it in the 32nd minute. Jack McGlynn’s free kick from 30 yards out on the right wing found Awodesu at the far post for a close-range header that Seattle goalie Stefan Frei got a hand on but couldn’t prevent from reaching the back of the net.
The match changed in the 38th minute. Frei’s long ball took one bounce to the top of Houston’s penalty area, where Awodesu’s handball prevented Musovski from a goal-scoring opportunity.
Referee Victor Rivas immediately pointed to the penalty spot and pulled the red card out of his pocket. A video review determined the infraction was committed just outside the top of the 18-yard box, but the ejection stood. Rusnak’s ensuing free kick was blocked.
Frei made two highlight-real saves in the second half, leaping to deflect Griffin Dorsey’s header in the 60th minute and making a diving stop on McGlynn’s free kick in the 85th.
Seattle rookie Osaze De Rosario, whose father Dwayne was among the former Dynamo players honored Saturday as part of the team’s 20th anniversary celebration, came on as a substitute in the 79th minute.
–Field Level Media
