With four matches remaining in the regular season, the Houston Dynamo visit the Seattle Sounders on Saturday, with both teams on the verge of securing a playoff spot.
Houston (13-8-9, 48 points) heads to the Pacific Northwest on a tear.
After dropping its first match after the Leagues Cup break, the Dynamo haven’t lost since, picking up 11 points in their last five matches (3-0-2).
Houston can clinch a playoff spot with either a win over Seattle (13-9-8, 47 points), or a loss or a draw by FC Dallas.
The Dynamo won 1-0 at Austin FC last Saturday for their eighth road victory this season, which set a franchise record for the club established in 2006.
It not only pushed Houston closer to a second straight playoff berth, but it further showed the team is growing under head coach Ben Olsen.
“The road wins situation is great. It shows that we’re going in character,” Olsen said. “To win on the road in this league, you need personality, of course talent, game plans and all this stuff, but you also need personality.”
That personality shined against Austin, when Coco Carrasquilla pulled off a bicycle kick from 9 yards out in the 83rd minute.
Carrasquilla has been in and out of the starting 11 for Olsen this season but has tallied a goal and an assist in starting the last three matches.
Seattle sits one point below the fifth-place Dynamo in the West table. The Sounders can punch their postseason ticket by beating Houston, by drawing with Houston and Dallas losing or drawing its match, or with a combination of a Dallas loss and an Austin loss or draw vs. Salt Lake.
The Sounders had a two-match win streak halted last Saturday in a 2-2 draw against the visiting San Jose Earthquakes.
Jordan Morris’s brace helped Seattle hold a 2-1 lead late in the second half before San Jose equalized in the 89th minute.
Despite the late disappointment, the Sounders have still won nine of their last 13 regular-season matches to move into the playoff picture with four games left.
“Two home, two away. Everything to play for. Tight standings,” head coach Brian Schmetzer said. “We’ve been in a good run of form since a while ago. We’ve been at a really good clip, but we have to finish these four games at the same clip.”
Seattle’s final four matches are all against sides currently occupying a playoff spot.
–Field Level Media
