Sounders dominate Dynamo

TUKWILA — The stat sheet showed a game dominated by the Seattle Sounders FC, but until the final moments of regulation, the scoreboard told a different story.

Despite numerous scoring chances in both halves, Seattle found itself trailing the Houston Dynamo with time running out in Tuesday night’s U.S. Open Cup semifinal.

Then, in the 89th minute, the relentless attack finally paid off in the form of a tying goal. Seattle then scored early in overtime to secure a 2-1 victory over the Dynamo in front of a boisterous crowd of 4,895 at Starfire Sports Complex.

“We were creating chances and the team kept sticking with it, the team kept battling, and as a result of that we ended up with the equalizer then won in overtime,” Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said.

Schmid had his doubts in the final minutes, however.

“You start thinking maybe it’s just one of those days where it isn’t going to fall for you, but at the end of the day it did,” he said.

Seattle outshot Houston 16-2 in regulation and 12-0 in the second half, but still trailed 1-0 with time running out. Then Nate Jaqua, bloodied and bandaged, collected a pass from Roger Levesque and drove a low right-footed shot into the goal to force 30 extra minutes of soccer.

“We were dodging some bullets there, and at the end we got hit by one,” Houston coach Dominic Kinnear said.

After 87-plus minutes of near misses, Sounders FC didn’t have to wait long for a second goal. Steve Zakuani, a second-half substitution, beat his defender down the left side, then crossed a pass into the box that glanced off Sebastien Le Toux to Stephen King, who slid and fired home the game-winner.

Seattle still had to survive another 26 minutes of overtime, but other than a few corner kicks, Houston was unable to muster much of an offensive threat other than a long shot by Kei Kamara that Kasey Keller was able to save in the 28th minute of overtime.

Sounders FC faces D.C. United in the U.S. Open Cup championship game on Sept. 2. United, which will host the championship game, beat the Rochester Rhinos of the USL first division in Tuesday’s other semifinal.

The victory was the second come-from-behind win for Sounders FC over Houston in less than two weeks. Seattle won a home game in league play 2-1 after trailing the conference-leading Dynamo early.

“Houston is one of the better teams in this league over the years, so to beat them twice coming from behind speaks volumes about this club,” Zakuani said.

Houston went ahead in the 32nd minute when Ade Akinbiyi collected a loose ball in the box and fired it into the net.

Even without much scoring in the early going, the evening provided plenty of fireworks in the form of physical and sometimes chippy play. Two Seattle players, Jaqua and Le Toux, had to leave the game momentarily in the first half because of head wounds suffered while battling for position on headers, and Jaqua had to come off a second time when he bled through the wrap on his head. He had staples put in his head at halftime to stop the bleeding.

There were several other no call and fouls that infuriated both sides, and five Houston players received yellow cards in the game. Seattle’s Jaqua, Tyrone Marshall and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado were given yellows in the second half. Hurtado picked up his second yellow in the second overtime period, meaning Seattle had to play the final 10 minutes a man down. Hurtado will also have to sit out the Open Cup final because of his ejection.

Tensions nearly boiled over in the 77th minute when Houston players seemed upset with Seattle for continuing to play while Brian Mullen was down with an injury. Some pushing and shoving ensued, but order was restored with only a yellow card being handed out to Marshall.

“I know there are rivalries that are based on proximity like us and Portland, but I think what you’re going to see is that there are going to be pretty intense battles when Seattle plays Houston,” Schmid said. “I think that’s something you’re going to see from here on out.”

Hurtado nearly tied the game twice in the second half with headers, and Zakuani had a number of good chances—he said after the game he felt like he could have had a hat trick—but none found the net until Jaqua’s equalizer.

“The last 20 minutes of the game when we were getting chance after chance and nothing was going in it was getting a little frustrating,” said King, who also scored the game winner in an Open Cup win over Portland. “But we just tried to remain confident and keep doing what we were doing and we tied it up.”

Herald Writer John Boyle: jboyle@heraldnet.com.