Dynamo refuse to budge in playoff opener

Houston picks up edge on Seattle heading into second leg at Robertson Stadium

The second-seeded and visiting Dynamo took one step forward, playing to a 0-0 tie with Seattle on Thursday night in the first leg of their Western Conference Semifinal Series as a club-record, sellout crowd of 35,807 watched at Qwest Field.

Both teams came close, but goalkeepers Pat Onstad and Kasey Keller each came up with big saves. The crossbar also saved Houston, which still has dead aim on its third MLS Cup in four seasons after claiming titles in 2006 and 2007 with the return home against for the second leg next Sunday afternoon, Nov. 8, at Robertson Stadium.

The Dynamo nearly took an early lead in the fourth minute as Andrew Hainault barely missed wide of the right post on a header from a Stuart Holden corner kick.

Sounders FC goalkeeper Keller then hauled in a hanging volley at the right post in the seventh minute off the foot of Houston's Dominic Oduro.

Brad Davis missed wide left on a header in the ninth minute for the Dynamo. Former Dynamo striker Nate Jaqua missed high and wide for Seattle at the other end, a header on a corner kick from Ljungberg in the 11th minute.

Seattle perked up offensively and in the 14th minute Houston's Brian Mullan saved a sure goal with a header off the goal line on a header sent toward the left post by Sounders FC's Patrick Ianni.

After a Jaqua header narrowly sailed past the left post in the 16th minute, Dynamo goalkeeper Pat Onstad and Seattle's Fredy Montero bumped into each other, and Montero went to the ground. After both teams had to be separated by the referees, both were issued yellow cards.

Keller made a leaping save on a twisting Brian Ching header in the 26th minute after a cross from Oduro.

The rough-and-tumble match got more physical in the 27th minute when Ricardo Clark nicked the forehead of Jaqua on a high kick. Play stopped but there was no foul called on the exchange. Jaqua was off for three minutes before returning with tape above his left eye.

The woodwork then saved the visitors as Ianni, another former Houston player, headed a shot off the crossbar in the 43rd minute off a free kick from Ljungberg, and the Dynamo defense cleared the ball out of danger.

Sounders FC held a 9-4 advantage in shots in the scoreless first half, and they picked up where they left off after the break when Jaqua headed wide left on a corner kick from Ljungberg in the 52nd minute.

Davis cracked a 22-yard shot at the right post from an angle at the top left corner of the area, forcing Keller to make a diving fingertip save to push the ball out of bounds.

Montero, on a nifty spin move after a timely pass from Jaqua, nearly converted from just inside the top of the penalty area after getting behind the Dynamo defense in the 61st minute. But his shot slid just outside the left post.

Onstad was then forced to make a reaction save in the 74th minute on a Jaqua header, which was set up by a Ljungberg corner kick from the right.

The ball did settle in the back of the Houston net in the 78th minute, when an apparent Jaqua goal from the top of the area was nullified as a foul was called on Houston near midfield and the teams didn't hear the whistle immediately.

There was one final chance in stoppage time, but Seattle substitute Roger Levesque missed just wide right on a header from a Ljungberg corner kick from the right.

Matt Massey is a contributor to MLSnet.com.

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