When the second-seeded Houston Dynamo travel to
Seattle to take on third-seeded Sounders FC on Thursday at Qwest Field in the
opening game of their Western Conference Semifinal Series - which is a home-
and-home, total goals series - offense could be at a premium.
The two Major League Soccer club's tied for the best defense in the regular
season with just 29 goals allowed in 30 league fixtures. Both teams feature
extremely talented veteran goalkeepers - Kasey Keller in Seattle and Pat
Onstad in Houston - and solid backlines, along with talented possession-
oriented attacking units.
But all the numbers can be thrown out the window in the playoffs, being that
every team starts from scratch.
"It's totally open from here on out," Seattle midfielder Brad Evans told
MLSnet.com. "It's a totally different ball-game. You don't want that
feeling in two weeks of coming back in here and having a workout. You still
want to be playing for something, so you have to leave it all out on the line
and then get your rest later."
"When you start the playoffs, no matter who you play against, you start all
over again," Houston coach Dominic Kinnear told MLSnet.com. "No matter how you
did against the team in the regular season, there are guys that come in and
change the team. There are some things that went on that possibly carry over,
but if you look at the three games you played previous you are focusing on
history instead of how you are going to play."
Good thing the Dynamo (0-0-0) aren't focusing on the history, because not only
did the Sounders go 2-0-1 against them this season, Houston actually lost its
opening round series a year ago to the bottom-seeded New York Red Bulls,
snapping the Dynamo's two-year reign as MLS Cup champions.
Seattle coach Sigi Schmid, who coached the Columbus Crew to the championship
last season, will be aiming to start his own two-year reign if he can guide
the expansion Sounders to MLS Cup glory.
"Obviously there are veteran guys on this team who have been through the
playoffs before and guys who have played in important games in Europe," Schmid
said. "They will be able to share those situations and those memories and the
preparation they go through."
Seattle (0-0-0) is relatively healthy heading into the match, with reserve
midfielder Michael Fucito the only name on the injury report, but that could
change by Thursday, with Keller and leading goal scorer Freddie Montero
missing time in practice earlier this week.
Keller has an apparent ankle injury, while Montero has been battling an
illness.
"[Keller's] ankle is just a little bit sore so we sent him in early," Schmid
said.
Both should be in the starting lineup on Thursday, however.
The Dynamo have been banged up this season, and could be without a few
players on Thursday. Listed as out on the injury report are midfielder Corey
Ashe and defender Richard Mulrooney, while midfielder Ricardo Clark and
forwards Cam Weaver and Luis Angel Landin are probable.
"We have been depleted a lot this year," Houston midfielder Brad Davis told
MLSnet.com. "We are usually a team where Dom likes to stick with 11 guys ...
but this is definitely a year where we haven't had that. I think there have
been some people that have doubted us, but I don't think they realized what it
takes and we have set such a high standard with our team."
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