SEATTLE- Before 35,807 fans, the largest crowd to see an MLS Conference Semifinal match, Seattle Sounders FC and the Houston Dynamo battled to a 0-0 draw in the first leg on Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field on Thursday night.The two teams will meet to determine the winner of the two-game aggregate series on November 8 at Houston's Robertson Stadium.
Seattle and Houston tied for the fewest goals allowed during the MLS regular season.
Sounders FC defender Patrick Ianni, a late replacement in the Seattle starting lineup, provided the game's two closest scoring opportunities. Both of Ianni's shots came in the first half.
In the 14th minute, Ianni's header from a corner kick by Freddie Ljungberg was cleared off the goal line by Dynamo midfielder Brian Mullan. Another Ianni header from a Ljungberg free kick in the 43rd minute hit the crossbar.
Seattle finished with a 14-9 edge in shots. Dynamo keeper Pat Onstad made only two saves, including a deflection of Nate Jaqua's header over the bar in the 73rd minute.
It was a physical match with Houston (0-0-1) committing 18 fouls to Seattle's (0-0-1) 6. The Sounders FC finished with a 9-7 corner kick advantage and led in shots14-9.
Houston's most dangerous opportunity came from Brad Davis, team leader in assists and shots on goal, in the 58th minute when he forced goalkeeper Kasey Keller to make a diving save at the far post from a volley 18 yards out. Keller made four saves.
The Dynamo entered the semi-final series as the No. 2 seed. Seattle is 2-0-2 against Houston in four meetings this season, including two during the regular season and another in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup.
Seattle is the first expansion team to qualify for the playoffs in 11 years and the third altogether. They played without defender Tyrone Marshall due to a right knee injury who went to the playoffs with the 1998 Miami expansion team. Marshall was a late scratch. Ianni, a former dynamo player, replaced him.
The Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA meet for the other half of the Western Conference semifinal series on Saturday, October 31st at the Home Depot Center. The Galaxy won the West Conference and the No. 1 seed by virtue of a tiebreaker over Houston.
Conference Semifinal series are conducted in a home-and-home, aggregate-goal format. The team that scores the most goals in the home-and-home series advances to the single-elimination Conference Championship. If the teams are tied after 180 minutes in the Conference Semifinal series, a 30-minute extra time period (divided into two 15-minute periods) will be played, followed by kicks from the penalty spot, if necessary.
Seattle heads to Robertson Stadium in Houston for the second leg of the semifinal series on Sunday, November 8th at 12 pm PT.
MLS Cup 2009 will be played on Xbox Pitch at Qwest Field on November 22 at 5:30 p.m. PT.
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