Major League Soccer

MLS Playoffs: Houston Oust Seattle With Extra Time Ching Volley

Seattle's season ground to a halt in Houston as the Dynamo advanced over the expansion side to the Western Conference finals.

Nov 8, 2009 6:57:34 PM

MLS: Brian Ching, Houston Dynamo - FC Dallas, MLS Playofs, Nov 2, 2007 (ISI)

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MLS: Brian Ching, Houston Dynamo - FC Dallas, MLS Playofs, Nov 2, 2007 (ISI)

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Sounders FC

The Houston Dynamo advanced to the Western Conference final at the expense of Seattle Sounders FC thanks to an extra time volleyed goal by Brian Ching. The United States international scored five minutes into extra time after the opening 90 couldn't produce a goal.

Both the sandy pitch and the weary players suffered from a long season, combining for rather miserable viewing for the 27,465 in attendance.

First Half

After Houston lost at this stage in the playoffs last year to the New York Red Bulls, the team acquired one of the key men in bringing the Dynamo down: Dominic Oduro. The speedster apparently has a knack for showing up at this part of the year. Seattle struggled to deal with his pace all game, starting early.

In the eighth minute, Oduro found space down the left and slotted a ball to Brian Mullan. The shot, when it came, was blocked. Seven minutes later, Oduro had two more chances, one with his feet one with his head, that came to nothing.

As Houston slowly took hold of the game, the best chance came in the 23rd minute. Sounders defenders started to fear Oduro's pace and back off him, so he took a few steps forward unopposed and smacked a knuckling drive from distance that rattled the upright. A minute later, Tyrone Marshall decided that he couldn't stand off Oduro anymore and took him down for a yellow.

Seattle did carve out some chances. First, Fredy Montero slid past Andrew Hainault and swiftly toe-poked toward the near post. His shot beat Pat Onstad but also the post. Later, Steve Zakuani burned Hainault with a quick turn of pace and placed an excellent ball between the defense and the 'keeper. Geoff Cameron didn't know what to do and picked incorrectly by redirecting it on frame. Luckily for the defender, Onstad reacted quickly to keep the ball out.

At the close of the half, Onstad pulled off another quick save. This time Ricardo Clark deflected a Nate Jaqua shot up and over the goalie's head, causing the 41-year-old to backtrack quickly and stretch his frame to tip the ball over the bar.

Second Half

With playmakers Stuart Holden and Freddie Ljungberg unable to find any space on the cramped, sandy pitch, creating chances fell to the strikers.

Fredy Montero had a series of shots throughout the half where he juked his marker and skidded a low ball into the side netting.

For Houston, Oduro continued finding space well and then scuffed the final shots.

Neither team budged in this one, knowing that a goal would probably be enough to decide it. So the tight defenses reigned.

Just after the assistant announced three minutes of extra time, Montero looked like he might find some space. Along the right side near the halfway line, he collected and pushed the ball past Cameron. With no one behind him and no match for his pace, Cameron shoved the Colombian into the boards, picking up a deserved yellow. That foul pretty much summed up a gritty, frustrating game.

Extra Time

After grinding out two goalless draws in normal time, the series found a goal five minutes into extra time. Brad Davis played a simple ball down the left to Mike Chabala. The fullback arced a good cross into the box, where Jhon Kennedy Hurtado shielded Brian Ching off the ball and it fell to Roger Levesque at the far post. The attacker took far too long to clear, allowing Brian Mullan to nip in and deflect it. The ball fell nicely for Ching back in the middle of the box, where the striker cranked an unstoppable volley into the roof of the net.

With the goal finally scored, the game further disintegrated. Both teams lumped the ball up to forwards, completely bypassing the midfield. It wasn't pretty.

With time running out, Seattle let inexperience and impatience show. Ricardo Clark looked to break on the counter near the halfway line when James Riley slid in with both feet and his studs showing. This prompted a melee of shoving and shouting that quite effectively killed the three remaining minutes the Sounders had to claw back into the match. Riley received a red for his tackle and had to be walked off the pitch by Ljungberg as he wouldn't leave it himself.

No further chances came, so Ching's strike decided it. Houston will now play the Western Conference final against whichever side wins the SuperClasico later today.

Zac Lee Rigg, Goal.com

For more on the Major League Soccer playoffs, visit Goal.com's MLS page

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