Goalkeepers Jimmy Maurer and Blake Gillingham combined to make four saves as the Houston Dynamo earned a rare point in Seattle, playing the host Sounders to a 0-0 draw on Saturday night.
The veteran Maurer, making his first start of the season after Andrew Tarbell suffered a season-ending knee injury last week against Real Salt Lake, made three saves before having to leave in the 67th minute with an apparent quadriceps injury.
Gillingham, making his MLS debut, made one save the rest of the way for the Dynamo (0-3-2, 2 points), who have never won a regular-season match at Lumen Field.
Seattle’s best chance against Gillingham came in the 86th minute, when the Sounders were awarded a straightaway free kick about 25 yards from the goal. Albert Rusnak’s attempt for the upper right corner, however, sailed over the crossbar.
After putting just one shot on target in the opening 35 minutes, the Sounders (1-2-2, 5 points) started creating chances late in the first half.
Joao Paulo hammered an 18-yard shot just over the crossbar in the 38th minute following a nice building down the right wing.
A minute later, Danny Leyva’s left-footed shot from 20 yards forced Maurer to make a leaping save to knock the ball out of bounds. On the ensuing corner kick, Jonathan Bell’s header went just wide of the right post.
Seattle’s best opportunity came in the 43rd minute as Rusnak got the ball inside the top left of the penalty area and sent a pass to Alex Roldan on the right side. Maurer was forced to make a kick save on Roldan’s 12-yard shot.
Maurer also made a save on a sharp-angled Paul Rothrock attempt from the left wing in the 15th minute.
The Sounders honored Houston midfielder Nico Lodeiro in a pregame ceremony. Lodeiro spent eight seasons in Seattle, leading the Sounders to four MLS Cup appearances, including a pair of titles, and a CONCACAF Champions League crown. It was Lodeiro’s first visit to Lumen Field since leaving as a free agent before last season.
Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei had to make just one save. Lodeiro tried a bicycle kick from just inside the top of the 18-yard box in the 56th minute that went well wide of the right post.
Houston defender Ethan Bartlow — a native of Woodinville, Wash., who played at the University of Washington — had to come off with an apparent lower-body injury in the 21st minute.
–Field Level Media
