The midweek matchup between the Seattle Sounders and the Houston Dynamo saw brief flashes of potential intermixed between what turned out to be a pretty dismal display of soccer to mark the end of the international break.

Sounders were forced into an early change when Andreas Ivanschitz subbed off due to injury 16 minutes into the match. Erik Friberg replaced him as Sounders moved to a more pragmatic approach following the Austrian’s departure.

The first half unfolded in a slow, plodding manner typical of midweek matches. The home side had the better of the proceedings in the first half hour but were rarely goal dangerous. Nico Lodeiro was the one pulling the strings when Sounders did fashion chances, the club clearly benefitting from his early return from national team duty.

Houston started to grow into the match around the half hour mark. Will Bruin received the ball in space at the top of the area and fired towards the right hand post. Stefan Frei was able to get his fingertips to the ball at full stretch, pushing it off the post and out. A great shot and an even better save, it was by far the most vivid moment of the match up until that point.

Erik Friberg danced through a host of Dynamo defenders before Joe Willis saved his chip on the doorstep on 40 minutes. Cristian Roldan lashed just wide off the ensuing corner and Sounders regained the ascendancy as the half came to a close, even if they weren’t able to open the scoring. Lodeiro saw his free kick from about 30 yards out saved as well, all in a chaotic five minute stretch before the break.

The second half started much like the first. Sounders dominated possession but struggled to generate dangerous chances. Houston was again the inverse. Limited to sporadic ventures forwards but often to greater effect. Such as in the 49th minute when Keyner Brown’s header hit off the woodwork on a corner.

The match changed on 64 minutes. After a physical fight for the ball between Will Bruin and Osvaldo Alonso the two had more to say. The two went at it with both holding each other off with hands near the face. But it was Alonso with the more vicious swipes including the final one that earned him a red card and the Sounders 30 minutes of ten man soccer.

Houston immediately applied pressure looking to steal a goal before Seattle could adjust. But the Sounders remained resolute, defending as a team to the Dynamo to a couple non threatening shots from shots from Will Bruin.

Sounders amped up the pressure after the eighty minute mark. Clearly going for the win. It nearly worked too. Great counters from Seattle ended with the ball at the feet of Oalex Anderson. Twice the rookie made the wrong choice. Electing to take a weak off-balanced shots instead of playing it to his more experienced teammates.

With their chances squandered the game ended as a scoreless draw. The Sounders lingered on the pitch after the game, clearly upset over dropping points at home. Even though they were down a man.

The draw propels Seattle up to fourth in the western conference, tied on points with RSL but with the tiebreaker advantage. With a tough match against FC Dallas on Sunday, they’ll need a short memory if they want to challenge for the third seed in the western conference.