Photo: John May
Seattle Sounders FC host the Houston Dynamo in the only Major League Soccer match on Wednesday night (7:30 p.m. kickoff). After a long roller coaster season, the Sounders are rolling and a fifth-straight win could punch their ticket into the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Here are my three things to watch for on Wednesday night:
1. Will the Sounders clinch a playoff berth on Wednesday?
The mission is simple on Wednesday night for the Seattle Sounders: win and they’re in the MLS Cup playoffs. A draw or loss just means the Emerald City faithful will have to hold their breath a little longer.
The Sounders currently find themselves above the red line, fifth place to be exact, in the Western Conference. They’ve been solid at CenturyLink Field this season with a 9-5-1 home record and have never lost in Seattle when hosting the Dynamo.
Perhaps the best news for Sounders fans is the availability of two of their best players on Wednesday. Uruguayan midfielder Nicolás Lodeiro and U.S. forward Jordan Morris, the team’s current top scorer with 12 goals, re-joined the team on Monday after being away with their respective national teams.
The Sounders will be without midfielder Brad Evans who is serving a suspension after being ejected in the Oct. 2 match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Evans scored the game-winning goal in that match.
Most importantly, the Sounders are on a roll. They’re riding a four-match win streak, their best since 2014, and a lackluster Dynamo team doesn’t look like they’ll be able to stop them in their tracks.
I’d say Seattle clinches tonight.
2. Time to find out what Wade Barrett is about.
Essentially, the Houston Dynamo have nothing left to play for after being officially eliminated from the MLS Cup Playoffs on Saturday night. They’re just playing out the last games on their schedule as a formality.
In truth, the Dynamo (and more importantly Interim Head Coach Wade Barrett) need to use these last three matches to find out what they’re capable of. The Dynamo have shied away from risk in their attacking game and playing “not to lose” (that’s my opinion anyway from what I’ve seen under Barrett).
Now, there’s nothing left to lose.
Wade Barrett, a former team captain of the team during the back-to-back title runs, has stated he wants the permanent head coaching job. He’s accumulated a 4-6-9 record since taking over the departure of Owen Coyle.
While he’s done a decent job given the circumstances he’s been placed under (such as transferring away two of the club’s best players), Barrett has left more to be desired.
His nine draws and six losses speak of how conservative his team has played and the four wins aren’t very convincing when you look at the circumstances in which they’ve won those games (also in comparison to the quality of teams they’ve lost against).
Ultimately, yes, the team has a “better identity” than they had under Owen Coyle but that’s not saying much. Mauro Manotas (who has taken too long, in my opinion, to hit the field) has been arguably the biggest positive with this team, in spite of playing in a lone-forward formation.
For what it’s worth, I think Wade will get the job because he’s the “affordable” option for the Dynamo front office but, for as much as Wade’s talked about playing better, it’s time to walk the walk.
3. A tale of two seasons
For quite a while this season, the Sounders and the Dynamo occupied the last two spots in the Western Conference standings. Both teams also cut ties with their head coaches during the season (albeit in different manners) and are operating under an interim head coach.
Schmetzer has gone 7-1-3 after the departure of Sigi Schmid. The Sounders front office made a choice to part ways with their only head coach in franchise history in an attempt to save their season.
In the Dynamo’s case, Owen Coyle bailed on them. Could’ve been for family reasons, could’ve been because he negotiated his way back to English football, but ultimately he gave up on a team he committed to two months into the season.
It’s easy to say that Seattle were better prepared to take on this challenge while Houston was left dead in the water. The tale on Wednesday night, however, is of two clubs who started the season in similar manners.
One decided to rectify their ways and gamble their way to save their season (such as going out and getting a player like Lodeiro) while the other basically chose to tank (by transferring Barnes away and loaning Torres to Mexico).
Wouldn’t it be fine irony if tonight Seattle clinches against Houston?
Victor Araiza is a beat writer covering the Houston Dynamo for Prost Amerika.
Follow @victoraraiza Tweet to @victoraraiza
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