Seattle Sounders secured a narrow 1-0 victory against Houston on Saturday in a competitive matchup for Week 6 of the MLS. The match was decided by a goal from Paul Rothrock in the 82nd minute, marking the difference for the visitors.
Rothrock was undoubtedly the standout player of the match, contributing a crucial goal that sealed the win for his team. In addition, Andrew Thomas played an instrumental role in goal, making four critical saves to keep Houston at bay.
The Houston head coach, Benjamin Olsen, opted for a 4-3-3 formation, featuring Jonathan Bond in goal; Duane Holmes, Felipe Andrade, Antônio Carlos, and Franco Negri in defense; with Agustín Bouzat, Diadie Samassekou, and Lawrence Ennali in midfield; and Mateusz Bogusz, Ezequiel Ponce, and Guilherme leading the attack.
On the other side, Seattle’s manager Brian Schmetzer aligned his team in a 4-5-1 setup, with Andrew Thomas guarding the net; Kalani Kossa Rienzi, Antino Lopez, Jackson Ragen, and Nouhou Tolo in the backline; Snyder Brunell, Cristian Roldan, Paul Arriola, Jesús Ferreira, and Paul Rothrock in the midfield; and Danny Musovski as the lone striker.
The match was officiated by referee Ismail Elfath.
Looking ahead, Houston is set to visit Colorado Rapids for their next fixture while Seattle will host Real Salt Lake at Lumen Field.
Substitutions for Houston
45’ 2T – Franco Negri out for Agustin Resch
75’ 2T – Duane Holmes out for Ondrej Lingr
87’ 2T – Lawrence Ennali out for Aliyu Ibrahim, Diadie Samassekou out for Héctor Herrera, and Paul Rothrock out for Alexander Roldan
91’ 2T – Agustin Resch out for Sam Vines
Yellow Cards for Houston:
37’ 1T Felipe Andrade (Unsporting behavior)
Substitutions for Seattle Sounders
60’ 2T – Jesús Ferreira out for Albert Rusnák, Paul Arriola out for Hassani Dotson, and Danny Musovski out for Jordan Morris
80’ 2T – Snyder Brunell out for Peter Kingston
Yellow Cards for Seattle Sounders:
53’ 2T Kalani Kossa Rienzi (Unsporting behavior) and 71’ 2T Jackson Ragen (Unsporting behavior)