Major League Soccer

MLS Playoff Player Ratings: Houston Dynamo 1-0 Seattle Sounders FC

In a tight game, Houston ended Seattle's 2009 campaign. Goal.com rated the players on show.

Nov 8, 2009 6:11:04 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)

Teams

Sounders FC

Houston Dynamo

Pat Onstad – 7
Closed off the spaces at the near post and pulled off a stunning backwards diving save.

Mike Chabala – 6
Supplied the cross that led to the goal.

Geoff Cameron – 4.5
Nearly scored an own goal in a moment of madness and looked uncharacteristically shaky throughout.

Bobby Boswell – 5
Didn't look a whole lot better than his defensive partner. Held firm throughout any Sounders attacks to keep the visitors off the board.

Andrew Hainault – 5
Beaten by Zakuani whenever the winger turned on the pace. Spent most of the game pinned back and unable to help out the attack.

Brad Davis – 6
His usually dangerous free kick supply dried up in this match. Made up for it by starting the play that led to the game's only goal.

Stuart Holden – 5

Had a better game tracking back and stripping Seattle players than pushing forward. The youngster has yet to step up and fill the creative void left by Dwayne De Rosario, consistently underperforming in the big games.

Ricardo Clark – 5
For his standards it was a rather quiet game. The usual hustle and bustle in midfield went missing. Did lure the late tackle by Riley to get the Sounders fullback sent off late in the match and effectively kill the tie.

Brian Mullan – 5
His hustle and deflection set up the ball perfectly for Ching to score. A lot of running without much end product otherwise.

Brian Ching – 6
Quiet all game, Ching made his one chance count. His fierce volley took excellent technical ability, and you could see on his face after it went in how much it meant to him.

Dominic Oduro – 6.5
Hugely improved game from the first leg. The Sounders defense simply couldn't deal with his pace. Smashed a knuckling drive off the upright and had a handful of other half-chances.

Substitutes

Luis Angel Landin – 5
Linked up well upon coming in, but still doesn't look fully fit.

Corey Ashe – N/A
Cam Weaver – N/A

Seattle Sounders FC

Kasey Keller – 6.5
Did all that was asked of him, including a handful of solid saves and some good work coming out early to smother the ball. No goalkeeper in the world would stop Ching's volley.

Leo Gonzalez – 4.5
Besides a generally subpar game, Gonzalez curiously threw away a handful of throw-ins deep in his half to put his team under further pressure.

Jhon Kennedy Hurtado – 4.5
Pulled this way and that by Oduro's pace, Hurtado never looked comfortable, even when the speedster took the bench.

Tyrone Marshall – 6
Solid at the back, Marshall helped calm down those around him. Played through injury until pulled off as Seattle chased a campaign-saving goal that never came.

James Riley – 4
Silly, silly two-footed lunge to get sent off. The melee following his ejection usurped all the time Seattle had left to get into the match. His inexperience showed in this one.

Steve Zakuani – 5
Had a few glimmers of the sort of damage his pace can do but again the end product lacked. Taken off for the usually more consistent Levesque late on.

Osvaldo Alonso – 5
Lost the midfield battle by sitting too deep. Hasn't shown his energetic best since returning from injury some time ago.

Brad Evans – 5
Always prefers a more subtle game topped off by incisive late runs, but today Seattle needed someone to impose himself on the match. Evans wasn't that man.

Nate Jaqua – 5.5
Didn't get any service to take advantage of his size when up top and didn't find any room on the wing.

Fredy Montero – 5
Figured out how to wiggle out an inch of space and slam shots into the side netting. Unfortunately, shots into the side netting don't count as much as shots that go inside the goal.

Freddie Ljungberg – 5
Received a yellow after the final whistle for, one can only assume, sharing with the referee how he felt about the overall quality of officiating. The Swede couldn't find any spare room to unlock the defense in a cramped pitch.

Substitutes

Roger Levesque – 4
Suffered a lapse in concentration while clearing Davis' cross, allowing Mullan to nip in and keep the ball alive for Houston on the goal.

Sebastien Le Toux – 5
Had one nice touch to send Nyassi in, but overall lacked the urgency needed.

Sanna Nyassi – 4
Just poor. His crosses were all askew.

Zac Lee Rigg, Goal.com

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

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