MLS Season Begins With Houston Dynamo and Seattle Sounders Winning
The MLS season started last night with two matches, one in Seattle and the other in Houston. The home teams posted wins, with Dynamo defeating the San Jose Earthquakes, and the Seattle Sounders beating Minnesota United.
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At the BBVA Stadium, Dynamo recorded a 2-1 victory over the guests from San Jose. Memo Rodriguez and Maxi Urruti were the scorers for the hosts, with both goals coming in the best possible moment for Houston.
Rodriguez netted six minutes before halftime, shocking the guests and not giving them enough time to respond. Urruti doubled the advantage for Houston eleven minutes into the second sequence, stunning the rivals once again.
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However, the Quakes managed to answer this time, as Paul Marie hit the target in the 74th minute, giving some hope that his team might stay unbeaten in tonight’s opener. Ten minutes later, Chris Wondolowsk, arguably one of the biggest names in the MLS history, had a golden opportunity to secure at least a point for his unit. Yet, one of the most prolific strikers in the league missed what was supposed to be an easy task for him.
The Quakes have a chance to bounce back from this loss against FC Dallas next Saturday at home, while Houston visits Portland Timbers on the same day.
In the other match of the night, the Seattle Sounders rolled over Minnesota United, 4-0, scoring all four goals in the second half.
Seattle had a chance to break the ice early on, but Raul Ruidiaz missed the penalty kick, that is, United’s goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair saved his attempt. Previously Will Trapp handballed in the box.
However, as soon as the second half began, Joao Paulo hit the back of the opponent’s net. The Sounders needed four minutes of play since the kick-off to deliver the blow, and after that, everything was much easier for the home side.
Ruidiaz redeemed for his miss with two quick goals, one in the 70th and the next three minutes later, while Fredy Montero put an end to this clash with a score in the 86th minute.
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Seattle heads for LA to meet FC next Saturday in the derby of the round. These two sides are among the top candidates for winning the MLS Cup, which is why fans can’t wait for this event to start. As for Minnesota, they await Real Salt Lake City.