Sounders Playoffs: What's the key to beating the Houston Dynamo?

October 27, 7:13 AMSeattle Soccer ExaminerDavid Falk

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We are just two days away from the first leg of the Sounders-Houston Dynamo first round series. Fans and prognosticators are going over the season results, looking at the rosters, and assessing who might have the upper 'foot' in the match-up. Please vote in the poll above on which of the listed choices is most important for the Sounders' chances of advancing. The Sounders-Dynamo series is a two-leg aggregate match-up. The club who scores the most goals over the entire two matches combined will advance.

SounderatHeart.com checked in with Seattle's Steve Zakuani yesterday. Steve told Dave Clark, in regards to his likely marker Andrew Hainault, "At this point everyone knows everyone else. There is film and experience on me. I just have to do what I’m good at. He may be a bit stronger defensively, and he may stay back a bit more on offense, but for me its just about execution and playing my game. He knows that if I have the ball I’m going to run by him with it. I have to make that happen and execute. But i also have to make runs off the ball. I want to make him think that I’m going run at him and around him. Give him something to think about."

MLSnet.com says Sigi Schmid has dubbed Brad Evans "Knockout Man." "Last year he scored a goal against D.C. [United] to knock them out of the playoffs and he scored the goal this year to knock FC Dallas out," Schmid said of Evans. "I think he's found his form again and he's an important offensive cog for us. When we get goals from different places, like we have been getting over the last couple weeks, it makes our team better."

Defense wins championships, writes Steve Davis. Eight clubs found their way "home," landing in the 14th version of Major League Soccer's playoffs. And you might notice that these very same clubs, without exception, rank 1-8 in league stats when it comes to goals allowed.There's an undeniable correlation. As I said, once again the defense rests on this old sports bromide. The bottom seven clubs in goals allowed are home now, conducting exit interviews, planning for the offseason and sorting out where it all went wrong.

As for Seattle Soccer Examiner's take, here are a few things I'll be watching for in leg one Thursday night:

How tired will Houston be, and how much will that dictate their approach to the Qwest Field leg? It will be the fourth match in eleven days for the Dynamo, whose fans, players and coaches are crying foul at the league scheduler and suggesting under their collective breath that Seattle is being 'favored.' It is true that the match could have been played later, but the league and ESPN2 wanted the drawing power of the Sounders on the Thursday broadcast.

The Dynamo may well decide to bunker in a bit and play for the close score. It's not a bad move on their part in any circumstance if they do. That strategy has shut down the Sounders all year at Qwest. Meanwhile, some Sounders fans are thinking (see poll option) that the Qwest leg is 'make or break' for the Sounders, that in fact the club needs to come away with a two or three goal lead going in to Houston to have a chance. To that I say, rubbish. I can't for one minute see Sigi Schmid coaching the club in that direction. It is still only the first half of the series, and both clubs know that it will likely come down to what happens in Houston on November 8th.

Can they stop Freddie? Freddie Ljungberg has yet to play a full 90 minutes against the Dynamo. He was subbed off in the 2:1 Sounders win at Qwest Field July 11th and the 1:1 draw in Houston (88th minute) August 23rd. Over his last two games the diminutive Swede has left MLS defenses in the dust and raised the offensive standard of the entire Sounders squad. Houston hasn't seen the Freddie of late on the pitch, so Ljungberg's form is a crucial element in Seattle's success.

How many goals will the series bring? The clubs have met three times this year, with a total of 8 goals scored. (Seattle wins twice, 2:1, draws 1:1). Don't let those marginally positive scoring numbers fool you, though. Seattle's 2:1 win at Qwest included a Fredy Montero goal that was controversially judged to have crossed completely over the goal line, and a miracle backflip kick by Patrick Ianni. Then, it took the Sounders overtime to score twice on the Dynamo in the US Open Cup.

The Dynamo have only managed one goal in each of their three matches with the Sounders. Is that pace enough (two goals) to win the playoff over Seattle? Could be. Pat Onstad will need to be on his best form, but the Dynamo backstop's .97 goals against average per match is impressive. So is Kasey Keller's .92 GAA. Playoff matches tend to be more conservative affairs. Since every match the clubs have played has been close and relatively low-scoring, expect the series to go the same way: close, and low scoring.

Coaches corner & roster notes: Dominic Kinnear is one of the most gifted and competitive coaches in Major League Soccer. Sharp, bright, able to motivate his troops. The very same thing can be said about Sigi Schmid. It will come down to who has the better tools to work with, and the deeper bench. Both clubs have gone deep into their rosters over the summer. The Dynamo have a combined 92 years of MLS experience on their roster , not to mention the winning of the 2006 and 2007 MLS Cups. The Sounders have longtimers Tyrone Marshall and Peter Vagenas to look to for playoff experience. The Seattle roster is full of first-timers to the playoff scene. Brad Evans and Nate Jaqua have both won MLS Cups in the last two years (Columbus, Houston).

More to read:

Odds: BetBrain says 44% Seattle wins

P-I: Checks in with the Dynamo

Times: Sounders do bring some experience

Houston Chronicle: Kinnear sounds off about schedule

Laurie at The Offside is running the same poll in tandem with us.