Sounders FC will face the Houston Dynamo in first round of MLS playoffs

Immediately after the Houston Dynamo held on to defeat Chivas USA 3-2 Sunday afternoon, Sounders FC knew its opponent for the Major League Soccer Western Conference semifinal round.

Seattle will enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed in the West and faces No. 2 Houston. Sounders FC hosts the first match of the home-and-home, aggregate goal series Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Qwest Field, with the second match scheduled for Nov. 8 at Robertson Stadium in Houston.

The two-game series is effectively a 180-minute game with the winner being the side that scores the most goals overall. The team that does so advances to the conference championship, with the winner of that single match going to the MLS Cup final in Seattle on Nov. 22.

During the regular season, Sounders FC (12-7-11) defeated the Dynamo (13-8-9) at Qwest Field 2-1 on July 11 and achieved a 1-1, character-building draw in the heat and humidity of Houston on Aug. 23. Seattle also scored a dramatic 2-1 win over the Dynamo in a U.S. Open Cup semifinal game at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila on July 21.

Houston, however, is already one of the most accomplished MLS teams in the 14-year history of the league. The original San Jose Clash and Earthquakes, it relocated to Houston before the 2006 season and won the MLS championship that year and the next. Several core players from the 2007 championship team remain, and Houston remains a force in MLS. The Dynamo won the Western Conference last season before being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs and is back in the postseason once again.

"They battle and they fight," Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid said. "Physically, they're a strong team. We have to be prepared to battle up to those challenges."

Sounders FC clinched a playoff spot two weeks ago with its win at Kansas City, then assured itself of at least the No. 3 seed in the West depending on Houston's result after Seattle topped FC Dallas 2-1 Saturday night at home.

"Going into the playoffs, I think we have a lot of confidence right now," said Sounders FC forward Nate Jaqua, who played for Houston the previous two seasons. "I think we are ready for it."

Schmid said the team's routine won't change. There is practice Monday through Wednesday leading up to the game. Sounders FC, while a new team, can draw on the experience of several MLS veterans on the roster and having gone through a win-or-go-home style of a tournament, the U.S. Open Cup. Seattle won the Cup.

"We have to rely on those experiences that we had this year," Schmid said. "When you're at home first, you want to get a good result. You don't want to put pressure on yourself. It's important that we approach the game in orderly fashion, not in exuberant fashion. Our guys have gone through some battles and they're going to be prepared."

José Miguel Romero: 206-464-2409 or jromero@seattletimes.com