Nelson Valdez scored at the death against KC to take the Sounders through the first round of the playoffs. The Rave Green will now host FC Dallas, Supporters’ Shield winners, for the first leg of the Western conference semis. FC Dallas earned the right to not play midweek and have a rested squad to bring to Seattle. Transferring Fabian Castillo and losing Mauro Diaz to injury has drastically impacted their attack, but they won the Shield for a reason and they're always dangerous.
How Dallas got here: Dallas turned up the heat on Colorado about halfway through the season and charged past them to win the West and the Shield, including going 4-1-3 to end the season, locking up the Shield on the final day.