The first time the Sounders played Houston this year, they were desperately trying to pull up out of a frantic tailspin to start the year. The second time, they were in the midst of sparking a turnaround that would lead them to the doorstep of the postseason.
The third time? On this occasion, they can batter down that door entirely (Wednesday; 7:30 p.m. PT; JOEtv; KIRO Radio 97.3 FM, El Rey 1360am).
During that second meeting between Houston and Seattle, a match that ended in a 1-1 draw on Aug. 24, it wasn’t entirely clear what the Sounders needed to do to put themselves into position for the playoffs.