SEATTLE — The situation could not have been any more perfect.
After four consecutive wins, the Seattle Sounders were hosting the last-place Houston Dynamo, a team that had just been eliminated from postseason contention. With a win, the Sounders would clinch a playoff berth for the eighth consecutive season.
After a quick turnaround this weekend in a loss to the Colorado Rapids, Houston did not start many of its mainstays, including Mauro Manotas, who entered Wednesday’s fixture having scored five goals in his last three games. Seattle had the dynamic pairing of Jordan Morris and Nicolas Lodeiro back from national team duty, a possibility that seemed unlikely less than a week ago.