Sounders at Houston Dynamo: Three Questions

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports Seattle Sounders fans have mostly been checking out the top of the table. The club is capable of winning the Western Conference and with good fortune could even make a run at the Supporters’ Shield. But deep in the heart of Texas is the bottom of the Western Conference. Austin, Dallas, and Houston Dynamo may be so bad that Seattle could match the three teams’ win total (New England already surpassed the bottom three in the East).

Houston’s hopes for 2021 are long gone, and a loss will officially eliminate them from playoff contention. They are focused on developing talent for 2022 and figuring out if the 9-win-in-two-seasons coach is right for the organization.…