Maurer Makes Four Saves in Houston Debut as Dynamo and Sounders Play to Scoreless Draw
Goalkeepers Jimmy Maurer and Stefan Frei each kept a clean sheet as Houston and Seattle finished 0-0 at Lumen Field on Saturday night.
By Kendra Konchanuk ·
Jimmy Maurer made four saves in his first start for the Houston Dynamo, and Seattle's Stefan Frei turned aside the only shot he faced, as the two sides settled for a 0-0 draw at Lumen Field in Seattle on Saturday night.
Maurer stepped into the lineup after Andrew Tarbell hurt his knee in the first half of a 2-1 home loss to Real Salt Lake the previous week. Tarbell has been lost for the season. Maurer arrived in Houston after seven seasons with FC Dallas, where he made 65 starts and recorded 16 clean sheets.
The result leaves the Dynamo at 0-3-2 on the season. All three of their losses have come at home. Seattle moved to 1-2-2.
For Frei, the shutout was his first of the season and the 100th of his career with the Sounders. It came in his fourth start this year. He has 119 career shutouts in 411 starts. His first 19 clean sheets came over three seasons and 82 starts with Toronto FC.
The first half belonged largely to Maurer's side of the pitch in terms of workload. He made three saves before halftime, while Frei was not tested at all in the opening 45 minutes. Neither team scored in either half.
Houston's disciplinary tally rose late in the match. Amine Bassi was booked in the 69th minute, Junior Urso in the 71st, Daniel Steres in the 78th and Franco Escobar in the 79th. Steres had entered the game in the 21st minute as a replacement for Ethan Bartlow. Blake Gillingham replaced Maurer in goal in the 67th minute, and Allen Chapman refereed.
The draw extended some history between the clubs. The Dynamo have never beaten the Sounders in Seattle, and the teams played to two scoreless draws last season. Seattle is 12-1-4 in its last 16 meetings with Houston across all competitions.
The match also carried a personal note for Nicolás Lodeiro, a former Sounders captain, who helped the Dynamo earn a point in his first return trip to Seattle.
Houston remains in the Pacific Northwest to face the Portland Timbers on Saturday. Seattle travels to meet the San Jose Earthquakes on the same day.
Source: Houston Chronicle
