Rusnák's Late Strike Lifts Seattle Over FC Dallas in Fierce Western Clash

By Adam Luna

In a match that simmered with tension and tactical discipline before boiling over in a chaotic finale, the Seattle Sounders edged past FC Dallas 1–0 at Lumen Field thanks to an 86th-minute penalty from Albert Rusnák. The late breakthrough capped a gritty and, at times, tempestuous battle between two Western Conference sides chasing playoff momentum.

First Half: Paes vs. the Sounders Strike Force

The Sounders started brightly, controlling early possession and carving out the first genuine threat in the 9th minute. Jesús Ferreira forced Maarten Paes into two rapid saves in quick succession, first with a 61% xG chance and then another gilt-edged opportunity at 66% xG, both denied by the Dutch keeper. Ryan Kent also had a shot blocked in the same sequence as Seattle launched wave after wave of early pressure.

FC Dallas, though second-best in buildup play, had their own openings. Anderson Julio fired high from the left channel in the 19th minute, while Manuel Cafumana tested Stefan Frei from distance on the 14-minute mark.

Tempers started to rise as challenges flew in, and Ramiro Benetti saw yellow in the 10th minute for poor sportsmanship, setting the tone for what would become a feisty affair. Lalas Abubakar would later follow him into the book after a reckless foul on Ryan Kent before halftime.

Despite both teams trading speculative efforts and half-chances — including a header by Pedro de la Vega that narrowly missed (45+2') — neither side managed to breach the goal line, and the teams entered the break locked at 0–0.

Second Half: Momentum Builds, Frustration Grows

Both managers made tweaks at the interval, with Bernard Kamungo replacing Julio for Dallas, and Seattle leaning more heavily on their wing play through Álex Roldán and Nouhou Tolo.

The match steadily ratcheted up in intensity. Seattle's defense, marshaled by the ever-reliable Kee-hee Kim, produced a string of crucial blocks — denying Kaick Ferreira, Kamungo, and Osaze Urhoghide at various intervals (57', 80', 88').

Dallas, meanwhile, began exploiting space on the flanks. Shaq Moore came agonizingly close in the 74th minute with a free header (xG 45%) that sailed just over. A minute later, Petar Musa wasted another golden opportunity, missing with a header of his own from the center of the box.

But the Sounders didn’t buckle. With Ryan Kent and Georgi Minoungou injecting pace and directness late on, they began to force errors from the Dallas backline.

The Decisive Moment: Rusnák From the Spot

After 85 minutes of frustration, chaos, and missed chances, the breakthrough finally came. Kaick Ferreira, in a moment of defensive lapse, brought down Georgi Minoungou in the box. Referee Armando Villarreal pointed to the spot with no hesitation.

Up stepped Albert Rusnák. With ice in his veins and the weight of the match on his shoulders, the Slovakian calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner in the 86th minute — an xG of 77% finally realized, and Lumen Field erupted.

Late Drama and Dallas Meltdown

What followed was a collapse in composure from the visitors. In a span of a minute during added time (90+5’), both Kaick Ferreira and Osaze Urhoghide picked up yellow cards — the latter for dissent, the former for the initial foul that led to Rusnák’s spot kick.

Desperate to rescue a point, Lalas Abubakar nearly produced a moment of magic in the 90+4’ minute, smashing a shot off the post from the right half-space — the closest Dallas would come. Moments later, Sebastien Ibeagha sent a header wide with an xG of 6%, as the final whistle loomed.

Man of the Match: Stefan Frei

Quietly heroic, Frei registered several clutch saves to deny headers and long-range efforts alike. His composure under pressure was vital in maintaining Seattle’s clean sheet.

Match Stats Snapshot

Category	Seattle	Dallas
Shots (on target)	18 (6)	15 (5)
Possession	52%	48%
xG	1.54	1.12
Yellow Cards	1	5
Big Chances Missed	2	3
Saves by Goalkeeper	5 (Frei)	6 (Paes)