A familiar face will return to Seattle when Sounders will host Houston Dynamo on Saturday night.
Midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro, who led Sounders to four MLS Cup performances, including a couple of titles, and a Concacaf Champions League Crown, will return to Lumen Field for the first time since he left as a free agent before last season.
Lodeiro, which turned 36 Friday, will be honored by Sounders in a ceremony before the match.
“I really love Seattle. I miss everything about it,” Lodeiro said. “Of course, my focus is (Houston) and do my best here. But it is impossible to forget Seattle because my time was incredible.”
Lodeiro is Sounders’ All-Time Leaders in Assists (95) and scored 58 goals in 231 performances in all competitions.
“We are still trying to replace Nico,” said Sounder’s midfielder Cristian Roldan. “There are many emotions. Nico spent many of his main years here, won American games and showed us how to be a professional, train really hard, be a good guy in the dressing room and the ultimate competitor.
“For myself and many guys who were here we witnessed someone who put everything on the line for the team. That’s why it will be special to see him in the field against us.”
Dynamo (0-3-1, 1 point) is still looking for his first victory of the season while Sounders (1-2-1, 4 points) are looking to get back on the right track for devastating injuries.
Forward Jordan Morris (hamstring) and midfielder Pedro de la Vega (Quadriceps) are expected to miss next month and Vinge Paul Arriola (broken ACL) is out of the season. Coach Brian Schmetzer (illness) and defender Yeimar Gomez Andrade (personal reasons) did not make the trip last weekend to meet St. Louis City SC in a 1-0 loss.
Dynamo comes from a 2-1 home decline against Real Salt Lake despite the season’s first goal from Ezequiel Ponce. They have admitted eight goals this season, bound for the worst brand in the Western conference.
Both teams will miss international calls, with Dynamo midfielder Jack McGlynn (US national team), Brooklyn Raines (US U-20) and Sebastian Rodriguez (Mexico U-18S) and sound from their respective law.
Sounders have dropped only once to Houston during the last 16 meetings (12-1-3) in all competitions that go to 2017. The clubs met in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs last season, with both games that ended in draws before Seattle won at penalty park.
-Field Level Media
