Sounders pleased with tying Dynamo

HOUSTON — Soccer is a sport with good draws and bad draws.

Call the 1-1 draw the Sounders achieved Sunday night with the Houston Dynamo in the muggy heat of Texas one of the good ones. In fact, call it, in the words of coach Sigi Schmid, a defining moment for a team in need of something to show it can still have a successful inaugural season.

Playing without forward Fredy Montero – suspended one game after getting his fifth yellow card of the season Thursday – and having not scored in four of their past five Major League Soccer matches, the Sounders played the best team in the Western Conference to a tie.

Forward Nate Jaqua put in the equalizing goal in the 70th minute, Seattle’s back line kept Houston’s dangerous attackers in check, and the Sounders walked out of Robertson Stadium with a small reward for being the better team on the field for much of the match.

“Being able to come down here and get a tie at the team that’s tied for the league lead on points, and do it against obstacles … it was a big character moment for us,” Schmid said.

Freddie Ljungberg was a major factor for Seattle (8-6-9). He played 88 minutes after missing the previous game as a medical precaution.