Saturday night in Frisco, Texas marked the first meeting between FC Dallas and Seattle Sounders FC since the teams’ intense two-legged clash in the 2014 Western Conference Semifinals. The 1-1 aggregate score last November saw Dallas eliminated and Seattle advance via the away goals rule. Last night the teams picked up where they left off, drawing 0-0 in a scrappy match, though the story at kickoff was dominated by the number of key players missing from both sides due to injury or international duty.

Most notably absent for Seattle were Obafemi Martins, Clint Dempsey, and Chad Marshall due to injury, and Marco Pappa on international duty for Guatemala.  FC Dallas missed their top goal-scorer this season in Blas Perez (international duty for Panama) and midfielder Mauro Diaz (injury).  FC Dallas still had more of their marquee assets in the starting 11 than Seattle however, including 2014 Rookie of the Year forward Tesho Akindele, forward Fabian Castillo, and their center back captain Matt Hedges.  This personnel advantage became key when left back Kellyn Acosta received a red card in the 17th minute for his cleats-in-chest challenge on Seattle’s Andy Rose while trying to win a ball.

Despite the red card setback, FC Dallas was much livelier offensively for the remainder of the first half, with several speedy counterattacks punctuated by Castillo’s blistering runs with the ball through the center of Seattle’s defense.  One such run in the 28th minute led to Castillo being taken down just outside the box with Michel’s resulting free kick glancing off the crossbar.

Even playing a man down, the scrappy defensive work by fullbacks Matt Hedges, Zach Loyd, and Ryan Hollingshead (moved to left back after Acosta’s dismissal), and defensive midfielder Victor Ulloa held Seattle to zero shots in the first half.

The second half brought several scoring chances for Seattle, as FC Dallas tired and sat further back defensively.  One of the Sounders’ best chances of the game came in the 55th minute when a cross from Leo Gonzalez found striker Chad Barrett who headed it just wide. FC Dallas countered a minute later with their closest chance of the second half – another blistering run at the top of the box by Castillo, whose finishing shot just missed wide right.

Seattle mustered two more huge chances in the final 20 minutes. In the 72nd minute Barrett received the ball behind the Dallas defense, but goalkeeper Chris Seitz closed down the angle just enough for Barrett’s shot to miss wide right. In the 80th minute, Seattle’s Andy Rose found the ball in the box but a risky, impeccably timed desperation tackle from behind by Zach Loyd poked the ball away to save the night for Dallas.

FC Dallas maintains the best record in MLS and first place in the Western Conference with three wins and one draw. Seattle is currently seventh in the Western Conference with one win, one loss, and one draw. The next match for both teams is Saturday, with FC Dallas traveling to Portland, while Seattle hosts Houston Dynamo.