Scouting report: vs. Seattle Sounders FC
When/where: 8:30 p.m. Tuesday; BBVA Compass Stadium. TV/radio: FS1; 610 AM and 1010 AM (Spanish). Dynamo (13-10-11, 50 points) last five: D-W-W-D-W. Seattle (14-9-11, 53 points) last five: L-W-W-D-W. Dynamo update: Currently riding a nine-game unbeaten streak, the Dynamo have found their best form of the season. It’s safe to say they’re playing with house money after missing the playoffs three consecutive seasons, but they’re not thinking that way. Coach Wilmer Cabrera knew building this team in his first season would be a process, and now that the players have top-notch chemistry, they’re as confident as ever. They have suffered through one of the nation’s most destructive hurricanes, lateseason injuries to their defense and the suspension of their starting goalkeeper. None of that has broken them. Sounders update: Any team that plays in the final game of the playoffs will be granted some room for error early the following year because the MLS offseason is so short. So, the fact it took the defending champion Sounders a little bit to get going this year was no problem. They finally found their stride in the summer when they went 13 games without losing. Last year, they caught the league by surprise with a late surge above the playoff line and kept it going all the way to the championship. This year, they have been a hunted team all season and have performed well when it matters most. Key statistic: The home team has never lost in the Dynamo-Seattle series. Dynamo player to watch: Defensive midfielder Juan David Cabezas will play a critical role in preventing Seattle from attacking up the middle. If Cabezas can destroy enough plays so the Sounders must depend on crosses from the wide areas, their goal-scoring threat will be diminished. Sounders player to watch: Midfielder Clint Dempsey has scored big goals with every team he has played for at every level. His latest feat was scoring both goals in the second leg of the conference semifinal series against Vancouver that Seattle won 2-0.