Dynamo seek to end 14 game winless streak in Seattle; and Albert Rusnak’s connection to sliced bread

With 95, Nic Lodeiro leads Sounders FC all time record on assists. He scored 58 goals in 231 appeances

Photo: Sounders FC

The worst away record in MLS faces another challenge on Saturday as Houston Dynamo pay their 15th visit to Seattle. They are yet to record an MLS win in the Emerald City.

Starting in 2009 when they lost 2-1, Dynamo have taken just two points in their trips to Seattle. They have scored just three goals in all games and shipped an incredible 22. It’s an abysmal record.

To emphasize just how favorable this fixture has been to the home side, the Sounders did not triumph in the Bayou City until their ninth attempt but have now won four games in total. That first away win came in the 18th MLS meeting between the clubs.

But the Sounders’ record in Houston is not the issue on Saturday night when two sides with just one league win in eight between them try to kick start their seasons.

HONOURS NOT EVEN

There’s going to be a lot of ‘honoring’ kicking around on Saturday.

Sounders FC legend Nic Lodeiro returns to the club which he, to a great degree, carried to its first MLS title and will be honored before kick off. In seven years, he won two MLS Cups, four Western Conferences and a CONCACAF Champions Cup for the Rave Green.

Jordan Morris became the club’s record scorer and will be honored at half time while Cristian Roldan has overtaken club legend Zach Scott’s appearance record and will also be honored pre game. Roldan moved to 87 goals, one ahead of Raul Ruidiaz.

Talking of Seattle goals, Houston have only shut out Seattle once in 28 games in a scoreless draw in 2016.

THEY SHARE A BIRTHDAY

Albert Rusnak was born on July 7, 1994 and comes from Kosice in Slovakia. He arrived in Seattle via RSL.

On the face of it being a midfielder is all he has in common with the Dynamo’s Jack McGlynn.

But that would be wrong.

McGlynn was also born on July 7, only nine years later. He hails from Middle Village, NY and was acquired from the Philadelphia Union.

But other than two great soccer players, it turn out there were several interesting births on that day.

A statue of Emperor Go-Shirakawa in the Kyoto museum looking incredibly wise
Photo: wikipedia

Other July 7 Birthday Boys and Girls include Emperor Go-Shirakawa of Japan (1059), John Leverett, Governor of Massachusetts (1616), Francisco de Paula Rodrigues Alves the 5th President of Brazil (1848), composer Gustav Mahler (1860), Otto Frederick Rohwedder the inventor of sliced bread (1880), plus baseball players Ted Radcliffe (1902), Len Barker (1955) and Satchel Paige (1906).

Music lovers can celebrate the births of singers Pinetop Perkins (1913), Charlie Louvin (1927), Beatle Ringo Starr (1940), Vonda Shepard (1963) and Kaci Brown (1988).

More birthdays include English comedian Bill Oddie (1941), King Gyanendra of Nepal (1947) and actress Shelley Duvall (1949).

Still alive are comedian Jim Gaffigan (1966), heavy metal guitarist Synyster Gates (1981) and French international Moussay Diaby (1999).

Without the wisdom of Otto Frederick Rohwedder born exactly 114 years before Albert Rusnak, we’d all be eating a whole loaf at once

Born on exactly the same day as Rusnak are Uzbekistani tennis player Nigina Abduraimova, and 5 Seconds of Summer drummer, Ashton Irwin.

Sadly for McGlynn however, Bulgarian trumpet player and conductor Izhak Graziani, died the day he was born and they never got to share a beer together.

Graziani will be cheered by the fact he didn’t die in vain as McGlynn has made four appearances for the USA scoring one goal against Venezuela in January 2025.

There were also seismic events on this day in history.

Most importantly (to the author at least), the last battle fought between England and Scotland took place at Redeswire in 1575. Well, at least the last battle for now.

The good news was the Scots won and remain undefeated for 450 years, an undefeated record Sounders FC may move one step closer to on Saturday.

In the American War of Independence, the Battle of Hubbardton took place on this day in 1777. The English fared a little better than they had 202 years previously.

In 1958, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Alaska Statehood Act into law. 23 years later, President Ronald Reagan made history when he nominated Sandra Day O’Connor to become the first female member of the US Supreme Court.

In soccer, the USWNT beat the Netherlands 2–0 at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final in Lyon, France which no doubt made Jack McGlynn’s 16th birthday celebrations even happier.

Kick off is at 7.40 PM on Saturday March 2nd.