The Seattle Sounders and Houston Dynamo will kick off their round-of-16 matchup in the 2024 MLS playoffs with a match at Lumen Field.

The Seattle Sounders enjoyed a strong finish to their regular season, recording five wins and two draws in their last seven matches. In their most recent outing, they settled for a draw against the Portland Timbers, with Yeimar Gomez Andrade's first-half goal being equalized by Antony in the second half.

With 57 points from 34 matches, the Rave Greens finished fourth in the Western Conference, just two points behind Real Salt Lake in third and five points shy of Los Angeles FC and LA Galaxy. Seattle is optimistic about a deep playoff run, thanks to their solid form and the best defensive record in the league, having conceded the fewest goals.

Houston Dynamo, meanwhile, have relied heavily on their defensive strength to secure a playoff spot. Under Ben Olsen, they managed only 47 goals this season—the second fewest among playoff teams—but conceded just 39 goals, four more than the Sounders.

Back in the postseason for the second consecutive year, the Dynamo aim to add to their two league titles and end a 17-year wait since their last championship in 2007. In their previous playoff run, they were eliminated in the semifinals by eventual runners-up Los Angeles FC, after victories over Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City.