Tony Alfaro will receive his first-ever MLS start, as the Seattle Sounders top four options at left back were all unavailable for Wednesday’s game against the Houston Dynamo.
Alfaro had played five times previously, including back-to-back games on May 28 and June 1 in which he was a first-half injury replacement, but he’s never played left back in MLS. His previous appearances were all as a center back. The Sounders were left with little choice, though, as Joevin Jones and Oniel Fisher were on international duty and Dylan Remick is undergoing concussion protocol. Alfaro is left-footed and did play some left back in college at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
The rest of the Sounders’ lineup is as follows:
Win and we're in!
— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) October 13, 2016
Here's your #Sounders Starting XI for tonight's match, thanks to @Delta: https://t.co/CNIDTveshQ #SEAvHOU pic.twitter.com/btib0SEb6T
Aside from Alfaro’s inclusion, there weren’t any real surprises. Herculez Gomez gets his second consecutive start, but that had been his first since July 24. Otherwise, this is basically the same lineup that has helped the Sounders go 7-1-3 under Brian Schmetzer.
The Houston Dynamo are going with a lineup missing several key starters, including Mauro Manotos, Oscar Boniek-Garcia and Cristian Maidana.
.@GEICO starting XI: Willis; Williams, Horst, K. Brown, Beasley ©; Warner; Wenger, Alexander, Clark, Escalante; Bruin #SEAvHOU pic.twitter.com/9p5Alk87D6
— Houston Dynamo (@HoustonDynamo) October 13, 2016