Sounders eliminate Dallas 1-0 in rubber match, will host LAFC in semifinal

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FC Dallas forward Jáder Obrian, left, holds the ball after being given a yellow card for a foul against Seattle Sounders midfielder João Paulo (not shown) during the first half of Game 3 of a first-round playoff MLS soccer match Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

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FC Dallas forward Bernard Kamungo (77) reacts while being tackled by Seattle Sounders midfielder João Paulo, left, during the first half of Game 3 of a first-round playoff MLS soccer match Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

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Seattle Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan, second from left, drives the ball while pursued by FC Dallas defender Sam Junqua, left, and midfielder Asier Illarramendi, right, during the first half of Game 3 of a first-round playoff MLS soccer match Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

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Seattle Sounders midfielder Albert Rusnák (11) moves the ball against FC Dallas defender Sam Junqua (29) during the first half of Game 3 of a first-round playoff MLS soccer match Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

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Seattle Sounders midfielder Albert Rusnák, right, watches his goal sail past FC Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes, second from right, as midfielder Asier Illarramendi, second from left, and defender Sebastien Ibeagha, left, look on during the first half of Game 3 of a first-round playoff MLS soccer match Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

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Seattle Sounders midfielder Albert Rusnák (11) celebrates after his goal against FC Dallas with teammates, including defender Nouhou Tolo, right, defender Jackson Ragen (25) and forward Jordan Morris (13), during the first half of Game 3 of a first-round playoff MLS soccer match Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

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Seattle Sounders defender Nouhou Tolo, front left, reaches out to hug defender Jackson Ragen, right, after the team’s 1-0 win over FC Dallas in Game 3 of an MLS first-round playoff soccer series, Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

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Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris is fouled by FC Dallas forward Paul Arriola, right, during the second half of Game 3 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer series Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, in Seattle. The Sounders won 1-0 to advance. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

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Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei (24) goes up against FC Dallas forward Dante Sealy, left, to punch out the ball as Sounders’ Obed Vargas (73) and Jackson Ragen, facing, defend during the second half of Game 3 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer series Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, in Seattle. The Sounders won 1-0 to advance. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

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FC Dallas forward Paul Arriola pulls down his shorts after being called for a foul against Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris during the second half of Game 3 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer series Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, in Seattle. The Sounders won 1-0 to advance. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

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FC Dallas midfielder Asier Illarramendi, left, and defender Nkosi Tafari (17) stand on the pitch after the team was eliminated with a 1-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders in Game 3 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer series Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

SEATTLE (AP) — Albert Rusnák scored a first-half goal and Stefan Frei made one save in picking up his second clean sheet of the best-of-3, first-round MLS Cup series as the Seattle Sounders eliminated FC Dallas in the rubber match with a 1-0 victory on Friday night.

Seattle, the No. 2 seed, will host defending champion and third-seeded Los Angeles FC in the Western Conference semifinals. LAFC swept the Vancouver Whitecaps in a first-round series.

The Sounders (15-9-11) have now gone 19 straight home matches without losing to Dallas (11-11-13), posting a 15-0-4 record over the span. Only New England’s 20-match streak at home against New York (2002-13) was longer against a single opponent in league history.

Rusnák gave Seattle a 1-0 lead in the 36th minute when he took a pass from João Paulo and scored his second goal of the series. Rusnák scored on a penalty kick in the 43rd minute of the Sounders’ 2-0 victory in the opener.

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Frei’s lone save came in the 89th minute on a header by Nkosi Tafari. Frei had four saves in the shutout opener. He has 13 career clean sheets in postseason play for the Sounders, dating to 2014.

Maarten Paes saved three shots for Dallas, which beat the Sounders 3-1 at home in the second match. The home side has lost only one of the last 29 meetings between the clubs going back to 2014.

Dallas has lost eight of its last nine matches on the road in the postseason. The club has just two outright victories in 25 playoff matches on the road all time.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer