Seattle Sounders edge FC Dallas to lock in MLS West final berth

Defender Shane O'Neill scored his second goal in seven Major League Soccer seasons as the defending champion Seattle Sounders advanced to the Western Conference final with a 1-0 victory against visiting FC Dallas on Tuesday night.

Nicolas Lodeiro set an MLS record with an assist in his sixth consecutive postseason game, breaking the mark set by the Los Angeles Galaxy's David Beckham in 2011-12. The Sounders extended their league record with their 14th consecutive postseason victory at home.

The second-seeded Sounders will meet the winner of Thursday's game between No. 1 Sporting Kansas City and No. 4 Minnesota United in the conference final on Monday. The higher-seeded team will be at home.

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The match was befitting of the two stingiest defensive teams in the conference. Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei didn't have to make a save in posting his 10th career postseason shutout, and his counterpart, Dallas' Jimmy Maurer, was forced to make just one stop.

O'Neill's goal came off a corner kick by Lodeiro in the 49th minute. O'Neill's powerful header from the top of the 6-yard box at the near post went toward the far side of the goal and Maurer was only able to get his fingertips slightly on the shot before it reached the back of the net.

Sixth-seeded Dallas had two chances to tie the score in the 63rd minute.

Michael Barrios, who came on as a substitute five minutes earlier, took a left-wing cross from Ryan Hollingshead at the far post. Barrios' shot went across the goalmouth and ricocheted off the left post and straight back up the field, where Andres Ricaurte's shot from 12 yards out was cleared off the goal line by Seattle defender Yeimar Gomez Andrade.

Seattle outshot Dallas 14-10, but only two of the Sounders' attempts were on goal.

It was the only meeting of the pandemic-shortened season between the teams. Seattle knocked Dallas out of the playoffs last season with a 4-3 overtime decision behind Jordan Morris' hat trick.