IT WASN'T ONE FOR THE time capsule, but the Seattle Sounders secured a favorable road draw against FC Dallas Sunday night, tying the hosts 1-1 and moving into prime position to advance to MLS' Western Conference Finals.

FC Dallas moved into the lead in the 34th minute when Marco Pappa was whistled for a blatant penalty for a foul on Andres Escobar. Michel calmly converted the penalty to give the hosts a 1-0 advantage.

Despite falling behind in the first half Seattle began to show its superiority and it was only FC Dallas keeper Raul Fernandez who managed to keep Dallas in front. After an early save against Obafemi Martins in a one-on-one situation, Fernandez again denied the MLS MVP candidate in first-half stoppage time with a diving, one-handed save.

In the 54th minute, however, Seattle found its equalizer and a crucial away goal when a Pappa free kick found Osvaldo Alonso in the penalty area. The Cuban midfielder headed it past Fernandez from close range.

For the rest of the half, FC Dallas attempted to increase pressure but it was to no avail. Seattle continued to have the better of opportunities.

In order to advance, FC Dallas must now head to Seattle and either win or force a higher-scoring draw. Based on its performance Sunday, it seems unlikely.

Seattle justified showed why it won the 2014 Supporters' Shield throughout the contest: Its attack, led by Clint Dempsey and Martins, looked consistently dangers and the Sounders defense limited FC Dallas to few chances outside of the penalty.

All told, Seattle is a team built to win right now while FC Dallas looks like a team built to win in the future. FC Dallas has some very promising young players—including Fabian Castillo, who could become the most explosive attacker in the league if he sticks around for a few more years. Oscar Pareja has done an outstanding job in just his first year coaching FC Dallas but the team is still an unfinished product.

Seattle's veteran leadership, on the other hand, looked completely unfazed playing on the road, dealing with high expectations, and falling behind in the first half. The club was more than willing to do what was effective, even if it was not pretty.

The series isn’t quite over, but FC Dallas has an extremely difficult task to go into a hostile environment and win. Pareja’s young players will need to have the games of their lives if they have hope to defeat a confident Seattle team in its fortress-like home stadium.

Either way, the second leg is going to be a fun game to watch. Seattle's one-goal advantage is too slim to sit back and play defensively. On the other hand, FC Dallas will have to push forward early and take chances. It should make for an attack-oriented game.

Brian Sciaretta is an American Soccer Now columnist and an ASN 100 panelist. Follow him on Twitter.