VANCOUVER, BC – It was a frustrating evening at BC Place on Wednesday, as Vancouver Whitecaps FC fell 1-0 to a highly defensive and resolute Houston Dynamo FC.
Whitecaps FC nearly began the night with a bang, as Andrés Cubas lasered a shot from just outside the box in the opening moments, but the line-driving shot went just past the right top-hand corner.
Ryan Gauld had a great opportunity a few minutes later, after a clever play found the Scot with space inside the box, but Dynamo FC managed to get back just in time to block Gauld’s shot before it could hit the target.
Houston had a golden chance to open the scoring in the 16th minute, after Héctor Herrera found a loose ball at the back post, but Mathías Laborda slid across the goal-line to deny what was going to be a certain goal.
Dynamo FC came back with their own last-ditch block in the 19th minute, after Gauld slipped in Rayan Elloumi and the striker’s shot was denied by a sliding challenge.
After much back and forth in the first half, it was Houston who broke the deadlock in the 34th minute through Franco Negri, after he scored on a one-time shot from outside the box.
The ‘Caps nearly found an equalizer right at the end of the first half, after Cheikh Sabaly was found alone at the back post, but his volleyed effort bounced off the turf, smacking against the frame of the goal and spinning out.
The second half saw the ‘Caps gain a surge of energy with the inclusion of Thomas Müller.
That change nearly brought immediate dividends, with Gauld slipping in Elloumi behind the Houston defence, but despite the striker using his strength to get past two defenders, his powerful shot flew off target.
Emmanuel Sabbi had a chance at the back post in the 53rd minute, but his first-time effort curled into the hands of Dynamo FC ‘keeper Jonathan Bond.
On the other side, Yohei Takaoka made a spectacular low save to deny Guilherme after the forward’s shot cut across goal, forcing the Japanese ‘keeper into making a full-stretched save.
Elloumi and Sabbi both came close to finding an equalizing goal for Whitecaps FC near the hour mark, after a cross from the right found both in space, but neither was able to connect to get it past Bond.
The biggest moment of the match came in the 64th minute. The ‘Caps thought they found their equalizer after Elloumi swept home a cutback from Sabbi inside the box, but it was called back due to an alleged foul in the buildup.
Whitecaps FC kept pushing deeper and deeper into Houston’s half as the match wore on, as more and more crosses were being whipped into their box.
Bruno Caicedo nearly set up Gauld for a tap in after drilling a pass across goal, but again Houston cleared it.
Müller came ever so close to scoring after the ball dropped for the German in the box, but another deflection from a Dynamo FC defender just skewed it off-target.
Despite the ‘Caps throwing everything they had at Houston in the closing stages, Houston held on to win 1-0.
Whitecaps FC are back in action this coming Saturday, August 22 as they face FC Dallas at BC Place. Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. PT. For tickets, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
MATCH DETAILS
Attendance: 22,849
Referee: Ricardo Montero Araya
Scoring Summary
34’ – HOU – Franco Negri
Statistics
Possession: VAN 61.9% - HOU 38.1%
Shots: VAN 16 - HOU 8
Shots on Goal: VAN 1 - HOU 5
Saves: VAN 4 - HOU 1
Fouls: VAN 13 - HOU 12
Offsides: VAN 0 - HOU 2
Corners: VAN 8 - HOU 2
Cautions
26’ – VAN – Andrés Cubas
38’ – HOU – Agustin Resch
41’ – HOU – Agustín Bouzat
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Yohei Takaoka; 18.Édier Ocampo (41.Nikola Djordjevic 88’), 2.Mathías Laborda, 33.Tristan Blackmon, 28.Tate Johnson (3.Sam Adekugbe 88’); 8.Oliver Larraz, 20.Andrés Cubas (6.Ralph Priso 73’); 11.Emmanuel Sabbi (14.Bruno Caicedo 73’), 25.Ryan Gauld ©, 7.Cheikh Sabaly (13.Thomas Müller HT); 19.Rayan Elloumi
Substitutes not used
32.Isaac Boehmer, 26.J.C. Ngando, 29.Mihail Gherasimencov, 97.Liam Mackenzie
Houston Dynamo FC
31.Jonathan Bond; 11.Lawrence Ennali (14.Duane Holmes 79’), 34.Agustin Resch, 6.Artur, 5.Lucas Halter, 21.Franco Negri (4.Marcelo Saracchi 75’); 8.Jack McGlynn, 16.Héctor Herrera (18.Diadie Samassekou 75’), 30.Agustín Bouzat; 20.Guilherme Augusto (23.Duncan McGuire 70’), 19.Mateusz Bogusz
Substitutes not used
26.Blake Gillingham, 3.Antonio Carlos, 9.Ondrej Lingr, 24.Ibrahim Aliyu, 28.Erik Sviatchenko