Houston Dynamo FC scored early and made a one-goal lead stand up for more than 80 minutes, but a late Vancouver rally gave the hosts an unlikely 2-1 win at BC Place.
Houston took the lead in the sixth minute after a corner kick was cleared by the Vancouver backline, the second ball fell to defender Sam Junqua outside the penalty area. Junqua lofted a soft volley over the Whitecaps defense to an oncoming Fafa Picault, who got the slightest of touches to slip it past the goalkeeper for the opening goal of the match.
Vancouver leveled the match in the 88th minute when forward Simon Becher found himself with the ball at his foot after it ricocheted off of a Dynamo defender inside the penalty area. Becher tapped the loose ball into the net at the back post to even the score at a goal apiece.
The Whitecaps netted the winner in the second minute of stoppage time through forward Lucas Cavallini. After a Vancouver corner kick was cleared away, the second ball fell to defender Ranko Veselinovic, who played Cavallini in alone on the left side of goal. The forward took a touch and then fired a low left-footed shot that slipped under the goalkeeper’s arm and into the back of the net.
Houston nearly doubled their lead in the 24th minute when forward Sebas Ferreira won possession in Vancouver’s half of the field. The Paraguayan attacker found Darwin Quintero at the top of the box and the MLS veteran laid the ball off to Picault, but his effort was punched out of play by ‘Caps goalkeeper Cody Cropper.
Houston’s first dangerous opportunity of the second half came in the 51st minute after Quintero played Ferreira in behind and Ferreira chipped the ball back where it came from toward back post, but Quintero narrowly missed on an acrobatic scissor kick attempt.
The Dynamo were denied by Cropper in the 59th minute when the ‘Caps shot stopper got a hand on Thor Úlfarsson’s shot at the near post. The ball bounced off the post and eventually handled by Cropper as he was pressured to the ball by an oncoming Picault.
Houston goalkeeper Steve Clark was called into action in the 62nd minute to deny Gressel at the near post. The Dynamo shot stopper finished with two saves tonight against the ‘Caps. Clark logged a full 90-minute shift after exiting Houston’s last match against the Philadelphia Union in the 26th minute with a shoulder injury.
The Dynamo return to PNC Stadium on Aug. 13 to host CF Montréal for 713 Night, which features $7 tickets, $1 hot dogs and $3 beer. For tickets and additional information, visit HoustonDynamoFC.com.
