When the Vancouver Whitecaps play the Houston Dynamo, expect goals.
This time, it was the visitors that snagged the win, a 4-3 goal extravaganza that saw the Dynamo jump up the MLS Western Conference standings to be within a single point behind the Whitecaps.
The Whitecaps looked good early on. They were dictating the flow of play and getting forward with their speed down the flanks. Houston gave them space to counter as they pushed their fullbacks up high, leaving only two centre-backs to cover the three up front for Vancouver.
White had a quality opportunity in the first five minutes. Excellent build-up between Fafa Picault, Sebastian Berhalter and Ryan Gauld on the left pulled Houston defenders out of position. Gaud found White in the 18-yard box, but his shot was just wide of the near post as he was closed down quickly by the far defender.
Berhalter had a half-chance a minute later, but it only required a simple save from Steve Clark.
But as the match progressed through the first half, Houston grew into it. The visitors took advantage of some defensive confusion from the Whitecaps in their 18-yard box, scoring in the 29th minute. Coco Carrasquilla received the ball and released quickly, taking a strong deflection off Ranko Veselinovic.
Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini said they “didn’t play well” in the first half.
“We fell in the trap of their way of playing,” he added. “It was too easy for them to break our midfield.”
Houston continued to push forward, putting the Whitecaps on their heels. In the 36th minute, the Dynamo’s Griffin Dorsey took advantage of a rare Andres Cubas mistake. Having all the time in the world, the visiting defender teed up the shot and hit it across to the far post, forcing Takaoka to dive in his attempt to parry it. But it was simply too far.
The second half saw a resurgent Whitecaps. Ryan Raposo’s deep cross found Fafa in the 48th minute. A header from a yard out was enough to cut the Dynamo’s lead in half.
The Whitecaps did not stop with one. In the 54th minute. Berhalter’s free kick crosses oceans to find Fafa out wide right. The Haitian national put it up for Veselinovic in the 6-yard box, and the centre-back’s header got past Clark to tie the match with over a half-hour left to go.
The home side completed the comeback in the 66th minute. Fafa got the brace was an excellent cross from Sam Adekugbe, who had just come on as a sub.
And with the lead, the Whitecaps stopped playing. And they were punished for it.
Houston took advantage of a few players arguing a potential penalty. They hoofed the ball quickly down the pitch. Brad Smith’s long shot was high and past Takaoka, finding the far corner in the 78th minute.
Of the non-penalty call, Sartini said, “It affects the rhythm of the game.”
They regained the lead in the 87th minute. The Whitecaps, unable to clear the 18-yard box, only got the ball to its edge where Dorsey was waiting. The Houston defender’s brace late in the game sealed it up and gave the Dynamo their first win at BC Place.
Goals galore between Whitecaps and Dynamo
The seven goals in this match tied the St. Louis match from June 29 for the most goals in a game this season. But it is not the most between these two teams.
In the last three matches between the Whitecaps and Dynamo, 20 goals have been scored (6-2 win on 31 May 2023, 4-1 loss on 20 Sept 2023, 4-3 loss tonight).
“I think Houston is the team that creates for us [the] most problems when they have the ball,” Sartini said. “I think it’s the team that are the hardest for us to counter for their characteristics and the way they play and the way we play.”
The Whitecaps will get a chance for revenge. The away match to Houston is in mid-September.
“When we go there, we’ll take the lessons of today. The lesson is that probably we need to defend with a much dense[r] midfield in terms of numbers like we did in the second half. And in this way, we can be aggressive and cover at the same time.”
Gauld’s participation in All-Star game questionable
Gauld went down injured in the first half. He tried to continue but was subbed off in favour of Raposo a few minutes later.
On Gauld, Sartini said it was, “My fault.”
“He wants to play, and I thought he could. So probably would have been better not to start him. He has a little problem with the knee. It doesn’t feel very well. We’ll see. Actually, we have the break. I don’t know how this thing will affect his participation in the All-Star game, to be honest.
An issue with Gauld’s left knee had been reported a few weeks ago.
“He took a lot of hits. Against St. Louis. In Minnesota. In Montreal. He’s a very good play so he gets hit a lot, unfortunately,” Sartini said.
Up next
The Whitecaps enter a break in the MLS regular season and all teams get set for participation in the Leagues Cup. Before that, they will play Wrexham A.F.C. of England’s League One.
That match takes place on July 27. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
