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MLS Houston Dynamo FC

Houston Dynamo FC Explode with Four Goals to Defeat Vancouver Whitecaps FC on the Road

July 21, 2024 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Houston Dynamo FC News Release


VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Houston Dynamo FC earned their first victory at BC Place in explosive style, defeating Vancouver Whitecaps FC 4-3 tonight. With the result, the Dynamo have only lost once in their last 10 matches, while finding the back of the net 22 times over that stretch.

The Dynamo scored their fourth goal and match winner in the 87th minute when the ball fell to Griffin Dorsey after bouncing around the box, and the defender put his boot through the ball for this second goal of the night and the season.

Houston took the lead in the 29th minute when forward Aliyu Ibrahim put a ball into the box from the left side to midfielder Adalberto Coco Carrasquilla, who controlled and put a strike on the ball that deflected into the back of the net. The play marked Carrasquilla's second goal of the season and Ibrahim's fourth assist.

Houston doubled its lead in the 36th minute when Dorsey curled a ball inside the far post with his left foot from the edge of the penalty box. The goal marked the American's first of the season.

Vancouver pulled a goal back in the 48th minute, when a cross from the left side deflected and found the head of Fafa Picault from point blank range.

The Whitecaps equalized the score at two goals apiece in the 54th minute when a set piece found Picault at the far edge of the box, who then delivered the ball into the middle of the box to the head of Ranko Veselinovic.

Vancouver took the lead in the 66th minute when Sam Adekugbe received a ball down the left side and crossed the ball across the face of goal to meet Ficault for his second goal of the match.

The Dynamo netted the equalizer in the 78th minute when defender Brad Smith took the ball on a Houston break and fired a shot across goal into the top corner that did not give goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka a chance at a save. The play marked the Australian's second goal of the season, while forward Sebas Ferreira recorded his third assist of the season on the play.

Notably, forward Ezequiel Ponce made his Dynamo debut in Vancouver tonight after Houston signed him on a club-record transfer fee from AEK Athen in Greece last month. The 27-year-old Argentinian earned a place in the starting lineup and played the first half of the match.

Goalkeeper Steve Clark was called into action in the fifth minute when Vancouver's Sebastian Berhalter got to a loose ball in the box and fired a shot, but the veteran shot stopper went down to his right to meet the ball for his first of three saves on the night.

Clark was called into action again when Pedro Vite took his chances from outside of the box in the 16th minute, but the goalkeeper tracked the attempt the entire way to quell the danger.

Clark stepped up again in the 39th minute to make a full stretch save to his left when Picault tried to curl a ball around the goalkeeper inside the box.

Houston kicks off Leagues Cup play next week, hosting LIGA MX side Atlas FC on July 27 and MLS side Real Salt Lake on August 5 in Group Stage play.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC (11 -8-5, 38 pts.) 3-4 Houston Dynamo FC (10-7-7, 37 pts.)

MLS Regular Season - Game 23

BC Place - Vancouver, British Columbia

SCORING SUMMARY

TEAM

1H

2H

FT

Vancouver Whitecaps FC

0

3

3

Houston Dynamo FC

2

2

4

HOU: Coco Carrasquilla 2 (Ibrahim Aliyu 4) 29'

HOU: Griffin Dorsey 1 (unassisted) 36'

VAN: Fafa Picault 7 (unassisted) 48'

VAN: Ranko Veselinovic 2 (Fafa Picault 4) 54'

VAN: Fafa Picault 8 (Sam Adekugbe 2) 66'

HOU: Brad Smith 2 (Sebas Ferreira 3) 78'

HOU: Griffin Dorsey 2 (unassisted) 87'

Vancouver Whitecaps FC: Yohei Takaoka; Luís Martins (Alessandro Schopf 46'), Ranko Veselinovic, Bjørn Utvik, Sebastian Berhalter (Damir Kreilach 90'); Andrés Cubas (Sam Adekugbe 60'), Pedro Vite (Levonte Johnson 90'), Ali Ahmed; Fafá Picault, Brian White, Ryan Gauld (Ryan Raposo 30')

Unused substitutes: Belal Halbouni, Ralph-Priso Mbongue, Giuseppe Bovalina, Issac Boehmer

Total shots: 14 (Fafa Picault 4); Shots on goal: 6 (Fafa Picault 3); Fouls: 7 (Andres Cubas 2); Offside: 0; Corner kicks: 4; Saves: 3 (Yohei Takaoka)

Houston Dynamo FC: Steve Clark; Franco Escobar, Micael, Erik Sviatchenko, Griffin Dorsey (Daniel Steres 94'); Artur, Héctor Herrera, Adalberto Carrasquilla (Latif Blessing 83'); Ibrahim Aliyu (Brad Smith 67'), Ezequiel Ponce (Sebastian Ferreira 46'), Amine Bassi (Sebastian Kowalczyk 67')

Unused substitutes: Ethan Bartlow, Andrew Tarbell, McKinze Gaines, Jan Gregus

Total shots: 18 (Amine Bassi 5); Shots on goal: 7 (Griffin Dorsey 3); Fouls: 16 (Ezequiel Ponce and Hector Herrera tied with 3); Offside: 2 (Ibrahim Aliyu and Ezequiel Ponce tied with 1); Corner kicks: 1; Saves: 3 (Steve Clark)

DISCIPLINE:

HOU: Artur (caution; foul) 20'

VAN: Andrés Cubas (caution; foul) 45+3'

HOU: Franco Escobar (dissent) 76'

VAN: Ranko Veselinovic (dissent) 79'

HOU: Brad Smith (caution; foul) 93'

OFFICIALS:

Referee: Fotis Bazakos

Assistant: Jason White

Assistant: Gerard-Kader Lebuis

Fourth Official: Alain Ruch

VAR: Younes Marrakchi

Weather: 80 degrees, clear skies

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Major League Soccer Stories from July 21, 2024


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