Whitecaps Rally, but Dynamo Rally Back to Win

Photo: Gerrit te Hennepe

Vancouver Whitecaps 3-4 Houston Dynamo

VANCOUVER, BC–Vancouver Whitecaps went down two goals in the first half, they then got three goals in 18 minutes to go up 3-2, but then give up two goals in the final 15 minutes to fall 4-3 to the Houston Dynamo at BC Place. The loss drops Vancouver to fifth in the Western Conference while the Dynamo move up to sixth over Seattle and Portland who both lost on Saturday to the Los Angeles sides.

Carlos Carrasquilla got the scoring opened in the 28th minute after his shot deflected off Ranko Veselinovic and past Yohei Takaoka to give Houston the lead. Houston doubled the lead eight minutes later as Griffin Dorsey curled a shot into the upper 90 from outside the area.

The Whitecaps started their comeback in the 48th minute as Fafa Picault headed in a cross from Ryan Raposo which took a slight deflection to pull one back. Scores were level six minutes later as Brian White would head in Picault’s cross. Picault would get his second of the night connecting on a low cross from Sam Adekugbe in the 66th minute to put the hosts ahead, 3-2.

Houston replied in the 78th minute as Brad Smith unleashed a rocket into the upper 90 to level the match at 3-3. Houston then took the lead for good in the 87th minute as Griffin Dorsey once again scored from just inside the area. Those were Dorsey’s first two goals of the season and first goals since 2022 in league play. He had scored just three prior in his previous 78 regular season games with the Dynamo.

The Whitecaps enter Leagues Cup play at LAFC on Tuesday, July 30th at 7:30pm PT (Apple TV). Houston opens at home next Saturday against Liga MX side Atlas at 7pm CT (Apple TV).

For more of Gerrit te Hennepe’s photos from the night at BC Place, please click on the link to his gallery.