HOUSTON (Saturday, May 22, 2021)
– Houston Dynamo FC remained unbeaten at BBVA Stadium this season with a 2-1 win over Vancouver Whitecaps FC this evening. Both Dynamo goals came in the first half and were enough to see the home side clear to victory.
The Dynamo struck first when midfielder Memo Rodriguez found the back of the net off of a rebound in the eighth minute. Forward Fafa Picault keyed the attack for the Dynamo, streaking down the left flank before sending in a well-hit centering ball. Vancouver goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau dove to push the ball away, but the rebound fell to Rodriguez who put it away for his second goal of the year.
Houston doubled the lead just before intermission thanks to a brilliant volley from forward Maxi Urruti. With Rodriguez standing over the ball for a corner kick, the Argentine ghosted toward the back post. Rodriguez’s ball appeared to sail over everyone before Urruti took the ball out of the air with a right-footed side volley back across the face of goal and into the net for his third of the year.
Vancouver pulled a goal back in the 80th minute through midfielder Déiber Caicedo. After a Dynamo giveaway in the defensive third, Vancouver forward Lucas Cavallini picked up the ball at the top of the box and quickly laid it off to Caicedo inside the area to the left of goal. The Colombian cut back onto his right foot and fired a shot into the back of the net to make it 2-1.
Tonight’s match was the kickoff to Dynamo Charities Week, during which a number of the Club’s corporate partners committed to donate funds to its charitable arm based on team performance. Based on tonight’s result, GOYA Foods will donate $4,000 worth of food ($2,000 per goal) while Kroger will contribute $600 for the team’s six corner kicks and BBVA will kick in $500 thanks to goalkeeper Marko Marić’s one save, bringing the initial total to $5,100. Additional funds are also being raised through ticket sales, concessions, merchandise sales and an online auction of custom-designed player boots.
Dynamo Charities Week continues on Sunday when the Houston Dash host Kansas City NWSL at 6 p.m. CDT.
After dominating the first half, Houston had several chances to take a three-goal lead in the second half before Caicedo’s goal provided a nervy final 10 minutes.
The second half nearly started out identical to the first, with Picault sprinting down the flank and playing in for Rodriguez in the 48th minute. This time, the Houston homegrown got the outside of his right boot to the ball just inside the six-yard box, but his shot went just wide of the near post.
Rodriguez had another great chance off a free kick from 25 yards in the 53rd minute, sending his shot up and over the wall before it dipped toward goal, but he couldn’t quite get enough bend on it to sneak it under the crossbar.
Forward Ari Lassiter was inches from opening his account for this season in the 67th minute. The Costa Rican international drove down the right flank before cutting in on his favored left foot and uncorking a shot from the top of the penalty area. The shot had Crépeau beaten, but just nicked the crossbar.
In the 75th minute, it was midfielder Joe Corona’s turn to test Crépeau, winding up for a shot from distance off a counterattack. The midfielder, who has scored from outside the box several times during his decorated career, put his laces through the ball but his shot fizzed wide of the target.
The Dynamo will hit the road next weekend, visiting Sporting Kansas City for a rematch of Houston’s 1-0 win at BBVA Stadium on May 12. It will be the second of three meetings this year between the two sides, with the third and final coming on Oct. 3 in Kansas City. Saturday’s match is set for a 7:30 p.m.CDT kickoff, and it will be televised in English on QuestTexas Ch. 55 and Spanish on TeleXitos Ch. 47.2.
Houston Dynamo FC (3-2-2; 11 pts.) 2-1 Vancouver Whitecaps FC (2-4-1; 7 pts.)
MLS Regular Season – Week 6
BBVA Stadium – Houston, Texas
Attendance: 9,255
SCORING SUMMARY
TEAM
1H
2H
FT
Houston Dynamo FC
2
0
2
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
0
1
1
HOU: Memo Rodriguez 2 (unassisted) 8
HOU: Maxi Urruti 3 (Memo Rodriguez 2) 42
VAN: Déiber Caicedo 1 (Lucas Cavallini 1, Ryan Raposo 1) 80
LINEUPS:
Houston Dynamo FC: Marko Marić; Adam Lundkvist, Boniek Garcia (C), Tim Parker, Zarek Valentin; Derrick Jones, Joe Corona, Memo Rodriguez (MatÃas Vera 73); Ari Lassiter (Tyler Pasher 73), Maxi Urruti (Christian Ramirez 90+2), Fafa Picault
Unused substitutes: Michael Nelson, Jose Bizama, Maynor Figueroa, Darwin Ceren, Mateo Bajamich, Darwin Quintero
Total shots: 14 (Maxi Urruti 4); Shots on goal: 3 (Maxi Urruti 2); Fouls: 15 (Boniek GarcÃa 3); Offside: 1; Corner kicks: 6; Saves: 1
Vancouver Whitecaps: Maxime Crépeau; Javain Brown, Andy Rose, Érik Godoy, Bruno Gaspar (Theo Bair 85); Janio Bikel (Tosaint Ricketts 64), Caio Alexandre (Leonard Owusu 77); Russell Teibert (C) (Michael Baldisimo 46), Déiber Caicedo, Cristian Dájome (Ryan Raposo 64); Lucas Cavallini
Unused substitutes: Derek Cornelius, Thomas Hasal, Evan Newton, Ranko Veselinovic
Total shots: 11 (Caio Alexandre, Lucas Cavallini 3); Shots on goal: 2 (Caio Alexandre, Déiber Caicedo 1); Fouls: 10 (Caio Alexandre, Javain Brown 3); Offside: 1; Corner kicks: 6; Saves: 1
DISCIPLINE:
VAN: Lucas Cavallini (caution; foul) 21
HOU: Derrick Jones (caution; foul) 22
HOU: Joe Corona (caution; foul) 32
VAN: Janio Bikel (caution; foul) 52
VAN: Michael Baldisimo (caution; foul) 81
HOU: Boniek GarcÃa (caution; foul) 82
HOU: Fafa Picault (caution; time wasting) 88
OFFICIALS:
Referee: Dave Gantar
Assistant Referee: Frank Anderson
Assistant Referee: Matthew Nelson
Fourth Official: Rosendo Mendoza
VAR: Alejandro Mariscal
Weather: 78 degrees and scattered showers
