Dynamo 4, Whitecaps 1: All good issues should come to an finish

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It was a foul evening throughout for the Vancouver Whitecaps. Unhealthy luck, dangerous defending and a foul end result.

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However, within the massive image, it’s not all dangerous.

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Sure, the Caps fell 4-1 to the Houston Dynamo Wednesday evening at Shell Vitality Stadium, and sure, their quest for a top-four end within the West has been placed on maintain for now.

Vancouver had come into the sport on a four-game away unbeaten streak, and only one loss of their final seven league video games. Nevertheless it was unrealistic to assume the nice instances would roll indefinitely, even when it felt that means.

The Dynamo (12-10-7) have been on a six-game unbeaten run of their very own, and personal one of the best dwelling report within the West, with simply two losses in 15 video games. Houston has been an inhospitable place for the Caps (11-9-8), who’ve received simply as soon as in 11 tries in Houston — and it was 5 years in the past.

The second-highest-scoring group within the West was throttled by Houston, the stress the Caps often inflict on opponents absent or simply absorbed. Head coach Vanni Sartini mentioned there was some gathered fatigue in his gamers’ legs, though they’ve performed only one earlier sport since getting back from a two-week worldwide break.

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Does it excuse the loss? No. Two of the targets got here off Charmin-soft defending, and a few often impactful Whitecaps have been all however invisible. The Dynamo went up on Vancouver early and by no means let off the gasoline, whereas the Caps appeared to have little within the tank from the beginning.

“After 12,13 video games that we have been taking part in good, we had a foul sport offensively. We had a extremely dangerous sport by way of shifting offensively,” mentioned Sartini. “If we need to take out factor from this sport, it’s wake-up name.

“We’ve been in a form of heaven from the previous few weeks. Profitable away, and earlier than successful away, we received the sport at B.C. Place and we did an excellent Leagues Cup. So we have been on a ‘quote-unquote’ roll. It’s good to grasp that if we’re not one of the best model of ourselves, it’s laborious to make factors.”

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Right here’s what we realized …

THE BAD

A really questionable foul name towards Richie Laryea 12 minutes in gave the Dynamo a free kick simply outdoors the highest left nook of the field. Houston’s Héctor Herrera took the kick, his dipping effort deflecting off of Brian White’s head previous a wrong-footed Yohei Takaoka. A foul name by referee Fotis Bazakos put Vancouver underneath the cosh.

Houston’s Griffin Dorsey potted the second for the house facet, profiting from Tristan Blackmon’s unwillingness to problem him within the field to twist one prime nook previous Takaoka simply moments earlier than halftime. The Caps’ keeper made his displeasure over the lax defending often known as the ball was plucked out of the online.

The third objective noticed Iván Franco dash unchallenged and unchecked from midfield between Pedro Vite and Laryea to place the sport to mattress within the 73rd minute, tucking dwelling Brad Smith’s cross with a diving header.

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Brooklyn Raines added a fourth within the 86th minute, the primary time this season the Caps have conceded 4 targets.

UNLUCKY 13

The Dynamo lead the league in clear sheets with 12, however the Caps put one previous Steve Clark within the ninetieth minute. It appeared Sebastian Berhalter had gotten a contact for his second objective of the season, but it surely was formally credited as an personal objective to Erik Sviatchenko.

BY THE NUMBERS

11: Photographs by Vancouver, to Houston’s six — although the Dynamo put 5 of them on objective.

12: Touches by Vancouver’s main scorer, Brian White, in his 67 minutes on the sector. He had 9 on the half. It was indictment of how the Caps couldn’t construct up in any respect, nor discover him with any respectable service. He did put one free header large, a contact he’d positively need again.

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2: Variety of passes extra by Vancouver than Houston (416-414), in a bodily and evenly possessed contest.

45: Minutes for Junior Hoilett in his Whitecaps debut. He got here on after halftime for Ryan Raposo, and had a shot and a team-high three key passes in his 20 touches. The Canadian worldwide additionally put within the cross that was turned in for a Dynamo personal objective.

“I believe he was OK,” mentioned Sartini. “He was discovering house … and naturally he’s nonetheless lacking that punch to make these sprints, these bursts which might be his traditional trademark. It’s essential that he performed 45 minutes. Then you may add 45 minutes in his sport load and be readier to assist ranging from Saturday.”

NEXT GAME

The Whitecaps will keep in Houston for the following two days in preparation for Saturday’s date with Actual Salt Lake. That sport can be an important one within the tight west, with RSL only a single level behind Vancouver, having missed an opportunity to leap previous the Caps after they misplaced 3-1 to FC Dallas Wednesday.

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