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Last season, the Houston Dynamo were nearly invincible at the confines of BBVA Compass Stadium having only lost once with that loss coming near the end of the season.
This season, however, things have started off differently for Houston.
In only the second game of the season, Houston suffered its first home defeat of the season as the Vancouver Whitecaps handed the Dynamo a 2-1 loss in front of 16,082 fans at BBVA Compass Stadium.
The win is Vancouver’s first in Houston and the first for either side as a visiting team in the series.
Saturday’s matchup between the Dynamo and Whitecaps featured two teams that love to hit on the counter, which meant one team had to come out and play on the front foot.
Being the home team, the Dynamo took on that responsibility.
Houston took the reins of the game early and in the first 20 minutes had seven shots, with four being on target. Whitecaps ‘keeper Stefan Marinovic, who ended the game with six saves, played a big role in keeping the game level.
But for all the control Houston had in the game it had nothing to show for it.
“The game plan was very good. We created very good chances at the beginning of the game but we didn’t put the ball in the net,” head coach Wilmer Cabrera said. “And when you don’t punish your opponent then you give the chance to [the other team] to do what they did.”
The Dynamo’s failure to capitalize on its chances came back to bite them as Vancouver struck first in the 28th minute.
Kei Kamara notches his 100th goal
Major League Soccer journeyman, and former Dynamo, Kei Kamara earned a penalty kick for the Whitecaps. Kamara, whose in his first season with Vancouver, made a run into the box and received a nudge in the back from Dynamo defender Philippe Senderos as a cross was played in. The Vancouver forward hit the ground and referee Ted Unkel pointed to the spot.
Kamara stepped up to the spot and blasted it past Dynamo ‘keeper Chris Seitz, who guessed the right direction but couldn’t get a hand on the shot. The goal was Kamara’s 100th in MLS and his second for the Whitecaps. The goal also came in Kamara’s 300th MLS game.
“It’s an honor to be playing for the Whitecaps and reaching this milestone for this club,” Kamara said. “Not just that, but playing against one of the teams that I used to play for [in] the Dynamo and being able to get three points tonight.”
The Sierra Leone international has played with Sporting KC (38 goals), Columbus Crew (32), New England Revolution (19), San Jose Earthquakes (2) and the Dynamo (7). According to Paul Carr of ESPN, Kamara is the 10th MLS player to cross the century mark in goals and the first one born outside CONCACAF/CONMEBOL to do so.
Dynamo silver lining
Houston would answer back in the 39th minute through a good spell of possession.
The ball came to Eric Alexander who played a quick pass to Tomás Martinez in the box. Martinez toyed with the Whitecaps defense before playing a pass to the right wing. Beasley jumped over the ball to let Elis receive it. ‘La Pantera’ settled the ball down before cutting it on his right foot and blasting it past Vancouver ‘keeper Stefan Marinovic for his first goal of the season.
Despite the loss, the goal is a silver-lining for the Orange as it came through possession and passing sequences, and not on the counter as has been customary for Houston. It’s something Cabrera made note of after the game.
Cabrera said that Houston wants to move the ball better when attacking, especially as more teams will sit back on them, much like Vancouver did tonight.
“We have to be able to build the game and we were playing well,” Cabrera said of tonight’s game. But that final product has to be more effective. Because that effort, if you don’t capitalize, then you get exposed in the back where there will be a lot of space.”
Whitecaps grab the game winner
Being exposed in the back is how Vancouver notched the game-winner early in the second half through a counterattack.
First-half substitute Brek Shea, a Texas native, used his speed to sprint past Dynamo centerback Adolfo Machado to run onto a flicked Kamara pass in the 49th minute. The pass put Shea in a 1v1 situation against Seitz. Shea slotted his shot past the Dynamo keeper, giving the Whitecaps the 2-1 lead and the eventual win.
Cabrera said the Whitecaps second goal was a result of his side not starting the second half the right way and not being able to win second balls.
In the end, Cabrera says Houston was not sharp enough with its scoring opportunities especially compared to last week’s 4-0 victory against Atlanta.
“The options that we had, they were clear options and we weren’t even putting them on frame,” Cabrera said.
Houston’s loss puts them at 1-0-1 while Vancouver remains undefeated at 2-0-0.
The Orange will try to get back on the winning train next week as they travel to Maryland to take on D.C. United.