Playoffs hope start to vanish after another Houston home loss
Houston Dynamo FC hosted the Vancouver Whitecaps for
Matchday 23 of the 2025
MLS regular season. The Dynamo opens a three-match homestand
against a Canadian
side that holds the third place in the Western Conference
standings with 38 points (11-5-
5). Ben Olsen’s team sits one spot below the last
playoff-qualifying seed and was in
desperate need of securing three points towards their fight
for an MLS Cup run. The
Dynamo (7-10-5) entered the midweek clash with a total of 26
points.
Half-Price Beer Night at Shell Energy Stadium began with
great madness and speed
from the away team. The Canadian side, coached by Jesper
Sørensen, outnumbered
the home side in various attacks down the wings, leading to
an early goal that wasn’t
well received by the home crowd. A cross from right winger
Edier Ocampo allowed
Mathias Laborda to head the ball towards Jonathan Bond’s
goal; however, the
deflection from the Houston Dynamo goalkeeper allowed winger
Emmanuel Sabbi to
strike the ball with his left foot and place Vancouver ahead
on the scoreboard only three
minutes into the match.
Although Houston pushed forward and intended to control the
tempo of the game,
Vancouver’s superiority and tactical domination persisted
throughout a first half that
would see an additional change to the score. A deflected
shot by Sebastian Berhalter
from outside the 18-yard box defeated Jonathan Bond once
again to provide a two-goal
cushion three minutes before the end of the first 45 minutes
of the match.
Ben Olsen jumped back into the action without completing any
substitutions at the start
of a second half that sealed a frustrating night for the
Houston Dynamo. Brazilian right
back Felipe Andrade committed a penalty in the 55th minute
that was translated into a
goal by Brian White after Bond initially saved the first
attempt from the spot. The
Vancouver striker scored his 99th goal for the club and
takes his tally to 11 goals in the
regular season.
The 3-0 Vancouver win marks Houston’s seventh loss of the
season and ends a three-
game unbeaten streak against the ‘Caps under Ben Olsen.
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