Elloumi disallowed strike leaves Houston with narrow win
Houston Dynamo edged past Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0 at BC Place in the MLS Regular Season on 20 August. The result keeps the visitors in second place, one point behind the hosts who lead the table with 43 points from 21 games.
Franco Negri opened the scoring in the 34th minute with a goal that stood. The Whitecaps pushed for an equaliser, and R. Elloumi thought he had restored parity in the 64th minute, only for the goal to be cancelled by VAR. The hosts finished strongly with several substitutions, bringing on T. Johnson and E. Ocampo in the 88th minute.
Vancouver dominated the match without taking full advantage. They completed 582 passes against 355 for Houston, with 64 per cent possession. The hosts registered 169 attacks and created two big chances, but their shots accuracy was just six per cent — one shot on target from ten attempts. Houston, by contrast, hit five shots on target from six attempts, with a 56 per cent accuracy rate.
The visitors made fewer passes but moved the ball effectively. They attempted 50 long passes compared to 33 for the hosts, with 16 successful. Houston also completed 25 dribbles against 17 for Vancouver, and their 53 clearances showed how much work they had to do defending. The hosts made 46 crosses, winning 8, while Houston managed just four attempts with none landing.
Vancouver remain top of the table after their recent run of results, including a 2-0 win over Seattle Sounders on 17 August. Houston sit second with 39 points from 22 games, having won five of their last six matches. Both sides collected yellow cards, with Vancouver's Adrian Cubas and Houston's Agustín Resch and Agustín Bouzat cautioned during the contest.