A stunning magnificent free-kick late in the second half from Christian Techera was just enough for the Vancouver Whitecaps to settle for a point at home against one of the league's top clubs last weekend. Elsewhere, in the Western Conference, Colorado Rapids came from behind to Edge past Portland Timbers 2-1. It was Rapids' third straight Major League Soccer victory and fourth consecutive wins at home.
Vancouver Whitecaps 1, FC Dallas 1
Maxi Urruti got the opener just eight minutes into the second-half. The goal came through a fantastic solo play from the midfield, as Maxi Urruti “darted” through several Caps defenders.
The defense simply never got hold of him, giving the striker more than enough room to slot past Vancouver goalkeeper David Ousted to put Dallas ahead. Just sixteen minutes remaining to the end of the encounter, Christian Techera fired home the equalizer for the hosts. On a free-kick from 26 yards, the Uruguayan forward slammed a shot past Dallas goalie Jesse Gonzalez, who was left vulnerable as the ball rolled into the net, to earn the home team a vital point at home.
However, It was an encounter that FC Dallas will certainly feel hard-done. Despite equal possessions' statistics, the Texan team apparently outshot Vancouver Whitecaps 17–5, however, the visitors could only put five of those seventeen shots on target.
Vancouver Whitecaps will now kick-off a quick two road games next week, one against expansion team Minnesota United, while FCD visits in-state arch-rival Houston Dynamo next week.
Colorado Rapids 2, Portland Timbers 1
Both teams traded quality chances in front of goal in the opening forty-five minutes, but it was the visiting Portland Timbers that opened the scoring thanks to a Sebastian Blanco's fine finish in the seventeenth minute.
The Timbers winger cut inside to displaced his marker and slammed a right-footed volley into the upper roof of the net to put the visitors ahead. Afterward, the Portland Timbers' fluid attacking midfield apparently gained most of the possessions for the remainder of the first half but didn't create many goal-bound chances. Throughout the second half, the Rapids firmly dominated possession.
They leveled up the scoreline in the fifty-first minute when Dominique Badji got free along the left flank after receiving a brilliant through ball from playmaker Doyle and hurriedly chipped the ball over Timbers goalie Jake Gleeson into the back of the net making it 1-1. After tying up the scoreline, the home team continued to pile up pressures and created several goal chances. However, it was Mohamed Saeid that eventually found the winner for Colorado Rapids in the eighty-ninth minute to seal the victory in front of the Rapids' home crowd.
