Griffin Dorsey couldn't believe his goals in the Houston Dynamo's wild 4-3 win at the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night.
The 25-year-old fullback looked stunned after his curling strike from the top of the box eluded goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka in the 36th minute. His shock – and sliding celebration – was similar when he netted the winning tally three minutes from time with another smashing strike.
"That was just a wild game; we had a very good first half, a poor start to the second half. They brought a lot of energy and capitalized on service and set pieces, and they're just so dangerous," head coach Ben Olsen said after his team had blown a 2-0 lead, but fought back to win 4-3.
"A lot of times, you can't come back from being down 3-2 like we were, especially in an away building after you were leading 2-0. That's a hard thing to do, but they found a way, so I don't know whether to smack them or hug them right now."
Dorsey wasn't supposed to be the story of the day, though, and neither was a back-and-forth scoreline that swayed far away from Houston's defensive identity. Yet, it was his strikes, accompanied by a blistering effort from Brad Smith and a lucky opening deflection for a Coco Carasquilla marker, that earned them all three points for the first time at BC Place.
"That's an easy one to fold in when you're losing 3-2, and this is a tough place to come; it always seems like it's high scoring," Olsen added, given the Dynamo dropped a 6-2 result in Vancouver in 2023. "To beat that team, you almost have to outscore them. That wasn't the plan to make it 4-3, but they're going to score goals."
With seven goals in Saturday night's matchup, the 'Caps and Houston have scored 20 in their last three meetings, a mark only hit once before in a three-game span in MLS: in 2020 between the Portland Timbers and LA Galaxy. The win also vaults the Dynamo to sixth in the Western Conference, one point behind the Whitecaps.
Ponce's impressive debut
While he didn't find his way onto the scoresheet, Houston's newest Designated Player impressed in his MLS debut on Saturday, as Ezequiel Ponce started and played the first 45 minutes for his new side.
"I thought he was great. His pressing is really good, and I think you can see some of the defensive side that really helped us tonight in that first half," Olsen said of the Argentine striker. "Now we just have to build relationships, and they have to figure out where he wants the ball and where his runs are, and can we get him earlier service?"
The 27-year-old, who joined the Dynamo from Greek side AEK Athens on a club-record transfer fee, became eligible to play on July 18 and will get a chance to settle in with the group through the Leagues Cup campaign before returning to MLS play on August 24 against Toronto FC.
"He's just got really good habits, and he's just a high-quality striker," said Olsen. "I know he's going to do well with those when he does, but overall, a nice first stint for him."
As for the rest of the Dynamo, it might take a minute to process was happened in Vancouver. Outchanced, outplayed, and trailed 3.8 to 1.4 on the expected goals, they did what they needed to, and will turn their heads to a Leagues Cup group alongside Real Salt Lake and Liga MX's Atlas.
"It was a long week. We've been away, and the guys are gassed. They're pumped, but we want to get home and take a day or two off and recharge, and then we'll focus on Atlas," said Olsen. "The Leagues Cup is important to us. We're going to go after it like we do every other tournament and every other game."
