<i>Match report and post game reaction from Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 home win over Houston Dynamo. With the thoughts of Carl Robinson and Andy O'Brien.</i>
While it was closer on the scoreboard, the Vancouver Whitecaps remained undefeated this season with a 2-1 win over the Houston Dynamo. Kenny Miller scored his third of the season from the spot in the second half after Jordan Harvey opened up his account in the first.
The winner came just before the hour mark when Miller had to redo a penalty kick to put the Caps up by two goals. It was Darren Mattocks who earned the penalty after his run into the box was stopped by Kofi Sarkodie when he went to the ground and handled the ball.
The home side would strike first in the 14th minute after an initial set piece failed to generate a scoring chance. Matias Laba sent the ball back to Pedro Morales who one timed a cross into the box where Andy O’Brien directed the ball into the path of Harvey and the defender beat Tally Hall to put the Caps ahead.
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With fifteen minutes to go in the match the visitors pulled within one when Ricardo Clark headed home a Brad Davis free kick. Unfortunately for them the Caps would not allow them anymore significant scoring chances for the remainder of the match.
In his first start at home, Vancouver’s designated player Pedro Morales, displayed more of the skill that wowed fans in the opening match against the Red Bulls. Despite only picking up a second assist there was no doubt that the Chilean midfielder was the best player on the pitch.
It was clearly a physical but fairly clean match as the Dynamo attempted to use strengths to wear down the smaller Caps. They were strengths that Andy O'Brien knew about going into the match but felt that the Caps dealt with well.
"I've watched the first two games that they've played and they're a great combination up front and the wide players they've got but I thought we nullified the ball getting to them too much and that's credit to the boys up front, as that's credit to the first line of defence and the boys in midfield."
With the win Carl Robinson has started his coaching career undefeated in four games with two wins and two draws and he was understandably happy with his first month in charge.
"It's been interesting, it really has. It's not always going to be like this, and I know that, so I'm going to take it in my stride. I'm sure I'll have tough times here and I'm sure I'm going to be sitting here after a defeat trying to be positive and things like that.
"I won't change the way I am, but most importantly I'll back those boys in there week in, week out if they play like that."
The Whitecaps will remain at home and attempt to remain undefeated as they return to B.C. Place to play the Colorado Rapids next Saturday.
Vancouver Whitecaps
David Ousted; Steven Beitashour, Andy O'Brien, Jay DeMerit, Jordan Harvey; Gershon Koffie (Kekuta Manneh 76 min), Matías Laba, Pedro Morales (Nicolás Mezquida 87 min), Russell Teibert; Darren Mattocks (Sebastián Fernández 65 min), Kenny Miller
Substitutes not used
Paolo Tornaghi, Johnny Leverón, Erik Hurtado, Bryce Alderson
Houston Dynamo
Tally Hall; Kofi Sarkodie, David Horst, Jermaine Taylor (Brian Ownby 77 min), Corey Ashe; Andrew Driver (Mark Sherrod 86 min), Ricardo Clark, Brad Davis, Boniek Garcia (Omar Cummings 71 min); Giles Barnes, Will Bruin
Substitutes not used
Tyler Deric, Warren Creavalle, A.J. Cochran, Servando Carrasco
Scoring
14’ – VAN – Jordan Harvey (Andy O'Brien, Pedro Morales)
58' – VAN – Kenny Miller (penalty kick)
75' – HOU – Ricardo Clark (Brad Davis)
Match Stats
Shots: Vancouver 13 – Houston 13
Shots on Goal: Vancouver 5 – Houston 5
Saves: Vancouver 4 – Houston 3
Fouls: Vancouver 10 – Houston 15
Offsides: Vancouver 1 – Houston 2
Corners: Vancouver 2 – Houston 9
Cautions
None
<b><u>More Reaction:</u></b>
<b>Carl Robinson on the game and the win:</b>
"I think we played very well. We got the result we deserved but showed a lot of heart and character in the performance."
<b>Carl Robinson on remaining unbeaten:</b>
"It's confidence for the boys in there. Like I said, I'll back them every single day of the week as long as they give me that effort and determination they showed today, especially in that last half an hour."
<b>Carl Robinson on what needs to improve:</b>
"Full credit to Houston. After about 30 minutes they decided to start press us and make us kick it. We'll go back to the drawing board on certain things, because I want to try and build from the back.
"We've got a little team, a small team in terms of the physicality compared to Houston so we'll analyze that, we'll work on it, we'll continue to build."
<b>Carl Robinson on the Ricardo Clark goal they conceded:</b>
"I was frustrated. I don't like conceding goals. I love scoring goals, but I don't like conceding goals! But I'm not as disappointed today, as I was against New York. The New York game was put to bed. We were in the last 15 minutes of the game when we were 4-0 up and I was disappointed we conceded that. I'm not today because I know that Houston are a very good set piece team and I knew that they would probably cause us trouble on set pieces. But to concede one goal on a set piece, it's not ideal, no, but the effort and determination. We must have defended corner, after corner, after free kick, so that's a positive I'm going to take out of that."
<b>Carl Robinson on response to conceding the goal:</b>
"We conceded, and we're going to concede goals, but it's about how you bounce back. We didn't look under any pressure. They put giant after giant on, and they're a big physical team. They were putting bigger players on and I was putting smaller players on. I had to speak to Perty and say are we doing the right thing here, but I thought we could catch them on the counter. It was the right decision because we won the game."
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