Vancouver, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC returned to the win column on Sunday at BC Place with a big boost from Darren Mattocks, who scored a pair of goals in a 3-1 win over the Houston Dynamo.
The Whitecaps had earned two points from their last three games, but Mattocks got the hosts off to a flying start when he scored inside four minutes.
Mattocks doubled the advantage in the 66th minute against the run of play before Macoumba Kandji pulled a goal back for the Dynamo seven minutes from time.
But just as Houston looked to make things interesting over the final five minutes, Jordan Harvey netted his first goal of the season for Vancouver to seal the win, snapping the Dynamo's four-game unbeaten streak.
Mattocks entered the day with one goal on the season, but he doubled his total in the fourth minute by finding the upper corner of the net with a volley from Lee Young-Pyo's cross.
Houston was having trouble containing Mattocks, but after Dynamo goalkeeper Tally Hall made a nice save to deny the Vancouver striker his second goal, the visitors began to take control of the game.
Brian Ching went close with a long-range effort after a bad clearance from goalkeeper Joe Cannon, while Cannon had to be alert to keep out Bobby Boswell's shot just before the break.
Houston was clearly on top as the game moved toward the hour mark, but Mattocks struck against the run of play to make it 2-0 after a well-weighted through ball from Gershon Koffie.
Houston rookie Brian Ownby came off the bench in the second half to make his MLS debut, and he set up Kandji's goal in the 83rd minute to give the Dynamo life.
But Harvey snuffed out any hope of a comeback for Houston when he scored from a tight angle in the 88th minute to give the Whitecaps their first win in a month.
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