Guilherme scored in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage to give the host Houston Dynamo a stunning 1-0 victory over the high-flying Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night.
Guilherme had some operating room and took a few dribbles before slamming a right-footed shot that ricocheted off Whitecaps star Brian White and bounced past backup goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer.
The Dynamo (7-6-0, 21 points) won for the fifth time in their past seven MLS matches. Jonathan Bond made three saves for Houston.
Vancouver (9-2-2, 29 points) had a seven-match MLS unbeaten streak (5-0-2) snapped.
Houston received a break when Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka received a red card in the 64th minute to leave his club playing a man short the rest of regulation and for eight stoppage-time minutes. Boehmer replaced him for just his fifth MLS appearance in six seasons with Vancouver.
Earlier, the match was delayed for 12 minutes in the first half after Houston’s Diadie Samassekou collided in the air with Vancouver’s Sebastian Berhalter while competing for the ball after a Whitecaps’ corner kick.
Samassekou fell to the ground awkwardly and players from both sides immediately showed great concern. He was eventually taken off via ambulance and taken to a nearby hospital. The game broadcast received information from the Dynamo saying that Samassekou was alert while being taken away from the scene.
The match was played tightly until Houston’s Augustin Resch delivered a long pass down the left side in the 64th minute with teammate Mateusz Bogusz sailing along unmarked. Takaoka ran all the way over to his right and took down Bogusz with a slide just outside the box.
Boehmer (two saves) replaced Takaoka (four saves), and Houston stepped up the pressure since it boasted the man advantage.
Bogusz had a chance in the 70th minute but Boehmer made the save. The rebound went directly to Ezequiel Ponce and he kicked it into the net. However, Bogusz was flagged for being offside and the goal was negated.
Guilherme broke in free in the 72nd minute and Boehmer came out to cut off the angle, leading to Guilherme kicking the ball wide right of the net.
Vancouver had a big chance in the first half-minute of the match but Edier Ocampo’s bouncing shot hit the left goalpost.
The Whitecaps looked to have taken the lead in the 17th minute when Berhalter’s shot bounced off White en route to ending up in the net. But White was ruled offside and the goal was disallowed.
In the 39th minute, Guilherme had a solid opportunity but his right-footer shot was saved by a diving Takaoka.
–Field Level Media
