Third Loss under Arnaud

5 Kicks: Manotas scores but Houston Dynamo fall 2-1 at Vancouver

5 Kicks: Manotas scores but Houston Dynamo fall 2-1 at Vancouver
Courtesy of Houston Dynamo

The Houston Dynamo fell back to second-to-last place in the Western Conference after a 2-1 loss against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday night at BC Place. Mauro Manotas struck for the second consecutive match but it would not be enough as fellow Colombian Fredy Montero notched a 90th minute winner for the Caps.

Here are five observations from the match:

1) A winnable game

Despite Whitecaps FC coming into this match two weeks removed from their last MLS match, the Dynamo were looking at a possibility of picking up their first three points ever in Vancouver. The Canadians simply haven't looked great and that's a big reason why they are still the last place team in the West.

Houston had plenty of opportunities early on with Tommy McNamara missing a golden chance in just the fourth minute of play. The team ended up out-shooting the Whitecaps 18-6 throughout the entire match but they lacked the quality to punish in the final third.

For a team that has been poor on the road (Dynamo have a combined 5 away wins since 2017), this was a great opportunity to pick up a road win.

2) Hard done by a handball

The definition of a handball changed in an update to the Laws of the Game earlier this year. As a result, referees have interpreted the rule to the letter of the law because the evaluation of a "deliberate" handball has been removed.

In this case, the referee awards the penalty even after going to the video review booth. The Dynamo were on the other side of a VAR decision on Wednesday when a Minnesota goal was annulled after video review.

Ultimately, the Dynamo could've avoided the entire controversy by putting their chances away and putting this match out of reach.

3) Manotas scores again

There's not much more that can be said about Dynamo leading scorer Mauro Manotas. Once again, he was well positioned to jump on an opportunistic chance to score. The improvement to his game can only come as he evolves into a scorer that can create his own chances more consistently. Other than that, he's been one of the Dynamo's top players for the past few years.

4) Late goal defeat

Fredy Montero, one of the better scorers in the history of the league, was on a goal drought since June. He ended that drought with a 90th minute winner, taking advantage of a Jose Bizama who put out his worst performance in a Dynamo jersey.

Late goal defeats are probably up there with anything else you'd describe Dynamo play in this decade. Add another to the list.

5) Arnaud's progression continues to be slow

It was always going to be a though ask for Davy Arnaud to provide a complete 180-degree change and make a charge for the playoffs. In his five games in charge, Arnaud has reinvigorated the locker room with a bit of confidence. He has also taken more of a safety net approach and not rushing to make drastic changes in his lineups and during matches.

Dynamo player of the game: Maynor Figueroa

Figueroa's strike from created the clearest opportunity for the Dynamo. It is that type of initiative that get teams back into this type of match. The Honduran national team captain has injected an impact of leadership and is fearless when he is on the field. Signed in the offseason for an annual salary of $70,250.00, Figueroa has been every bit worth every penny and, undeniably, a steal.

Next match:

Saturday, September 21 vs. Orlando City SC (9:00 p.m. CT, KUBE57)

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Trail Blazers defeat the Rockets, 104-98. Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images.

Anfernee Simons scored 25 points and Shaedon Sharpe added 24 as the Portland Trail Blazers bounced back from a tough loss with a 104-98 win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night.

The victory came after Portland was blown out 116-88 by the Rockets in an NBA Cup game Friday night.

The Trail Blazers led by three late before Alperen Sengun cut the lead to 99-98 on a shot in the paint with 21 seconds left.

Portland got two free throws apiece from Deni Avdija and Sharpe to make it 103-98 with 4.3 seconds remaining. Simons added another free throw after a technical foul on Fred Van Vleet to secure the win.

Houston’s Dillon Brooks and Sharpe had to be separated after they got tangled up fighting for a rebound with about two minutes left. Brooks had to be pulled away from Simons after Brooks took issue with Simons pushing him away from the fray.

Sharpe was called for a loose ball foul on the play and Simons and Brooks both received technical fouls.

Sengun had 22 points and Amen Thompson added 19 points off the bench for the Rockets.

Takeaways

Trail Blazers: They showed grit in putting Friday’s loss behind them and moving quickly to snap a two-game skid.

Rockets: Houston needs to play more consistently after a poor offensive showing Saturday night a game after Friday’s big offensive outing when the team made 15 3-pointers.

Key moment

Simons scored five quick points to make it 99-96 with less than 30 seconds to go, putting the Trail Blazers on top for good. He made a layup before hitting a 3-pointer after a block by Avdija.

Key stat

The Blazers made 18 of 44 3-pointers and Houston managed just 8 of 32 attempts with Jalen Green going 1 for 9.

Up next

The Trail Blazers visit Memphis on Monday night and the Rockets visit Minnesota on Tuesday night.

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