The Whitecaps goalkeeper posts his second consecutive shutout to keep Vancouver’s playoff hopes alive.
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If the Vancouver Whitecaps make the playoffs, Max Crépeau should receive all player performance bonuses.
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For the second week in a row, the Quebec goalkeeper made a spectacular save, both in athletics and time, to help the Caps win a 0-0 draw in Houston on Wednesday night at BBVA Compass Stadium.
Dynamo winger Griffen Dorsey found the ball at his feet within 18, with no defenders within four feet, and unleashed a curly left-foot shot aimed at the top corner. But Crépeau reached out with his left hand to deflect the ball over the crossbar, one of his four saves of the night, to keep the match scoreless.
Last week, he stopped a penalty kick in injury time to secure three points for Vancouver in their 1-0 win over FC Dallas. It was his second consecutive shutout; hasn’t conceded a goal in 242 minutes.
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The result did not place Vancouver (8-8-10) in the playoff position, but did move them ahead of San Jose and LAFC in the standings, for now. As for Houston (5-11-12), they are now tied on points with Dallas, but remain 12th in the Western Conference.
The Dynamo shot Vancouver 17-5 and had 63 percent possession, but failed to beat Crépeau on any of their four shots on target. The Whitecaps only had one shot on goal, an enterprising 30-foot volley from Ryan Gauld, who tried to catch goalie Michael Nelson off his line.
This is what we learned …
NEXT GAME
Saturday
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
7 pm, BC Place, TV: TSN, Radio: AM730
LET’S TRAIN YOU
The training was not a surprise. The faces on him, maybe.
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Vanni Sartini went with the same 3-4-1-2 he used last week against Dallas, with Lucas Cavallini and Cristian Dájome leading.
But Ryan Raposo took Ryan Gauld’s place at No. 10, Pat Metcalfe started at left back and Michael Baldisimo slipped between Jake Nerwinski and Andy Rose on the baseline.
The lineup made sense when you looked at what Sartini was up against; Erik Godoy and Ranko Veselinovic were injured and Cristian Gutiérrez was still not healthy enough to play. Playing three games in a week, Sartini needed some rest for his big guns somewhere.
The scoreless first half played directly into his game plan, as he brought in Flo Jungwirth and Deiber Caicedo at the half. It allowed Dájome to move down the wing and move Baldisimo, the Caps’ more progressive passing midfielder away from Gauld, more advanced in midfield. White also replaced Lucas Cavallini, who appeared to pinch his freshly healed knee slightly in the first half.
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HANG UP HALF
Sartini knew the Caps would be tough in Houston, where they have won just once in nine games, a 2-1 decision in 2018, when Brek Shea, who was born 90 minutes northwest, had the winner.
The Whitecaps were confident of getting through the first half without conceding a goal and giving players like Gauld a chance to rest their legs.
It was a bold move, Cotton – and it was worth it.
Fafà Picault had two chances in the first half that the Houston forward should have converted, putting one on the post and dropping a volley into Crépeau’s hands.
The Caps rarely had attacking moments, posting 0.1 xG in the first half to the Dynamo’s 1.9 as Vancouver was outscored 10-1 in the first 45 minutes.
Crépeau rescued the Caps early in the second half when he crossed and went down to deny Darwin Quintero on a single volley.
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He also reached down to put a hand on an evil Tyler Pasher cross that would have been a touch for Picault on the back post. He stopped a shot from Pasher a few minutes later, which Jungwirth then cleared on contact with Picault sliding down to get the loose ball.
Picault finally put one past Crépeau, but he was four yards offside before the pass was sent his way.
WHATS NEXT
The Caps return home to host the San Jose Earthquakes, who were also in action Wednesday night.
San Jose had won two straight ahead of their home game Wednesday with the Seattle Sounders, and began the night tied at 33 points with Vancouver.
Both teams had set their sights on catching seventh-place Real Salt Lake, who was looking to extend its three-point lead over them against the LA Galaxy on Wednesday.
Reference-theprovince.com