Whitecaps shutout FC Dallas behind White, Crepeau's standout efforts
CF Montreal falls to Columbus; TFC draw with Colorado
Brian White scored the lone goal Saturday as the Vancouver Whitecaps improved their playoff picture with a 1-0 shutout over FC Dallas in Vancouver.
White was behind many of the opportunities and headed in his sixth strike of the season in the 20th minute. Russell Teibert registered an assist on the play.
Vancouver goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau had seven saves — including one on a penalty kick — to collect his fourth clean sheet of the season. Jimmy Maurer had four stops for Dallas.
WATCH | Whitecaps' Maxime Crepeau makes late PK stop to seal the victory:
The result extended Dallas' winless streak to five games (0-3-2) and marked the club's first game under interim coach Marco Ferruzzi, who took over after head coach Luchi Gonzalez was fired on Sept. 19.
The victory moved the 'Caps to within three points of a playoff spot with nine games to go in the regular season.
Dallas had a prime opportunity to tie things up late on Saturday.
Referee Kevin Stott awarded the visitors a penalty kick in injury time when Vancouver's Patrick Metcalfe took down a Dallas player inside the box. The call was upheld after video review.
Franco Jara blasted a low, centre shot on net but Crepeau dove to make the stop.
The netminder was mobbed by his teammates before directing them to get back to the play.
Dallas controlled 59.1 per cent of possession Saturday but it was Vancouver that dominated much of the action, pinning the Toros in their own end for long stretches at a time.
Teibert set up the only goal of the night in the 20th minute. Stationed at the top corner of the box, the veteran 'Caps midfielder sent in and the ball glanced off White's head and into the back of the net.
White nearly added another in the 41st minute. Cristian Dajome lasered a pass to White's feet and the American striker took a left-footed shot from the top of the six-yard box, only to see it skirt just wide of the post.
Dajome had an incredible chance of his own just three minutes into Saturday's game.
Vancouver's attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld delivered a beautiful ball to the Colombian in the box and while Dajome got his head on it, Maurer made the stop.
Dallas had chances, too, in the first half, outshooting the 'Caps 9-8, though both sides registered three shots on target.
Crepeau preserved Vancouver's lead heading into the locker room.
The Canadian 'keeper looked calm and poised as he tracked a header from Dallas wunderkind Ricardo Pepi in the 28th minute, scooping up the ball for the save. Just a minute later, Crepeau leapt up and snatched a ball out of the air following a header by Jesus Ferreira.
Saturday's game kicked off a busy week for the 'Caps. They'll head to Houston to face the Dynamo on Monday, then return to B.C. to host the San Jose Earthquakes on Oct. 2. Dallas hosts Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday.
Toronto FC plays to scoreless draw against Colorado Rapids
Toronto FC and Colorado played to a 0-0 draw Saturday, in Commerce City, Colo., extending the Rapids' unbeaten streak in Major League Soccer to 11 games (6-0-5).
It was a game light on offence with scoring chances few and far between. Colorado pressed in the dying minutes, however, with substitutes Diego Rubio and Dominique Badji bolstering the attack.
It was the fourth straight draw for Colorado (12-4-9), which is now unbeaten in 12 games at Dick's Sporting Goods Park (6-0-6) since a 3-1 loss to Austin FC in its April 24 home opener.
The clean sheet was just the second in league play for Toronto this season, following a 2-0 win over Columbus back on May 12.
Led by former TFC assistant Robin Fraser, the Rapids have lost just once — July 24 at Real Salt Lake — in their last 16 games (7-1-8).
The Rapids entered weekend play just two points out of first place in the MLS Western Conference.
WATCH | Toronto FC draws against Colorado Rapids:
Saturday's game marked Fraser's 50th at the Colorado helm since leaving TFC in August 2019. He is 25-12-13 with his team's 25 wins, 82 goals and 89 points all club records over 50 games in the post-shootout era.
Toronto, playing its fifth game in two weeks, was coming off a 4-0 midweek win over York United FC in Canadian Championship play. Last Saturday it downed Nashville SC to snap a six-game losing streak and nine-game winless run (0-7-2).
Missed opportunities for both sides
Both teams managed just one shot on target in an uneventful first half.
Colorado had more of the ball early with Kellyn Acosta pulling the strings in midfield. But it produced few early scoring chances with Michael Barrios' header off-target in the 12th minute. A deflection off TFC defender Kemar Lawrence went just wide of the Toronto goal in the 17th minute.
Lawrence got a timely boot to the ball in the 25th minute, preventing Mark-Anthony Kaye from finding Barrios in front of goal.
Toronto appealed unsuccessfully for a penalty in the 85th minute, with Mark Delgado complaining he had been pulled back by Lucas Esteves.
Toronto defender Chris Mavinga limped off in the 33rd minute. Eriq Zavaleta went off in the 75th after getting caught in a tangle of bodies off a corner.
Toronto coach Javier Perez made four changes to the team that blanked York with Lawrence, Zavaleta, Noble Okello and Patrick Mullins coming into the starting 11.
Jonathan Osorio captained Toronto in the absence of Michael Bradley, who was suspended for yellow card accumulation.
Injuries
Reigning league MVP Alejandro Pozuelo missed a fifth straight game with a lower-body injury. Also out injured were Ayo Akinola, Jozy Altidore, Tsubasa Endoh, Ralph Priso and Jordan Perruzza. Endoh underwent surgery on his right leg Friday. He is expected to be out for three months.
Short on bodies, Toronto dressed two goalkeepers — Quentin Westberg and Kevin Silva — on its bench.
TFC alumni Clint Irwin, Steven Beitashour and Collen Warner were on the Rapids bench. Kaye, a former member of the Toronto FC academy, started for Colorado.
The Rapids are now 6-1-2 all-time at home against Toronto and have held TFC scoreless in its last five visits.
CF Montreal falls to Columbus Crew behind Zardes' 2 goals
The Crew (9-11-7) moved into ninth place in the Eastern Conference, a point behind Atlanta for the final berth. Montreal (10-9-7) remains in sixth.
Zardes' initial goal, the 50th of his career with the Crew, came in the 44th minute. He ran past the defence to redirect a cross from Derrick Etienne.
WATCH | Zardes' 2 goals lift Columbus past CF Montreal:
It marked the first time Columbus had a first-half lead since July 17 and only their fifth lead at the break this season.
The second goal, a left-footed rocket from the top of the circle into the upper left corner in the 62nd minute, was the first time the Crew was up by a pair since that same July game. Zardes now has 85 goals in his MLS career.
Evan Bush, in just his third game, made four saves against the team he was with for nine seasons but lost his bid for a shutout in extra time when Montreal put a shot off the post and the loose ball dinged around until Romell Quioto nudged it in.
With files from The Associated Press
