Houston Dynamo took all three points from BC Place with a 1-0 win, despite being largely second best. Franco Negri's first-half strike settled a match in which Vancouver had far more of the ball and far more attempts at goal.
Negri put Houston ahead on 34 minutes, and that proved to be the only goal of the game. Vancouver pushed for an equaliser but found the home side's defence stubborn, with bookings for Andrés Cubas, Agustín Resch and Agustín Bouzat inside the opening 41 minutes.
The stats tell the story of a team that dominated without reward: Vancouver had 64% possession and 17 shots to Houston's nine, yet only one shot on target. Houston, by contrast, registered five on target from their limited chances and held on for a victory that owed plenty to their efficiency.
