Ralph Priso scored a crucial goal in stoppage time, and Belal Halbouni secured victory in a penalty shootout as the Vancouver Whitecaps triumphed over FC Dallas in an intense playoff match. Following a 1-1 draw in regular time, the Whitecaps clinched the best-of-three first-round series in the Major League Soccer Cup playoffs.
As a result of this win, the Whitecaps will host the Western Conference semifinal at B.C. Place stadium on November 22. Vancouver, holding the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, is set to face either Los Angeles FC or Austin in the upcoming one-game conference semifinals.
FC Dallas forward Petar Musa netted his first MLS Cup playoffs goal in the 25th minute, giving Dallas a 1-0 advantage. However, Ralph Priso equalized for the Whitecaps with a header in stoppage time, ultimately leading to a penalty shootout.
During the shootout, after goals from Thomas Müller and Sebastian Berhalter for Vancouver and another from Musa for Dallas, Patrickson Delgago’s shot hit the crossbar. The decisive penalty was converted by Halbouni, and Dallas missed their final kick, securing the Whitecaps’ victory.
The Whitecaps had previously displayed dominance with a 3-0 victory in the first game. Yohei Takaoka’s goalkeeping prowess was evident as he made two crucial saves for Vancouver.
