Vancouver Whitecaps Vs. FC Dallas: Alain Rochet Header Gives Whitecaps 1-0 Lead

It had been coming for a while, and Vancouver defender Alain Rochet grabbed the goal that the Whitecaps so richly deserved in the 25th minute. Rochet found the end of a beautiful ball into the box from Davide Chiumiento and Kevin Hartman was hopeless to stop the emphatic finish. The goal capped a period of sustained pressure from the home side and was the result of Dallas being unable to clear their lines after a corner that was initially punched away by Hartman.

Vancouver's lead looked destined to be short-lived when Rochet was called for a hand ball in the box; there were (not altogether unreasonable) complaints that the incident was ball-to-hand, but the Whitecaps goal-scorer left his arm in far too low a position and FC Dallas were rightly awarded a penalty. Vancouver keeper Jay Nolly guessed wrong, but David Ferreira's chipped effort sailed wide and the score remained 1-0.