Whitecaps settle for tie with visiting FC Dallas
VANCOUVER — Cristian Techera added a silver lining to the Vancouver Whitecaps’ roller-coaster week.
The pint-size Uruguayan scored on a beautiful free kick in the 74th minute as Vancouver fought back to draw FC Dallas 1-1 on Saturday night.
With his team trailing and struggling to create chances, Techera curled a left-footed shot over the wall and past Dallas goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez from 30 yards out to send B.C. Place Stadium into a frenzy.
“A wonderful strike,” said Vancouver coach Carl Robinson. “He’s done it before and hopefully he’ll do it again. He’s playing with confidence at the moment.”
Techera now has four goals in a resurgent 2017 season after scoring just twice last year.
“One game builds on another,” the 5-foot-2 midfielder said through a Spanish interpreter. “Once you get one goal, you get confidence for another, and it just goes from there.”
Maximiliano Urruti replied for Dallas (6-3-6), which remains four points up on Vancouver (6-6-2) for fourth in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference standings, although the Whitecaps have played one less game.
After a forgettable first half for both teams, Urruti stole the ball from fellow Argentine Matias Laba in midfield and went the other way before slotting home his eighth goal in the 52nd minute past a defender and beyond a diving David Ousted for a 1-0 lead.
The Whitecaps brought on 16-year-old phenom Alphonso Davies and his energy seemed to push Vancouver forward before Techera struck.