Dynamo begin key stretch with visit from Whitecaps

Houston Dynamo coach Ben Olsen said his team is living on the edge.

The Dynamo fell off that edge Saturday night at Real Salt Lake when they gave up a set-piece goal late in the first half that held up in a 1-0 loss, which put them out of the Western Conference playoff table.

That makes Wednesday night's visit from the Vancouver Whitecaps vital if Houston is to regain a spot in the conference's top nine.

"Every game for the rest of the season is big because that is where we are living," Olsen said after the defeat at RSL. "That was also echoed to the players and we will get back to work."

The Dynamo (7-10-5, 26 points) are on that edge Olsen mentioned because they haven't been able to marry good possession numbers with production. They rank ninth in the league in possession but are only 18th in goals (28) and 21st in goals allowed (35).

This could be a big week for Houston's postseason hopes. After playing the West's third-place side in Vancouver, they remain home Saturday night for Supporter's Shield leader Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, the Whitecaps (11-5-5, 38 points) are trying to work their way out of their first slump of the season. A 3-0 loss on Saturday night at Colorado was their fourth in five fixtures and again exposed a defense that has lost its shape in this stretch.

Although Vancouver is still tied for seventh in MLS in goals allowed at 25, 13 of those have come in the four losses. That also includes a 3-0 defeat on July 4 at the Los Angeles Galaxy, who have won only three times in 22 matches.

"I think it's very important that we look at what is our identity as a team," said Whitecaps coach Jesper Sorensen. "That's what's going to make you the team that you want to be. I think that we, right now, lack what we were good at in the beginning of the season."

This is the fourth of five straight matches away from home for Vancouver.