GAME ESSENTIALS

THE SKINNY

With five regulars not available, including injured captain Pedro Morales and back-line rock Kendall Waston, pictured, even getting a draw at a place they’ve lost all seven MLS games they’ve played was going to be next to impossible for the Whitecaps. Dallas’s terrific playmaker Mauro Diaz, who was stopped on a first-half penalty, set up a goal in the 32nd minute and scored a brilliant one of his own in the 52nd minute to key the 2-0 victory that moved the home side into top spot in the Western Conference. The Caps are third and will need a win in their season finale against Houston to have a shot at hosting a home playoff match.

ACE STOPPER

Caps’ goalkeeper David Ousted’s save off a Diaz penalty in the 43rd minute was his fourth of the season. He’s the league leader in that category having been scored on just twice in six attempts. Real Salt Lake’s Nick Rimando is the only other goaltender to have stopped more than two penalties this season, having saved three of the seven attempts he’s faced. Ousted, pictured, anticipated a shot to his right, went that way and was in good position to make the save. “I was well-prepared today. The video guys help me out all the time. I watch penalties and they give me all the information I need.”

PATIENCE REWARDED

Marco Bustos, the Caps’ 19-year-old residency program graduate, made his MLS debut off the bench with 29 minutes left. It came the night after he earned his first senior team cap for Canada when he played the final 19 minutes of the 1-1 draw with Ghana in an international friendly in Washington, D.C. “I felt like a little kid in the park,” said Bustos, pictured, who had waited all season to get his first MLS action. “It was a dream come true.” He hooked up nicely with striker Octavio Rivero shortly after coming on to the pitch and was credited with one off-target shot. He also completed a healthy 84 per cent of his passes.

NEXT GAME

The Caps must travel to Tegucigalpa on Oct. 22 for a meaningless CONCACAF Champions League contest against Honduran side CD Olimpia. The Seattle Sounders, the third team in Group F, have already got enough points to advance to the knockout round next March. Coach Carl Robinson, pictured, will take a mostly second-unit side to Honduras, saving his starters for the Oct. 25 regular season finale at BC Place against Houston.