Vancouver Whitecaps sweep FC Dallas with dramatic playoff win

The Vancouver Whitecaps line celebrate a penalty kick goal scored by Belal Halbouni during Game 2 in the first round of MLS soccer's Western Conference playoffs against the FC Dallas in Frisco, Texas, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Ralph Priso scored the tying goal in the third minute of stoppage time and Belal Halbouni scored the decisive goal in a penalty-kick shootout on Saturday night to help the Vancouver Whitecaps beat FC Dallas on Saturday night to sweep the best-of-three first-round series in the Major League Soccer Cup playoffs.

Vancouver, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, will play either third-seeded Los Angeles FC or No. 6 seed Austin in the one-game conference semifinals.

After Vancouver’s Thomas Müller and Sebastian Berhalter sandwiched goals around another by Dallas’ Petar Musa to open the shootout, Patrickson Delgago’s shot hit the crossbar. Kenji Cabrera and Shaq Moore traded goals before Halbouni scored before Nolan Norris missed high for Dallas to seal it.

Musa scored his first career goal in an MLS Cup playoffs game to give Dallas a 1-0 lead in the 25th minute. Musa, on the counterattack, ran onto a long ball played ahead by Ramiro Benetti — know simply as “Ramiro” — and flicked a shot from the corner of the six-yard box past goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka into the net.

Ralph Priso’s header — the Whitecaps’ first shot on goal — was parried by rookie goalkeeper Michael Collodi, who finished with one save, but Priso put away the rebound to make it 1-1.

The Whitecaps were dominant throughout a 3-0 win in Game 1.

Yohei Takaoka made two saves for Vancouver.

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The Associated Press