JAMAICAN Darren Mattocks hit a brace for Vancouver Whitecaps to thump Houston Dynamo, 3-1, Sunday night at the BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia. Appearing in the starting line-up for the second time from five matches, the 21-year-old rookie struck in the fourth and 66th minutes to move his goal tally to three in US Major League.

Senegalese Macoumba Kandji responded for Houston in the 83rd before American Jordan Harvey handed the Whitecaps their sixth win from 13 games when he scored in the 88th. Whitecaps coach Martin Rennie was full of praise for the Jamaican.

“He scored two… and created four, five, maybe even six chances. Almost every game he’s going to create something and, if he’s consistent with his finishing, he’s going to score a lot of goals,” Rennie noted.

Mattocks told reporters he could score 10 this season, as he is averaging a goal every 62 minutes.

The crowd of almost 19,000 gave Mattocks a standing ovation when he was replaced by Frenchman Eric Hassli in the 87th. Whitecaps are in fourth place in the Western Conference with 22 points, after Real Salt Lake (29 points), San Jose Earthquakes (27 points), and Seattle Sounders (24 points).

Vancouver will entertain fifth-placed Colorado Rapids on Saturday at 6:00 pm.