Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen lauded the impact of Sebastian Berhalter against FC Dallas in MLS.

Berhalter was at the double in the Whitecaps' 3-2 win over Dallas on Wednesday and became the first player in the club's history to produce a goal or assist in nine of the opening 12 games of a season.

Overall, he has six goals and four assists for Vancouver in MLS this term, with Sorensen's side topping the Western Conference with 29 points after 12 games.

The victory over Dallas got Vancouver back to winning ways after consecutive 1-1 draws, and Sorensen was full of praise for Berhalter's influence.

"He made the difference," Sorensen said of Berhalter.

"[They] were not big chances, from where he struck the ball. It was great quality, and sometimes that's what you need.

"He provided that in moments where you don't expect it. It was a good performance from him, and the two goals made it special."

They will face the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, with Ben Olsen's side coming into this match on the back of a 3-0 defeat to Real Salt Lake.

The Dynamo are eighth in the West and had won two matches in a row before being beaten by RSL, and Olsen admitted they could have done better in that game.

"No doom and gloom, we'll patch them [the players] up," he said. "We've got to get back, and we have a very important stretch.

"We're using this as a reminder of what makes us really good, but all the details matter, and we spend a lot of time on them, and we should know better."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Houston Dynamo – Hector Herrera

Hector Herrera completed 77 of 80 pass attempts (96.3%) for Houston against Real Salt Lake on Wednesday.

It was the second time Herrera completed 75 or more passes in a match at an accuracy of 95% or better, one of four Dynamo players to do so since 2010.

Vancouver Whitecaps – Sebastian Berhalter

Berhalter scored two of the Whitecaps' three goals in their win at FC Dallas on Wednesday.

He has 28 goal contributions since the start of last season (10 goals, 18 assists), three more than any other American in MLS in that time, with Brian White tied for second with 25 (24 goals, one assist).

MATCH PREDICTION: VANCOUVER WHITECAPS WIN

The Whitecaps have earned a point in three straight matches against the Houston Dynamo (W1 D2). Vancouver's longest unbeaten run ever against Houston is four straight games (2015-16).

Houston have won four straight home matches in all competitions, winning a pair of U.S. Open Cup matches and a pair of regular-season matches. The Dynamo's last five-match home winning streak came in March-May 2019, a run that included a win over the Whitecaps.

Vancouver are the first team since the LA Galaxy in 2010 (32 points) to collect 29 points from their first 12 matches of a regular season. A win over Houston would equal the most points ever collected through 13 matches of a season in MLS history (32 – done four times).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Houston Dynamo – 27%

Draw – 23.7%

Vancouver Whitecaps – 49.3%