HOUSTON – Erick Torres scored his MLS-leading eighth goal of the season on a penalty kick to help the Houston Dynamo beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 in Major League Soccer on Friday night.

Houston (6-3-1) moved into first place in the Western Conference with its sixth victory at home. Vancouver (4-5-1) had its two-game road winning streak snapped.

“We actually had very clear-cut chances today but unfortunately we were unable to take them,” said Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson. “We scored once late on, but we dug ourselves a little bit of a hole with a soft goal in the first half.

“I thought the second half the boys were outstanding…. we stepped up a level in the second half.”

Alberth Elis opened the scoring in the 15th minute with his fifth goal. Fellow Honduran Romell Quioto chased down a loose ball at the edge of the area and chipped it across goal to find Elis’ head at the far post.

Torres made it 2-0 in the 68th on the penalty kick after Mauro Manotas was knocked down in the penalty area. Torres entered in the 31st minute after Elis left with a leg injury.

Brek Shea headed in Christian Bolanos’ free kick in the 85th for Vancouver.