Houston Dynamo goalkeeper Tyler Deric, right, makes a diving save against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the second half of an MLS soccer game in Vancouver, B.C., on Saturday May 28, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

VANCOUVER - It's something a coach doesn't often say, but Carl Robinson believes losing one of his best players late in the first half had a positive impact in the Vancouver Whitecaps' 1-1 draw with the Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer play Saturday afternoon.

The Whitecaps lost captain Pedro Morales in the 41st minute when the Vancouver midfielder and Houston midfielder Alex were ejected after a scuffle.

The Whitecaps trailed 1-0 at the time, but regrouped and salvaged the tie when forward Octavio Rivero scored in the 53rd minute.

"It helped us," Robinson said about the ejection. "It was a dynamic change. We regrouped. We worked as if we had 11 players.

"The first 20 minutes I thought they (Houston) were the better team. In the second half I think we showed a lot of courage, a lot of togetherness and a lot of spirit."

After looking very average much of the first half, the Whitecaps took over the game in the second. Rivero got the sellout crowd of 22,120 at B.C. Place Stadium on its feet with his second goal of the season.

The designated player from Uruguay settled down a loose ball, then boomed a right-footed shot from about 10 yards out that twisted into the net past the outstretched fingers of Houston goalkeeper Tyler Deric.

"It was good finish by him," said Robinson. "More important than the goal was his all-around performance.

"He was a problem for their two centre backs. He was a platform for our team to build on."

Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted preserved the tie with a great diving save off a header from defender David Horst in the dying minutes of regulation time.

"It was a qualify save," said Ousted, who was making his 99th consecutive MLS start. "I needed to come up big there to gain the point."

The tie improved the Whitecaps to 6-6-3 in the Western Conference. The Dynamo remain last in the West at 3-7-3. They remain winless on the road (0-6-1).

Defender DaMarcus Beasley scored in the 20th minute for Houston on a pretty setup from Alex. The Brazilian midfielder slipped a ball between two Whitecap defenders to an open Beasley. He then beat Ousted for his first goal of the season.

The ejections occurred after Alex threw a punch and kicked at Morales. The Vancouver midfielder kicked back at Alex and teammates had to restrain both players. Referee Drew Fischer gave both red cards, forcing the teams to play the rest of the game with 10 players each.

Robinson said he was told Morales was ejected because he pushed Alex in the face, something Morales denies.

"If he pushed him in the face he deserved the red card," said Robinson. "If he hasn't touch him in the face, then I'm not sure."

It's been a hectic week for the Dynamo. Head coach Owen Coyle resigned Wednesday night and the team travelled to Vancouver Thursday.

Assistant coach Wade Barrett was pleased with the way the Dynamo played through the adversity.

"When something like this happens, it's an opportunity for the player and the team to take a step further away from each other or an opportunity for them to take a step closer to the group," he said. "I think you could see right away . . . the players were taking a step closer to the group."

After winning three straight games, Vancouver has a loss and a tie in its last two matches.

Robinson said his team needs to improve.

"We are where we are because we made individual errors at the back and they cost us," he said. "We dug ourselves out of a hole a couple of times and we did it again.

"We need to be better than that and we will be."

NOTES: Whitecaps defender Kendell Waston missed the game, playing for his native Costa Rica against Venezuela in an international match. … Besides the two red cards, five yellow cards were handed out with Vancouver taking three. … Rivero made his first start since injuring his ankle April 30 against New York City FC. … Morales turned 31 years old on Wednesday.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2016