Bond delivers as Dynamos blank Whitecaps 1-0 for MLS record-tying fifth straight shutout victory

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Jonathan Bond needed to make just one save to finish his fifth straight clean sheet and defender Franco Negri scored in the first half to help the Houston Dynamo beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0 on Wednesday night.

Houston (12-6-2) leapfrogs Vancouver (11-4-4) into the top spot in the Western Conference by joining Los Angeles FC (2024) and Atlanta United (2019) as the only teams to post five shutout victories in a row.

Bond stretched his scoreless streak to 462 minutes with his eighth clean sheet in 20 starts this season.

Negri scored unassisted from long range in the 34th minute to give Houston the lead for good. It was his first goal this season and his third in 51 career appearances.

Yohei Takaoka finished with four saves for Vancouver.

Houston is 6-0-2 in its last eight matches and remains the hottest team in the league with a 10-2-2 run over its previous 14.

The Dynamo completed a season sweep after beating the Whitecaps 1-0 at home in May on a goal by newcomer Guilherme Santos six minutes into second-half stoppage time.

Houston improves to 2-9-4 on the road in the series.

The last time the Dynamo came to town Thomas Müller made his debut for the Whitecaps in a 1-1 draw last season.

Houston: At St. Louis City on Saturday.

Vancouver: Hosts FC Dallas on Saturday.

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Vancouver Whitecaps' Oliver Larraz (bottom left) tackles Houston Dynamo FC's Guilherme Santos (20) during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, B.C., on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Houston Dynamo FC's Franco Negri, center, celebrates his goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps with Lawrence Ennali, left, and Lucas Halter during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, B.C., on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Houston Dynamo FC's Franco Negri, left, celebrates his goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps with Lawrence Ennali during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, B.C., on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Houston Dynamo FC's Guilherme Santos, center, Vancouver Whitecaps' Cheick Sabaly, left, and Andres Cubas, right, vie for the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, B.C., on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

Houston Dynamo FC's Lawrence Ennali (11) and Vancouver Whitecaps' Cheick Sabaly (7) collide as they fight for the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, B.C., on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026. (Ethan Cairns/The Canadian Press via AP)

BEIJING (AP) — The Shenzhen Intermediate People’s Court sentenced Hui Ka Yan, the founder of China’s Evergrande real estate group, to life in prison Thursday for large-scale fraud.

It also fined Evergrande Group 8.82 billion yuan ($1.31 billion) and Evergrande Real Estate 7 billion yuan ($1.04 billion), according to a statement issued by the court.

Hui Ka Yan, also known as Xu Jiayin, pleaded guilty in April to a series of charges, including illegal absorption of public deposits, fraud and corporate bribery.

Evergrande was the world’s most heavily indebted real estate developer with more than $300 billion in liabilities before it was ordered to liquidate.

Its downfall, which came as Chinese government officials cracked down on excessive borrowing in 2020, tipped the entire Chinese real estate market into crisis.

FILE -A worker collects trash in a partially shuttered Evergrande commercial complex, on the day Hong Kong Stock Exchange delisted the Chinese property developer China Evergrande, in Beijing, China, Aug. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A., File)

FILE - A woman walks by a map showing Evergrande development projects in China, as she heads to an Evergrande city plaza in Beijing on Sept. 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, File)