Report and Reaction: Rampant Whitecaps take it to deciding game in LAFC series

Vancouver Whitecaps kept their season alive in style with a dominant 3-0 victory over LAFC in their do-or-die MLS first round playoff series with LAFC at BC Place on Sunday evening.

An early first half blitz from the ‘Caps did the damage, with Ryan Gauld firing them into a 10th minute lead, before Ryan Hollingshead turned a Gauld cross into his own net. The Whitecaps withstood some pressure from LAFC to start the second half, but an Eddie Segura own goal made it three for Vancouver and eased the nerves around BC Place.

Yohei Takaoka had a quiet first half but came up with some big saves in the second, to keep the Western Conference regular season champs at bay, and the ‘Caps set up a deciding third game in the series down in LA on Friday evening.

Vanni Sartini made two changes to the starting line-up from the team that lost down in LA a week ago, with Sebastian Berhalter coming in for Mattias Laborda at right back and Fafa Picault on the wing, with Pedro Vite dropping out.

Vancouver had gone aggressive for this 11th meeting between the two teams since April 2023, but it felt that the Whitecaps needed an early breakthrough in this one and they got it 10 minutes in. And who else could it have been from, than the foot of Gauld.

The Scot started the move that saw Brian White cut the ball back to Stuart Armstrong. His shot was blocked, with the rebound falling perfectly for Gauld to blast home the opener.

A dream start for @WhitecapsFC!

Their main man Ryan Gauld slots it home. 🔥

📺 #MLSSeasonPass: https://t.co/leuuxbsLhx // Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/XZDeU95O0K

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 4, 2024

It was the dream start and it only got better for the ‘Caps three minutes later.

Berhalter played a neat pass inside to a wide open Gauld and his shot in across goal was turned into his own net by Hollingshead and all of a sudden Vancouver led by two!

A dangerous ball by Gauld forces a mistake, and we're up by TWO! 🙏

📺 https://t.co/3ksbP76nGa #VWFC | #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/WMtR6uEOMm

— X – Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) November 4, 2024

Vancouver kept the pressure on and Picault had a couple of low curling efforts that came close.

His first, in the 17th minute, just didn’t quite have the curl on it he was looking for and went past the far post. His second, on the half hour mark, certainly did and forced a big save out of Hugo LLoris.

LA huffed and puffed but weren’t carving out any clear cut goalscoring opportunities and Yohei Takaoka was having a fairly comfortable evening of it.

Armstrong saw a shot deflected wide in stoppage time and the ‘Caps headed in at the break in the ascendency, two goals up, but very cognizant that the next goal in this one could prove massive. Vancouver had to keep their shape and doing what they had been doing, and not turn the ball over cheaply.

As expected, LAFC came out all guns blazing to start the second half and had two chances to pull one back within the first 90 seconds. Denis Bouanga sent a ball across goal that just eluded Olivier Giroud before Bouanga then drilled one into the side netting.

Mateusz Bogusz was next to try his luck with a spinning effort that Takaoka easily saved.

Ranko Veselinovic had the Whitecaps first chance of the second half just before the hour mark, with his long range volley forcing Lloris to dive across his goal, but it was ultimately wide.

LAFC responded immediately, with Bouanga getting the better of Tristan Blackmon, but Takaoka stood tall to deny the usual Cap killer.

Sartini sensibly brought on Laborda and Alessandro Schopf for Berhalter and Ahmed, both of whom were on a yellow card, while LA responded with three subs of their own.

Blackmon almost sliced the ball into his own net, but Takaoka blocked it and Bouanga pulled the rebound well wide. Undaunted, Vancouver went up the pitch and got the crucial third.

Gauld got the ball on the left, cutting it back from the byeline and as White and Segura tussled for it, it game of the LA defender and spun past Lloris.

Vancouver are 3-0 up! Game Three on the horizon? 👀@WhitecapsFC // Audi #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/ipr7kNws4A

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 4, 2024

Substitute Bjorn Inge-Utvik blocked a Cristian Olivera shot on the line, as LA pushed for a consolation but still couldn’t break down a resolute Vancouver backline and the ‘Caps ran out handy winners in the end, setting up a season-on-the-line decider for both teams down in LA on Friday night.

It wasn’t a perfect performance, as noted by Sartini after the match. There were some defensive frailties that weren’t punished and they rode their luck a little a times. Two shots on target in a 3-0 victory is quite the stat too! But they were aggressive offensively, and teams that do that against LAFC have a way better chance of success against a team that loves to attack. They were also quick with their transition, not afraid to put themselves about in the middle of the park, and Takaoka put in one of his strongest games of the season.

A perfect storm? Perhaps. They now need to conjure up another one in five days time to pull off the shock and set up a Cascadia derby for the ages in the Western semis. Don’t bet against them doing just that.

FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 3 – 0 Los Angeles FC

ATT: 20,695

SCORING SUMMARY:
10’ – VAN – Ryan Gauld
13’ – VAN – Ryan Hollingshead (own goal)
68’ – VAN – Eddie Segura (own goal)

STATS:
Possession: VAN 44.4% – LAFC 55.6%
Shots: VAN 15 – LAFC 17
Shots on Goal: VAN 2 – LAFC 5
Saves: VAN 4 – LAFC 1
Fouls: VAN 15 – LAFC 11
Offsides: VAN 0 – LAFC 1
Corners: VAN 9 – LAFC 5

BOOKINGS:
41’ – LAFC – Denis Bouanga
50’ – VAN – Ali Ahmed
57’ – VAN – Sebastian Berhalter
84’ – LAFC – Jesús Murillo
89’ – LAFC – Eddie Segura

VANCOUVER: Yohei Takaoka; Sebastian Berhalter (Mathías Laborda), Tristan Blackmon, Ranko Veselinović, Sam Adekugbe (Bjørn Inge Utvik 74’); Stuart Armstrong (Ralph Priso 82’), Andrés Cubas, Ali Ahmed (Alessandro Schöpf); Ryan Gauld, Fafa Picault (Ryan Raposo 82’); Brian White [Substitutes not used: Isaac Boehmer, Damir Kreilach, Deiber Caicedo, Pedro Vite]

LOS ANGELES: Hugo Lloris; Sergi Palencia, Maxime Chanot (Eddie Segura 63’), Aaron Long; Cristian Olivera, Timothy Tillman (Eduard Atuesta 64’), Lewis O’Brien, Ryan Hollingshead (Jesús Murillo 76’); Mateusz Bogusz, Olivier Giroud (David Martínez 64’), Denis Bouanga (Kei Kamara 76’) [Substitutes not used: Thomas Hasal, Omar Campos, Marlon, Ilie Sánchez]

REACTION:

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS

VANNI SARTINI

On his team’s performance:

“We played very well. I’m very happy we won, but the hardest part is that in five days there’s another game and it’s going to be very hard. The performance was really good, but it was kind of the same [level] as we did in LA [last week], just that we had all the luck of half of centimetres go against us and today it was all for us. That’s how tight this game can be. We need to go there to LA with the confidence that we can try to win, because if we believe in this, we can force the situation where the deflection goes in our favour, where everyone puts his body on the line, if we’re at the right spot at the right moment, attacking the first post at the right time, maybe the ball hits you and goes into the net.”

On pulling an upset going into Game 3:

“I think LAFC are the favourite on Friday. Pure and simple. They play at home, they are the top three most talented team in the league, but upsets happen. Today you saw the MLS Cup Champions, they lost, so why can’t it happen again? I believe we need to pull a performance even better than what we did today, better than the one we did last Sunday, because it needs to be perfect. And the reward is working two more weeks together, and having a derby game against Seattle [in the next round] that would be a fantastic game for our fans if we qualify, to come and go there. So the reward is enormous, but we need to climb Everest. We did the first part of climbing today and we need to do the second part, the hardest part, on Friday.”

GOALKEEPER YOHEI TAKAOKA

On his second half save on Bouanga:

“I was able to expect that it’s going to be a one-v-one in that moment. So I stayed patient and then, I start[ed] safe. It was a bit of luck, but the decision was good and I’m happy to help the team.”

On being defensively sound throughout the playoffs so far:

“Defensively we switched to a back four, from Portland. We’ve adjusted very well. Obviously LAFC has a very good attack, very good wingers. So we need to block them, and it’s much better [against LAFC]. So it works, and everyone played very well.”

On being in the same position as last year versus LAFC, but changing the outcome:

“Last year we lost against them here, and I never forget it, everyday. So that’s why we wanted to show our performance as a team, and as players.”

On the crowd:

“Amazing. Before the kickoff they showed the TIFO, that was amazing. I got goosebumps. So I really appreciate their support throughout the season, and I’m really happy to give them a win.”

LEGEND RYAN GAULD

On the win:

“[It felt] really good. I think, first and foremost, for our season not finishing tonight… It’s the kind of performance and result that we all felt that we were capable of.”

On his performance:

“It’s good to have those contributions up top. I think, overall, my link-up, and just overall play could be better. But at least I’m helping to make the final product to the end, which is kind of the most important thing.”

On the overall attack:

“We’ve definitely put a focus on being closer together in the final third, and not being so stretched – making sure we’ve got bodies forward. It was nice to see that, especially in the first half. Managing to get into halftime two-nil up was a nice feeling, and something we feel we deserved from the game.”

On what it will take to win game 3:

“A lot of the same that we did tonight, making it difficult for them, being hard to break down. Taking our chances was the big thing, going ahead and forcing the game to open up a little bit definitely helped us. It’s going to take a lot more of the same that we’ve done tonight.”