Report and Reaction: Whitecaps dominant in Dallas as unbeaten start to the MLS season continues

(Photo Credit: @WhitecapsFC/X.com)

The Vancouver Whitecaps juggernaut rolls on with a dominant 1-0 victory in Dallas, where the scoreline doesn’t really tell the story of just how in control of this match the ‘Caps were.

Vancouver didn’t allow Dallas even one shot on target, controlling play and creating chance after chance. They were only able to take one of them, but it was enough, with Tristan Blackmon’s 54th minute header proving to be the matchwinner and the Whitecaps continued their unbeaten start to the MLS season and posted their second straight clean sheet in the process.

Jesper Sorensen made two changes to the team that beat Montreal in MLS action a week ago, with rookie Tate Johnson and the injured Ryan Gauld dropping out for Edier Ocampo coming in at the back and J.C. Ngando in the middle of the park, with Pedro Vite pushing further forward. The line-up also saw four changes from the monumental midweek win against Monterrey, bringing some freshness to a well-traveled team.

Dallas made one change to the side that lost 3-1 at home to Chicago last weekend, with Pedrinho replacing Anderson Julio who was away getting his green card.

It was an absolutely dominant performance from the Whitecaps to start the game and it continued all the way to half time, with Vancouver controlling the play, taking the game to the home side, and creating chance after chance, but unable to bury any of them.

Ocampo and Ali Ahmed had sent dangerous balls in across goal without any takers in the first 20 minutes and that was a trend that was to continue.

White was nearly played in at the back post in the 25th minute after some sublime work from Mathias Laborda, but the ball bobbled off a couple of players and out for a goal kick.

The closest Dallas came to breaking the deadlock was a Petar Musa shot from about eight yards out that took a deflection and flew over, but the home side just couldn’t keep possession and any quick breakaways they had came to nothing of note and they finished the half with no shots on target.

White chested a corner across the face of the goal on the half hour mark, again with no-one on hand to tuck it away into the net, before a low rocket from Sebastian Berhalter was turned away by Maarten Paes a minute later.

Tristan Blackmon had the last chance of the half for the ‘Caps in the 44th minute, heading over from a good position, and despite their dominance in all areas (62% possession), Vancouver went in at the break goalless and still on level terms.

Too many times in the past we’ve seen the Whitecaps being punished for not taking their chances, but this feels like a much different Vancouver and mindset, but the first goal in this one felt crucial.

And after a continued strong start to the second half, that breakthrough finally came for Vancouver.

A long ball forward played in White, but he took one touch too many and the angle for the shot diminished, allowing Paes to save at his near post for a corner.

The ‘Caps kept the pressure on from the corner and the ball came out to J.C. Ngando, whose brilliant pinpoint delivery found the head of Blackmon who powerfully headed the opener past Paes.

SET PIECE MAGIC 💫 Vite ➡️ Ngando ➡️ Tiki

📺 https://t.co/5bA5xcIfPv #VWFC | #DALvVAN pic.twitter.com/3HmFWhcM0g

— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 16, 2025

No less than the Whitecaps deserved, a second to kill the tie off was now the order of the day, but it wasn’t to come.

Dallas had a chance to tie things up almost immediately, but Logan Farrington blasted high and over.

The Whitecaps dominance continued for a spell but Dallas finally started to get more of the ball as they pushed to try and get something, anything from the game. They weren’t able to even muster a shot on target, and although it perhaps felt nervier than it maybe should have done, Vancouver saw the game out for the 1-0 victory, continuing their unbeaten start to the league season and increasing, for now at least, their lead at the top to four points.

It’s been an incredible first month of action for the Whitecaps and these early points on the board are absolutely massive. Next up, they’re short-handed against Chicago, but with the depth players already getting valuable minutes and showing well, expe

FINAL SCORE: FC Dallas 0 – 1 Vancouver Whitecaps

ATT: 11,004

DALLAS: Maarten Paes; Shaq Moore, Sebastian Ibeagha, Osaze Urhoghide, Marco Farfan; Ramiro (Lalas Abubakar 81’), Lucho Acosta, Sebastian Lletget (Tsiki Ntsabeleng 71’); Pedrinho (Bernard Kamungo 56’), Petar Musa, Logan Farrington (Patrickson Delgado 81’) [Substitutes not used: Michael Collodi, Léo Chú, Enzo Newman, Nolan Norris, Tarik Scott]

VANCOUVER: Yohei Takaoka; Édier Ocampo, Tristan Blackmon, Ranko Veselinović, Mathías Laborda; Sebastian Berhalter, Andrés Cubas (Ralph Priso 78’), J.C. Ngando (Jeevan Badwal 79’); Pedro Vite (Bjørn Inge Utvik 90’), Brian White (14.Daniel Ríos 90’), Ali Ahmed (Jayden Nelson 65’) [Substitutes not used: Isaac Boehmer, Belal Halbouni, Tate Johnson, Liam Mackenzie]

SCORING SUMMARY:
54’ – VAN – Tristan Blackmon (J.C. Ngando, Pedro Vite)

STATS:
Possession: DAL 46% – VAN 54%
Shots: DAL 7 – VAN 9
Shots on Goal: DAL 0 – VAN 5
Saves: DAL 4 – VAN 0
Fouls: DAL 15 – VAN 15
Offsides: DAL 0 – VAN 2
Corners: DAL 2 – VAN 8

CARDS (ALL YELLOW):
42’ – DAL – Lucho Acosta
52’ – VAN – Tristan Blackmon
53’ – DAL – Sebastian Lletget
68’ – VAN – Jayden Nelson

[Photo Credit: FC Dallas]

REACTION:

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS

JESPER SORENSEN

On his team’s performance in Dallas:

“I this it was quite impressive that we were able to perform at this level. I could see at the end that obviously we looked a little tired, and that was natural. But over the course of the game I thought that we were the better team and that we were controlling most parts of the match. We also looked very solid defensively, not that we were standing low, but we just looked solid and didn’t give much away. They had a couple of transition moments, especially in the first half where we could have opened up, but I like the balance we had in the team today.”

On the team’s 4-0-0 record to start the MLS season:

“As I told the players, maybe we may have a perfect record, but we are not a perfect team. But everyone is working their butts off and doing everything they can. We are getting more confident and we are getting better each day.”

On a good first month in charge:

“It’s something I’m very happy for, especially for the players, everybody around the club and also for the fans. I think it’s great to be part of such an exclusive group of teams [starting 4-0-0]. I think that when you play three more months, it’s not something that you think about, but it’s nice to have these moments. Also to be a little bit proud as a group that we’re doing something that is not usual. And I’m very happy for the players because they put so much effort into it and really, it all starts with them.”

STRIKER BRIAN WHITE

On the team’s mentality throughout this intense yet successful run of games:

“I think the mentality has been great with the group. Obviously, we’ve had a lot of games in a short period of time, so we just found, I think, this bit of flow where it was game, then alright, turn the page, next game, turn the page, next game. So we’ve been in this little bit of a grind and flow and credit to the boys, we’re doing everything we can to get some really good results in these 24 days with 8 games.”

MIDFIELDER J.C. NGANDO

On his journey that led him to his impressive start to the season:

“Honestly, last year when I went on loan [to USL Championship side Las Vegas Lights], I didn’t know how the loan would go and if I would be back in Vancouver. But just to change that, I had to play more last year and playing that many games last year helped me play the way I played today… the way the coach wants to play and the team around me also makes it easier for me. I feel like all of us, we all want to do things together, like play together and advance together, so just stepping on the field with these guys is so easy.”

FC DALLAS

ERIC QUILL

General thoughts on the match:

“We couldn’t find good rhythm with the ball, which is what we wanted to do tonight. We wanted to have long spells of possession because of what they have been going through. Part of the game plan was to chip their legs away. They are a great team and have a great team spirit. They didn’t look like a team that played Wednesday, so credit to them.”

On having a negative record:

“There’s a lot of football to be played. We have to dive deep on what happened tonight, diagnose it, and be honest with it. We’ll tweak some things. Anytime you drop two games, especially at home, you have to look at what you’re doing. If you’re a guy who hasn’t had a lot of minutes, it’s game on. We have to grow and figure things out. It’s unfortunate we dropped this homestand, but we can grow and we know we have quality. Next week is a new opportunity.”

GOALKEEPER MAARTEN PAES

Thoughts on tonight’s match:

“Vancouver is a group with a lot of mentality. It’s not easy to go to Mexico, draw there, and then come with this intensity and force us to defend a lot today. We have to go see the clips on what we can do better. We had zero shots on target. You never win games if you don’t get any or test their goalkeeper. We definitely need to look at these clips and reflect.”

On Vancouver’s goal:

“Coming into the match, we knew that they were a super strong set piece team. We were a little bit late. He cannot have it that free. It’s a tough goal to concede.”

On Real Salt Lake next week:

“I think the match is super important. It will be a tough game and the altitude there, but I’m gonna cheer the guys on from the other side of the world. I have faith that we can come back to Frisco still unbeaten on the road.”

DEFENDER MARCO FARFAN

On the defeat:

“Respect to them, they are a very good team. But we also have to be honest with ourselves, it wasn’t our best game. We didn’t come out and play the game we wanted to play. We know they came from a stretch of games, so it was our responsibility to be coming in at home and the intensity and just chop them off the part.”

On the goal Vancouver scored:

“We’re a team that’s gonna take accountability, especially this year, and for me, that I look at myself, it was my mark. You just gotta take accountability and show face when that type of stuff comes. I take responsibility for this, it was my guy who scored.”