Report and Reaction: Whitecaps almost throw it away late but secure shootout Leagues Cup win at LAFC

(Photo Credit: LAFC)

They made it a lot more difficult than it should have been after taking an early two-goal lead, but despite being shaken by LAFC’s late comeback, Vancouver Whitecaps came away from BMO Stadium with a penalty shoot-out win in their first Leagues Cup group game.

Two up by the 17th minute after a Sebastian Berhalter banger and a strong header from Ranko Veselinovic, the Whitecaps put in a fantastic first half performance before wilting in the second and allowing LAFC to tie things up with a Kei Kamara goal two minutes from time and a Mateusz Bogusz equaliser five minutes into stoppage time.

Frustrations at throwing away the lead boiled over on the ‘Caps bench, as Vanni Sartini was shown a straight red for appearing to swear at the fourth official, but thankfully for Vancouver, calmer heads prevailed in the shoot-out and the Whitecaps got the important second point from the game.

The Whitecaps were clinical from the spot, burying all four of their penalties, to win it 4-2 and set up an enticing match on Saturday against Mexican side CLub Tijuana.

The ‘Caps can finish anywhere from first to third in the group. A win and they top the group to take on either Mexican giants Pumas UNAM or Monterrey, a draw (no matter what happens in the subsequent shoot-out) and they travel to Texas to take on Austin, and a loss over 90 minutes and they are eliminated from this year’s competition.

All to play for at BC Place on Saturday night.

FINAL SCORE: Los Angeles FC 2 – 2 Vancouver Whitecaps [Whitecaps win 4-2 on pens]

ATT: 18,351

SCORING SUMMARY:
5’ – VAN – Sebastian Berhalter
17’ – VAN – Ranko Veselinović (Sebastian Berhalter)
88’ – LAFC – Kei Kamara (Denis Bouanga)
90’+5 – LAFC – Mateusz Bogusz (David Martínez)

STATS:
Possession: LAFC 66% – VAN 34%
Shots: LAFC 20 – VAN 15
Shots on Goal: LAFC 9 – VAN 4
Saves: LAFC 2 – VAN 6
Fouls: LAFC 11- VAN 13
Offsides: LAFC 2 – VAN 1
Corners: LAFC 6 – VAN 2

BOOKINGS:
13’ – VAN – Ali Ahmed
53’ – VAN – Belal Halbouni
80’ – LAFC – Cristian Olivera
90’ – LAFC – David Martínez
90’+1 – VAN – Sebastian Berhalter

SENT OFF:
LOS ANGELES: Abraham Romero; Sergi Palencia, Jesús Murillo, Aaron Long, Ryan Hollingshead (Omar Campos 46’); Mateusz Bogusz, Ilie Sánchez (David Martínez 69’), Erik Dueñas (Eduard Atuesta 46’); Cristian Olivera, Nathan Ordaz (Kei Kamara 46’), Denis Bouanga [Substitutes not used: Hugo Lloris, Eddie Segura, Thomas Hasal, Tomas Ángel, Maxime Chanot, Thomas Musto]

VANCOUVER: Isaac Boehmer; Belal Halbouni (Andrés Cubas 69’), Ranko Veselinović (Ralph Priso 87’), Bjørn Inge Utvik; Mathías Laborda, Sebastian Berhalter, Pedro Vite, Alessandro Schöpf (Ryan Raposo 69’), Ali Ahmed; Fafa Picault (Levonte Johnson 46’), Brian White (Damir Kreilach 76’) [Substitutes not used: Yohei Takaoka, Joe Bendik, Giuseppe Bovalina, Eliot Goldthorp, Finn Linder]

REACTION:

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS

ASSISTANT COACH MICHAEL D’AGOSTINO

On the team’s performance, and taking two points instead of three:

“I am more gutted for the players because I think they put in 94 minutes of intense hard-work. It’s very, very difficult to play here [in Los Angeles], it’s one of the hardest places to play in the league. We’ve played here enough to know that it’s very, very difficult even to get a point so, I feel a bit gutted for them because to concede two goals at the last minute is very difficult but, I think we controlled the majority of the game but at the end of the day, if you give them a chance you know they’re going to bury them. At the end of the day, they kind of took over the last 20-30 minutes and we had tired legs. These things happen, we know we had a chance to go and finish it to make it 3-1 not far from the end there, and it didn’t go in. At the end of the day, we get punished for it. I’m really proud of the guys, but at the end of the day, I’m also gutted.”

On Sebastian Berhalter’s performance tonight:

“He’s really stepped up. Sebastian [Berhalter] is one of the hardest working guys, not only on this team but that I’ve ever met and he’s a guy that is definitely put in a lot, and he’s getting the rewards for it, he’s a team player. He’s a guy that will put in 90 minutes, 100 minutes, whatever is needed. I’m happy for him having a good performance, he’s had a lot of good performances recently and he’s definitely stepped up.”

MIDFIELDER SEBASTIAN BERHALTER

On his goal:

“I think it was just one where the ball pops out to me, and why not? You just take the hit and I’m just glad it went in.”

On the importance of the win ahead of Tijuana:

“They will be a good team, but we’re confident in ourselves. We wanted the three [tonight], but we’ll take the two and move on to the next game.”

GOALKEEPER ISAAC BOEHMER

On staying composed in a tough match:

“Just preparing like I do every game. It doesn’t matter where I’m going, what stadium, what team we’re playing. I just stick to what I know what to do and follow the principles of how we play and continue to learn and work hard, and it will come together.”

On Leagues Cup:

“I played Leagues Cup last year and we won as well, and it felt great. You don’t come in here often and get points. I really wanted a clean sheet, but it’s ok, we won. So I’m happy for that.”

On the shootout:

“It’s hard to really prepare for penalties. You study a lot of the players, and you can read their bodies. At the end of the day it’s just 1v1, and it comes down to you versus the man.”

On the two points before playing Tijuana:

“It’s super important. We’re in control of our own destiny now. They’re going to be a good team, we have to perform well and do what we have to do.”

LOS ANGELES FC

HEAD COACH STEVE CHERUNDOLO

On what can be taken away from a match like this:

“One point. [Laugh]. Look, I think we absolutely fell asleep for the first 20 minutes, collectively. Some more than others, so individually as well, and that’s unacceptable. That put us in a tough spot to come back from. I was very happy with the reaction after that, and then chasing a game, which is not easy against Vancouver. They’re quite slippery and dangerous in transition. It’s a good little team and they defend very well in a deeper block. They added another midfielder tonight and they did a great job, as far as their gameplan goes. But again, putting yourself in that deep of a hole is always difficult. But I was happy with chasing the game and then getting a point in the end was fantastic. It made it interesting. But I think overall, tonight in the final third we were a little sloppy and made some poor decisions, which added to the sloppiness. If we were a little cleaner in that portion of the field then I still think you win after conceding two goals. But if you don’t play and finish your chances in a clean and clinical manner, then it’s really hard to win a game if you go down 2-0. So not a poor performance, but a very poor first 20 minutes and I think that’s the reason why we didn’t win.”

On at what point he knew Mateusz Bogusz’s late equalizer was onside:

“We have the game on our iPad as well. So we were able to see there was a defender on the ground. Not sure who it was, [Bjørn Inge Utvik] maybe? He kept [Bogusz] onside.”

DEFENDER RYAN HOLLINGSHEAD

On the match:

“A really good response from the guys. Not a great start, weird first goal, got beat on a set piece and tried to respond. I thought the guys stuck with it. Lots of numbers to try to break through, [but] they sat back so deep. To be able to find two that late in the game is huge. Great resilience.”

On the importance of this result in the battle to finish top of this group:

“That point is going to be huge for us. Hopefully it plays out well for their next game. Obviously, if we win the penalties there we’re top of the group, so tough for that not to happen but still a huge point, a needed point. It really puts us in a good spot to see what’s going to happen.”

DEFENDER JESÚS DAVID MURILLO

On difficulty at the start:

“When you find two quick goals, the match goes in their favor. It means we have to do extra work and go against the current to recover and go the long haul. On their end they created long balls to create danger. We kept trying, but the opportunities didn’t go in and sadly in the penalties we weren’t able to get the extra point.”

On the way the team played in the last 15 minutes:

“The last 15 minutes is kind of what we do. Especially when we’re losing we have to risk more and put more forward. We sacrificed a bit more and luckily we got the draw.We came out with the draw, didn’t get the extra point, now we get to rest and recover and work on the mistakes we had tonight.”

On how long it took to be certain the game-tying goal would count:

“It was just and deserved. We put a lot of effort forward to tie the game and it came at the end in the final minutes. We created many chances and the goal came from one of those good chances. Now we turn the page because whoever our next opponent is, is going to be tough. Sadly with the VAR it’s like that, you have to wait for them to review. On my end I thought the goal was on from the beginning and with how the goal unfolded, so I thought it was always on. Like I said we’re going to turn the page and rest and recover.”

On what the result says about the group:

“At the end we get the point that helps us for what’s coming with the decision of the groups. We know there is nothing that can defeat us when we put our arms down and head down and work work work no matter what minute of the game it is. I think we were rewarded with a draw and we can’t give advantages so we have to rest and recover and work for what’s next because it’s not going to be easy.”

DEFENDER SERGIO PALENCIA

Coming back for the draw after being down 2-0:

“We came in a little bit asleep against this team that makes games complicated. We had to fight hard to tie the game. They put a lot of guys on defense but they had a lot of good players that can play the counter attack. It was difficult but this shows the team does not give up along with the help of the fans.”

Waiting on facing the next team:

“We have completed our work now. We would’ve liked to win today to be first in the group but we’re in the second round now. We will await the match between Vancouver and Tijuana. We will be ready for what comes next. We will have a few days to rest to be ready.”