Report and Reaction: Brian White brace sees Whitecaps storm back to draw against old nemesis LAFC

If there’s one team that the mere mention of will send PTSD shockwaves through the Whitecaps fanbase, it’s LAFC. And if there’s one current player, it has their Gabonese striker Denis Bouanga.

Result may have improved in recent outings, but the lads from LA have just seemed to have the Whitecaps number no matter the match, no matter the competition. It’s perhaps very telling then just how far this Vancouver side have come under head coach Jesper Sorensen that after falling two goals behind after just 19 minutes at BC Place on Sunday afternoon, following a strike from Mark Delgado and a Bouanga penalty, there was little doubt among many than the ‘Caps could come storming back.

This wasn’t misplaced belief, they did.

It’s perhaps also very telling that Brian White’s brace that saw him score a header in each half, earned Vancouver a point but left many feeling very disappointed that they didn’t end up leaving with all three. This 2025 Vancouver Whitecaps are built very differently and they showed it to a national television audience on Apple’s primetime Sunday Night Soccer match-up. And that disappointment will fuel them for the coming weeks.

With a rarity it feels of no midweek match, Sorensen had the luxury of a rested and almost full squad to choose from for this one and made three changes to the team that beat Real Salt Lake eight days ago. That lack of two games a week action may have actually disrupted the team’s rhythm, for they started this one very slowly.

The game was end-to-end from kick off with Yohei Takaoka being forced into a double save three minutes in, first from Bouanga and then a shot from Igor Jesus off the rebound.

LAFC had looked the more dangerous to start the game and they got an early breakthrough in the 8th minute. Takaoka was again forced into a save from an Eddie Segura header, but this time he was unable to keep out the rebound from Delgado, who fired home to give the visitor’s the lead.

The goal sparked the ‘Caps into a little bit of life, but they were kept to long range efforts and didn’t test Hugo Lloris.

The afternoon went from bad to worse for Vancouver in the 17th minute when Edier Ocampo brought down a streaking Ryan Hollingshead in the box and referee Joe Dickerson had the easy decision of pointing to the spot.

Regular ‘Caps killer Bouanga stepped up and easily sent Takaoka the wrong way to double LA’s lead.

This match was always going to be the toughest test for the Whitecaps in league play, but that adversity was now magnified and would test just how good this team is.

The next goal in the match now felt huge. We didn’t have to wait long for it and it went the way of the Whitecaps.

The ‘Caps won a free kick about 30 yards from goal when Bouanga brought down Ocampo. Sebastian Berhalter came up with another pinpoint delivery, right on to the head of White, who rose unchallenged to pull one back for the Western Conference leaders.

It was now very much game back on, but neither side was able to carve out any clear cut chances for the remainder of the half and LAFC went in at the break with the one goal lead.

The Whitecaps made a change at the half, with Ali Ahmed coming on for Pedro Vite as Sorensen looked to add some speed out wide.

Vancouver were dominating the second half play and it felt like the equaliser was coming. As the minutes ticked down and LA’s deep-lying defence remained resolute, it was proving difficult for the ‘Caps to find a way through.

Enter Emmanuel Sabbi.

The winger had just come on when Ahmed sent a superb cross field ball to him on the left. Cutting inside, he sent a cross to the back post that was flicked on by an LA defender. Ahmed met it and headed it across goal for White to head home his second of the game and we were all tied up.

Instead of the ‘Caps pushing on to find the winner, the goal seemed to finally spark the visitors into life for the first time in the second half and they enjoyed the better of the closing minutes.

They should have gone ahead in the 90th minute when Bouanga sent in a dangerous low cross and somehow Takaoka got his fingers to deny a Jeremy Ebobisse shot from point blank range. Cengiz Ünder then forced a save out of the ‘Caps keeper from the subsequent corner.

The game fizzled out in the five minutes of stoppage time and both teams had to settle for a point apiece.

As mentioned at the top, the fact that this team can go two goals down to an arch nemesis and one of the consistent top performers in MLS in recent years and not only come back, but leave many disappointed that they didn’t win the match, shows just how far this team have come.

The comeback and goals aside, what was perhaps the most pleasing aspect of this performance was that the team did not panic at going two goals down. They didn’t veer away from their gameplan and they showed great calmness and composure to get themselves back on level terms. That mentality and performance goes a long way in any league.

Their lead at the top may be slightly reduced, but they showed they are not a flash in the pan and their bubble isn’t bursting any time soon.

Next up is a trip to Texas to take on a team they demolished a couple of weeks ago in Austin FC. How they follow this match up, and their previous meeting with Los Verdes, will also be very telling about the sustainability of this current run of form by the ‘Caps. They’re going to be hungry, but they need to keep delivering.

FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 2 – 2 Los Angeles FC

ATT: 22,437

VANCOUVER: 1.Yohei Takaoka; 18.Édier Ocampo (27.Giuseppe Bovalina 90’+2), 33.Tristan Blackmon, 4.Ranko Veselinović ©, 28.Tate Johnson; 16.Sebastian Berhalter, 20.Andrés Cubas, 26.J.C. Ngando (13.Ralph Priso 80’); 45.Pedro Vite (22.Ali Ahmed HT), 24.Brian White, 7.Jayden Nelson (11.Emmanuel Sabbi 66’) [Substitutes not used: 32.Isaac Boehmer, 12.Belal Halbouni, 15.Bjørn Inge Utvik, 19.Damir Kreilach, 59.Jeevan Badwal]

LOS ANGELES: 1.Hugo Lloris; 14.Sergi Palencia, 4.Eddie Segura, 33.Aaron Long, 24.Ryan Hollingshead; 11.Timothy Tillman, 6.Igor Jesus, 8.Marky Delgado (23.Frankie Amaya 86’); 30.David Martínez (22.Cengiz Ünder 63’), 27.Nathan Ordaz (17.Jeremy Ebobisse 63′), 99.Denis Bouanga [Substitutes not used: 18.David Ochoa, 5.Marlon Santos, 9.Olivier Giroud, 20.Yaw Yeboah, 29.Artem Smoliakov, 91.Nkosi Tafari]

SCORING SUMMARY:

8’ – LAFC – Mark Delgado
19’ – LAFC – Denis Bouanga (penalty kick)
26’ – VAN – Brian White (Sebastian Berhalter)
70’ – VAN – Brian White (Ali Ahmed)

STATS:
Possession: VAN 59.1% – LAFC 40.9%
Shots: VAN 11 – LAFC 13
Shots on Goal: VAN 5 – LAFC 7
Saves: VAN 5 – LAFC 3
Fouls: VAN 13 – LAFC 16
Offsides: VAN 0 – LAFC 3
Corners: VAN 7 – LAFC 6

CARDS (ALL YELLOW):
28’ – LAFC – Sergi Palencia
45’+1 – LAFC – David Martínez
57’ – VAN – Jayden Nelson
61’ – LAFC – Ryan Hollingshead
66’ – VAN – Andrés Cubas

REACTION:

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS

JESPER SORENSEN

On his team’s second half:

“In the second half, I think that we pushed. I think that we didn’t play smart after the 2-2 goal. It was too stressed, we made a lot of mistakes on our way up the field, which allowed counterattacks the other way. So I think that we’ve definitely pushed the period from the start of the second half to 2-2 was very, very good. And then in the end, they could have scored, of course they could have. There was a big chance and it was a great save by Yohei [Takaoka]. I think we were behind 2-0 after 18 minutes against a very good team, but we kept calm, we were a little flat in the beginning of the game, and were not really that energetic. We had some bad positioning in the first half, and we changed that a little bit in the break. And I think Ali came in and made a difference.”

On being able to come back from 2-0 against a very good team:

“I think what is important is that when you play 20 minutes, you’re early in the game. You have a game plan that you trust and rely on, and don’t all of the sudden get caught too much in the moment. We made some stupid mistakes, they scored on the throw-in and we made a very stupid penalty. But that’s what happens and then all of a sudden you’re behind. But don’t go into panic mode. In the break, I think it was easy because we knew that we could do better. We knew that we could come out with more energy and better quality on the ball, and we also knew that we could do a little bit of changes that could help us. So it wasn’t about screaming and yelling at the break, it was more [about] making an adjustment here and there, and then just have the confidence that you won’t go behind, and you can still get a result.”

GOALKEEPER YOHEI TAKAOKA

On his team’s overall performance:

“Obviously, the first half was not good enough in terms of intensity, quality and everything, including me. But we came back second half, it was a good attitude. You know, if you can’t win, [at least] don’t lose it. So that’s good [that] we could show good spirit.”

STRIKER BRIAN WHITE

On what this comeback shows in terms of the team’s growth:

“I think it shows the turning of what we were in the past. I think at times we would have been, you know, really happy to come out of here with a point, and now I think we’re a little bit frustrated with ourselves that we let in not great goals. So I think we have to continue to learn from these mistakes that we’ve made and hopefully we continue to improve and be better and better.”