Report and Reaction: Late flurry not enough as Whitecaps drop two big points against Cascadian rivals

Vancouver Whitecaps wasted the opportunity to move back to the top of the MLS Western Conference after dropping two points at home to Portland Timbers on Wednesday evening in a 1-1 draw at BC Place.

This was your proverbial game of two halves as a young, and out of sorts, Whitecaps side were put under immense pressure from their Cascadian rivals in the first 45 minutes, struggling to get a foothold in the game. Trailing to a stunning strike from Canadian international Kamal Miller six minutes before half time, it was a much different Vancouver side after the restart. Despite dominating, they had to wait until two minutes before time to grab a late leveler from the returning Brian White and despite throwing everything at Portland in the closing moments, they couldn’t find a second and had to settle for a single point.

While the point moves them to within one of leaders San Diego in the West, and still with a game in hand, the match had given Vancouver the chance to not only reclaim the top spot, but to secure a top four finish and home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The dropped points also now takes the chance to win their first ever Supporters Shield out of their own hands. A disappointing night at the office overall, but at least they were able to take something from it.

Jesper Sorensen made four changes from the team that started the weekend win in Kansas City, with Andres Cubas and Edier Ocampo missing out due to yellow card accumulation. With White back in the mix after his hamstring injury, but starting on the bench, Rayan Elloumi was handed his first MLS start in the second youngest line-up in the Whitecaps’ MLS history, and it was tough time for them in the first 45 minutes.

Portland dominated the first half action, outshooting Vancouver 14-2 and not allowing any shots on goal. In reply they had a lot of success with the long ball forward, giving the ‘Caps defence a torrid time as Yohei Takaoka was forced into making six saves.

Takaoka denied a Kristoffer Velde header in the 5th minute, before the big Norwegian was played in from a quickly taken long free kick six minutes later, crashing his shot off the left post.

Portland piled the pressure on, with Takaoka making saves to keep out an Ian Smith shot in the 12th minute, then a weak attempt from Kevin Kelsey two minutes later.

The ‘Caps finally started to settle, but the Timbers weren’t allowing them to cause any kind of attacking threat. The visitors on the other hand looked very much that and Velde whizzed a shot just past the far post on the half hour mark, before Takaoka had to tip a flashing Kelsey header over six minutes later.

Portland finally got the breakthrough their play deserved in the 39th minute and it was a Canadian that did the damage as the ball came to Miller 25 yards out and he sent a fierce dipper into the postage stamp corner.

The Whitecaps were lucky to be heading into the break just one behind and they brought Ali Ahmed on at the half to try and add some spark for the second half. It worked.

Vancouver looked a whole different beast after the restart and took the game to Portland, with Mathias Laborda heading a Sebastian Berhalter corner wide of the far post in the 53rd minute.

The ‘Caps saw a lot of the ball in and around the box, but without testing James Pantemis in the Timbers goal. Even White’s return for the last half hour wasn’t providing any shots on target, as Vancouver struggled with telling final balls.

With the minutes ticking down, and the half chances coming and going without really threatening to get them back onto level terms, the ‘Caps threw everything at the Timbers in the closing minutes and they got their reward two minutes from time.

Berhalter had seen a fierce strike tipped onto the bar and out for a corner by Pantemis. Keeping the pressure on, Berhalter floated in another trademark pinpoint delivery on the subsequent corner, which was flicked on by Laborda into the six yard box for a stretching White to direct the ball home.

They’d found their equaliser but the ‘Caps felt there was till something in the game for them in the dying embers.

With the game two minutes into stoppage time, Berhalter lofted a cross in for White, who connected with it but not cleanly, and the ball bounced agonisingly wide.

Vancouver were to come even closer moments later when a Tate Johnson cutback found its way through to Sabbi and his rising volley crashed off the bar.

And that was to be that. A point won’t be what either team will be happy to take from the match in the end. Portland will rue not turning their first half dominance into more goals, but they must also feel that they were hanging on in the end.

Considering all of the players missing to injury and suspension for the ‘Caps a draw in the grand scheme of things isn’t awful, but it is disappointing with so much on the line. Those absences seemed to catch up with Vancouver on the night. Sometimes the “next man up” mantra can reach its breaking point, and it felt it a little for the Whitecaps on Wednesday in that first half.

The changes for the second half certainly added some spark and with Cubas and Ocampo definitely returning on Saturday, and the hopes that Muller might be able to as well, it should hopefully more of the ‘Caps that we saw in the second half of this one and not the first, otherwise that could very well be the death knell for those Supporters Shield hopes.

FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 1 – 1 Portland Timbers

ATT: 20,212

VANCOUVER: 1.Yohei Takaoka; 27.Giuseppe Bovalina (14.Daniel Ríos 80’), 12.Belal Halbouni, 2.Mathías Laborda, 28.Tate Johnson; 16.Sebastian Berhalter ©, 6.Ralph Priso (59.Jeevan Badwal 73’); 11.Emmanuel Sabbi, 17.Kenji Cabrera (26.J.C. Ngando 80’), 7.Jayden Nelson (22.Ali Ahmed HT); 75.Rayan Elloumi (24.Brian White 60’) [Substitutes not used: 32.Isaac Boehmer, 41.Nikola Djordjevic, 42.Nelson Pierre, 53.Mark O’Neill]

PORTLAND: 41.James Pantemis; 23.Ian Smith (7.Ariel Lassiter 77’), 20.Finn Surman, 13.Dario Župarić, 4.Kamal Miller, 35.Matías Rojas (10.David Da Costa 62’), 21.Diego Chará © (24.David Ayala 77’), 17.Cristhian Paredes; 99.Kristoffer Velde (15.Eric Miller 83’), 19.Kevin Kelsy (9.Felipe Mora 62’), 11.Antony [Substitutes not used: 25.Trey Muse, 18.Zachery McGraw, 22.Omir Fernandez, 80.Joao Ortiz]

SCORING SUMMARY:
39’ – POR – Kamal Miller
88’ – VAN – Brian White (Mathías Laborda, Sebastian Berhalter)

STATS:
Possession: VAN 57.6% – POR 42.4%
Shots: VAN 14 – POR 17
Shots on Goal: VAN 3 – POR 7
Saves: VAN 6 – POR 2
Fouls: VAN 14 – POR 14
Offsides: VAN 0 – POR 0
Corners: VAN 4 – POR 11

CARDS:
47’ – POR – Dario Župarić
57’ – VAN – Belal Halbouni
67’ – POR – Cristhian Paredes
71’ – POR – Ian Smith
74’ – POR – Diego Chará

REACTION:

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS

JESPER SORENSEN

On the two tales of two halves:

“We played with a little bit more urgency in the second half. Also, I think that we had some better positions with the ball in the second half. We were not disciplined in the first half with the ball – we were also sloppy to begin with – which gave them a lot of corner kicks, a lot of momentum that was difficult for us to handle. We then – I think – we got a hold of our play and it looked better and then they scored a banger. It was a very beautiful goal but of course a little unfortunate to concede at that point, I thought we were finally getting into the game. But in the second half I think that we pushed hard, adjusted a few things, especially in our positions. I think Kenji [Cabrera] had not the right position in the first half, and he had a better position in the second half so we could possess a bigger threat. I think [Emmanuel] Sabbi had a better position in the second half, so we had more central positions, and that allowed us to get a hold of the play and create some chances.”

On Brian White coming back:

“He possesses a goal-scoring threat, he’s a good player, he’s been for years. And is, of course, a guy that’s been one of the biggest stars in this club over the past years and he’s obviously a guy that also gives some momentum to his teammates when he gets on the pitch. But he’s been out for a while and it was nice to have him back. Not that Rayan [Elloumi] did not do well – because I think that he really did and showed a lot of promise – but great to have Brian back and of course scoring a goal was a great scenario for us also because that really helps us getting him back on the scoresheet.”

FORWARD BRIAN WHITE

On returning from injury and scoring:

“It’s good to be back with the team. Obviously, it’s never easy being injured, so being away, not being able to train with the team [and] playing the games, is always tough. So, it’s good to be back out there and score a goal. Should have been two and three points, but we take what we get and move on to the next game.”

On the two halves:

“I think the first half maybe wasn’t our best game – best half of soccer – I think even [at] the start of the second half I thought we were a lot more dangerous, a lot more on the attacking foot, really trying to score and tie the game up. For me coming in, I just wanted to help the team, get myself in dangerous positions and try to score. And I was fortunate enough to be in a good spot.”

On the equalizer:

“Me and Tate were scrapping around a little bit in the box with the defenders. I think Mathias [Laborda] got a good flick on it, and I just read that he was going to get a touch on it and just tried to get in a dangerous area.”