Report and Reaction: Picault wakes Whitecaps up from their slumber to seal three big points against SKC
They made it more difficult for themselves than they needed to, but Vancouver Whitecaps extended their unbeaten league run to five matches with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Sporting Kansas City at BC Place on Wednesday evening.
The Whitecaps were dominant in the first half and went into the break with the lead after Robert Voloder’s 34th minute own goal. The ‘Caps had also seen two goals chopped off for offside, but almost undid all of their good work with a lackadaisical start to the second half that allowed William Agada to fire home a 69th minute equaliser as the visitors were allowed to run rampant.
Finally sparked into life, Vancouver regained the lead seven minutes later when Fafa Picault made it back-to-back games with goal, heading home what proved to the winner for the Whitecaps.
With the games continuing to come thick and fast, Vanni Sartini made three changes to his starting line-up from the side that won in St Louis on Saturday. Ali Ahmed came back from Copa America duty with Canada and went straight into the team, on the left side of the attack in a 3-4-3 formation.
The Whitecaps were dominant in the first half. Their first chance came seven minutes in when Voloder cleared Brian White’s header from a corner off the goalline.
Ryan Gauld had a couple of looks before Ahmed shot weakly at KC keeper Tim Melia from a good position.
Zorhan Bassong almost turned the ball into his own net in the 23rd minute when trying to clear a Ryan Raposo cross, and the Whitecaps finally put the ball in the net four minutes later, after Gauld played in White, but the ‘Caps leading scorer was offside.
Vancouver weren’t to be denied though and did eventually take the lead in the 34th minute.
Alessandro Schopf played the ball inside to White, who in turn played it out to Gauld. The Scot sent it back in for White to tuck it away, but before he could. KC defender Voloder slid in to do it himself.
A goal is a goal. PERIODT.
📺 https://t.co/7KH1nIIxdh #VWFC | #VANvSKC pic.twitter.com/QLoksrUaXE
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) July 18, 2024
The Whitecaps thought they had a second three minutes before the break when Ahmed played in Gauld. His shot was saved by Melia, with the rebound dispatched into the net by Ahmed, but the Canadian had held onto his pass just that little bit too long and the Scot was offside.
KC came out the hungrier and better looking team to start the second half, led by substitute Erik Thommy, one of three changes made at break by Peter Vermes.
Yohei Takaoka denied the German in the 55th minute before Stephen Afrifa crashed one off the bar for the visitors three minutes after the hour mark. The rebound fell to Daniel Salloi, whose fierce shot from the edge of the box was superbly tipped over by the ‘Caps keeper.
KC were by far the better side in the second half and they got their deserved reward in the 69th minute.
Salloi saw his shot parried away by Takaoka, but the rebound fell to Agada in front of goal, who fired home the equaliser.
Willy Agada buries it 💥 pic.twitter.com/KqrrzLUXUT
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 18, 2024
Vancouver had seemingly lost all of their attacking threat, but from nowhere, they retook the lead in the 76th minute on a counter attack that saw KC leave the ‘Caps wide open.
Sebastian Berhalter whipped in a fantastic cross from the right and it was met superbly by Picault to head home.
WHAT A BALL! WHAT A HEADER! 🤯
📺 https://t.co/7KH1nIHZnJ #VWFC | #VANvSKC pic.twitter.com/r9wOVJNFYC
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) July 18, 2024
The game them became very open, with both sides bringing the ball forward quickly, and the Whitecaps nearly found a third when Picault tried to play in White but it ran through to Melia before the striker could get onto it.
This time the Whitecaps weren’t giving up the lead and they saw out the remaining minutes for a deserved three points, in what was really a must-win home match against a team outside of the playoff places.
Dropping anything, particularly with how tight the Western Conference is right now, would have undone some of the good work they did on the road in recent weeks.
Instead, they found the way to win and move into the top four places in the West as they push for home advantage in the playoffs. Next up is another game they simply have to take three points from, as Houston come to BC Place on Saturday.
FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 2 – 1 Sporting Kansas City
ATT: 23,198
SCORING SUMMARY:
34’ – VAN – Robert Voloder (own goal)
69’ – SKC – William Agada
76’ – VAN – Fafa Picault (Sebastian Berhalter, Andrés Cubas)
STATS:
Possession: VAN 55.1% – SKC 44.9%
Shots: VAN 13 – SKC 17
Shots on Goal: VAN 4 – SKC 7
Saves: VAN 5 – SKC 2
Fouls: VAN 10 – SKC 7
Offsides: VAN 2 – SKC 0
Corners: VAN 4 – SKC 6
BOOKINGS:
87’ – SKC – Robert Voloder
VANCOUVER: Yohei Takaoka; Mathías Laborda, Ranko Veselinović, Bjørn Inge Utvik; Ryan Raposo (Sebastian Berhalter 68’), Pedro Vite, Andrés Cubas, Alessandro Schöpf (Luis Martins 72’); Ryan Gauld (Giuseppe Bovalina 88’), Brian White (Levonte Johnson 88’), Ali Ahmed (Fafa Picault 68’) [Substitutes not used: Isaac Boehmer, Belal Halbouni, Ralph Priso, Damir Kreilach]
KANSAS CITY: Tim Melia; Kayden Pierre (Khiry Shelton 46′), Roberto Castellanos, Robert Voloder, Zorhan Bassong; Nemanja Radoja, Remi Walter; Alenis Vargas (Stephen Afrifa 46′), Alan Pulido (26.Erik Thommy 46′), Daniel Sallói; William Agada [Substitutes not used: Ryan Schewe, Andreu Fontás, Tim Leibold]
REACTION:
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
HEAD COACH VANNI SARTINI
On the match:
“Well, the first half was amazing, it was like champagne football. The first half is like MLS Cup winners. So, I liked a lot of the first half, we could have scored four goals. Unfortunately, we made a couple of mistakes in front of the [Sporting Kansas City] net and a couple of passes that were a couple of milliseconds too late. It should have been two or 3-0. And that reminds us that if you don’t put the game to bed, the game [can] come back. I‘ve got to be honest, it looked like we wanted them to tie at some point.”
On what it will take to finish strong:
“Playing consecutively games like this, especially [at] home. So, we have 11 games [remaining], seven are home. I think that if we show that we always play like this [at] home, because away sometimes we have to put our humble suit [on] and be less in charge of the games sometimes. If we’re able to be consistent like this, for sure we’re going to finish in the top four. If we keep playing like this. We’re already in the top four with games in hand. So, that’s what we need to do. The thing is – is that it’s hard. It’s hard because there’s still 11 games now, especially after the Leagues Cup, everything counts and everyone comes with the knife between their teeth.”
DEFENDER RANKO VESELINOVIC
On the team’s unbeaten streak and his own good form:
“Like the whole team, I feel more confident when we are higher up the field, I can be more aggressive on the forwards. I think it’s been really solid from all defenders and, I mean, the whole team played good so that’s nice to see. Especially in the first half when we can be there on the halfway line and controlling things, having the ball in our possession, that helps a lot when we can control it and that also boosts your confidence on how the time passes in the game so that’s how we need to continue, especially now Saturday is another tough game [against Houston Dynamo].”
On the keys to the ‘Caps continuing this good form:
“I think the key is scoring goals, that’s for sure. We spoke after that game in Portland where we lost 2-0, when it was a really tough point in the season for us. We had to sit together and talk a lot, and changed a little bit our attitude in games, how we approach them and how we start games. We started to bring our lines a little bit higher up the field, especially on the opponent’s goal kick, and I think that changed a lot when we’re now on the front foot and scoring easier goals.”
SPORTING KANSAS CITY
HEAD COACH PETER VERMES
On the adjustments in the second half…
“We went to a 4-3-3 as opposed to a 4-2-3-1. We changed that and made some adjustments when they had the ball and they were building out of the back. It was a totally different game in the second half for sure.”
Thoughts on the match…
“We’re in the game when it’s 1-1. In this game, we were a little slow with the ball and two times we gave up the ball deep in their end on plays where it was really easy for us. If we would have just laid the ball off or pushed the ball into space for another guy who was running that area, we have a chance to go to goal and actually be very dangerous. It winds up being two actions against us that was very dangerous, which could have been two goals. They had a couple chances — and I’m not talking about the ones that were offside because offside is offside — I’m talking about in the second half there were a couple of chances where they probably should have gotten more out of them. We got a little lucky but, I say again, we were slow with the ball in situations that I think (allowed) them a couple opportunities to nick it and then go to goal quickly on a fast transition. We needed to be better there tonight.”
On the formation change and the halftime substitutes…
“The way we went out in the second half and the responsibilities changed for certain guys, which I think was very important. There’s no doubt that some other guys came on and just did a better job for sure. I think it was hard for us with the two in the middle in the beginning. It was hard for us to get at them and also it put a lot of work for the two central midfielders. I think when we went to three, it was totally different.”
On the midfield play…
“They were playing more like a diamond in the middle and they still had (Ryan) Gauld underneath and of our two central defenders, one of them wasn’t stepping out to Gauld. So if he’d get between the lines, he would turn and go. And then the other two guys went so wide; our two midfielders shouldn’t go wide because that’s not their responsibility. That’s why with three, it was a lot easier because now we have Nemanja (Radoja) in the second half play more like a six. He was able to take care of Gauld and then the two midfielders could take care of their two players that opened up and our two wingers stayed in. We did a much better job in the second half.”
On Daniel Salloi’s chances in the second half…
“I think (Erik) Thommy coming in the game and I think (Stephen) Afrifa coming and playing on the right side was a big help to us. There was just a better level of organization which gave us more possession of the ball, which then allowed some of those guys to get in better spots and get faced up with their opponent. It was definitely two different halves. The second half was much, much better. But just maybe a little disappointing because I think we could have gotten out of here with a point.”
On Saturday’s match-up with St. Louis…
“I think the biggest thing is we have got to rest and we have got to get recovered and we have got to get a couple guys back in the group. Hopefully, some of the guys will be back to help because we need those guys on the field. We need as much energy and as many players as we possibly can for this weekend.”
GOALKEEPER TIM MELIA
On the tale of two halves…
“I just don’t think we were tracking (Ryan) Gauld or (Brian) White very well in the first half. We had a style of play we wanted to play defensively. We just weren’t kind of executing it. They were able to kind of combine fairly easily and get behind us. They got the goal. But I thought when we came out in the second half, we readjusted and we made some adjustments with players and shape. Then we were back in the game and we were fighting and we looked like ourselves. It’s just kind of unfortunate to give away another point-losing goal but I thought our response in the second half was good and something we have got to build on.”
On the second goal conceded…
“I think what happens is when we have the ball and we’re open and then we turn the ball over, in that moment we’re not allocated correctly within our defensive positioning. (Fafa) Picault makes a very long run that we just didn’t track correctly and (Sebastian) Berhalter plays a good ball and he kind of just thumps the header by me. I think it’s one of those where, in that moment, we have to recognize that the 1-1 result on the road is a positive thing and be a little bit more compact. But I think we were just eager to try to accumulate as many points as we can because of the scenario that we’re currently in that we allowed ourselves to just be a little bit too open in that situation and making that play a little bit too easy.”
On Saturday’s match-up with St. Louis…
“Big game. We have this rivalry that’s really kind of in its early stages of development of becoming these very exciting games against St. Louis. It’s two teams that need all the points they can get so I think it’s going to be more interesting. I think right now we’ve had a pretty solid road trip. We would have liked to collect points here, but we didn’t. We get to be at home in front of our fans against our new rival. It’s going to be an exciting game and I think it’s one that every single person is going to want to be up for and everyone’s going to want to be out there on the field fighting for our fans and fighting for our lives in these moments.”
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