Report and Reaction: White’s winner brings late joy for Whitecaps, as victory over defending champs soured by Adekugbe injury

Vancouver Whitecaps’ unbeaten start to the new MLS season continued at BC Place on Sunday with a 2-1 victory over the visiting defending league champs, the LA Galaxy.

A lot of attention will be on the City of Angels for the Oscars on Sunday night, but there was no award winning performance from the Galaxy on the pitch in Vancouver, as they were dominated by a patient and decisive ‘Caps side that had to wait for Brian White’s winner three minutes from time for their deserved Hollywood ending.

The Whitecaps had opened the scoring in the first three minutes, when Sam Adekugbe buried his second goal of the season, following his strike down in Portland seven days ago. That joy soon turned to agony for the Canadian international when he was forced off in tears with a suspected quad injury in the 28th minute.

That injury seemed to derail the ‘Caps and allowed the Galaxy to level things up through Gabriel Pec in the 39th minute, in one of the visitors few dangerous forays forward. Vancouver regrouped at the break and most of the second 45 minutes was played in the LA half, before the late breakthrough finally came and the table-topping Whitecaps marched on undefeated in league play.

Jesper Sørensen kept an unchanged starting line-up from the team that dismantled Portland last weekend, making three changes from the team that saw off Saprissa in Champions Cup action on Thursday.

And the ‘Caps continued from where they left off a week ago, coming out on the front foot, taking the game to the Galaxy and opening the scoring with just over two minutes on the clock.

Mathias Laborda drove forward up the right wing, playing the ball in to Pedro Vite. The Ecuadorian hit the byeline and sent a shot into the near post, which could only be parried away by Novak Micovic in the Galaxy goal, straight into the path of Adekugbe, who made no mistake in drilling the ball home from a few yards out.

The ‘Caps kept their tempo going and nearly added a second in the 14th minute.

Ryan Gauld played in Jayden Nelson, who outmuscled Emiro Garces and tried to round Micovic. The Galaxy ‘keeper did well to keep a tight angle for any shot and was able to make the save.

LA were offering little going forward, with their best chances being a long range Diego Fagundez effort and a through ball Fagundez almost got on to moments later.

Sandwiched inbetween those was the sad sight of a visibly distraught Adekugbe being subbed off after going down off the ball and heading straight to the locker room after some on-pitch treatment to his right knee.

The injury seemed to suck a bit of energy out of both the Whitecaps on the pitch and the fans in the stands and the Galaxy started to enjoy more of the ball and they tied things up in the 39th minute.

Miguel Berry powered into the box and got the better of Tristan Blackmon, as Yohei Takaoka came off this line to try and smother the ball, Berry cut it back to Pec, who coolly fired it low into the bottom right corner and we were all square at one apiece.

The Galaxy almost went into the break with the lead when Garces’ shot was deflected inches past the right post with second of the first half regulation remaining. But with neither side able to find the go-ahead goal, the teams headed into half time all square.

It was a much cagier affair after the restart, with Vancouver making most of the running, but without carving out any clear cut chances to retake the lead. The few half chances the ‘Caps were getting were primarily coming from headers from crosses in to the box.

With Vancouver controlling possession and play, LA had been removed as any sort of attacking threat and were looking happy to just sit back for a road point.

With a share of the spoils looming, Vancouver finally got the breakthrough their dominance of play deserved with three minutes to go.

White grabbed his third goal in four days, rising unchallenged against a flat-footed Galaxy defence to head home an absolutely fantastic pinpoint cross in from Vite.

With nine minutes of stoppage time to come, it just didn’t feel like a nervy end to the match as an assured Whitecaps easily saw out the remaining minutes with the Galaxy showing nothing of a threat and it was back to back wins in the league to kick off the new era in Vancouver.

It was a deserved and confident victory for Vancouver. Still far from perfect, but the patience and shape they showed in that second half was the mark of a new-look team. One which doesn’t feel they have to go scattergun to try and force something to happen and then leaving themselves open at the back.

There’s still obviously a lot of football still to be played, but it’s a very impressive and encouraging start to the new season. One where if you look around the rest of the Western Conference, there’s not a lot to be scared off out there right now. But things can change very quickly in MLS as we know. Early points on the board are absolutely crucial and the Whitecap have six shiny ones right now.

FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 2 – 1 LA Galaxy

ATT: 21,124

SCORING SUMMARY:
3’ – VAN – Sam Adekugbe
39’ – LA – Gabriel Pec
87’ – VAN – Brian White (Pedro Vite)

STATS:
Possession: VAN 50.8% – LA 49.2%
Shots: VAN 15 – LA 6
Shots on Goal: VAN 4 – LA 2
Saves: VAN 1 – LA 2
Fouls: VAN 8 – LA 10
Offsides: VAN 0 – LA 1
Corners: VAN 6 – LA 1

CARDS (YELLOW UNLESS SPECIFIED):
18’ – LA – Gabriel Pec
35’ – VAN – Sebastian Berhalter
42’ – LA – Edwin Cerrillo
52’ – LA – Diego Fagúndez
78’ – VAN – Édier Ocampo
88’ – VAN – Brian White

VANCOUVER: Yohei Takaoka; Mathías Laborda, Ranko Veselinović, Tristan Blackmon, Sam Adekugbe (Édier Ocampo 32’); Pedro Vite, Andrés Cubas, Sebastian Berhalter (J.C. Ngando 62’); Jayden Nelson (Ali Ahmed 62’), Brian White, Ryan Gauld (14.Daniel Ríos 86’) [Substitutes not used: Isaac Boehmer, Belal Halbouni, Ralph Priso, Tate Johnson, Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau]

LOS ANGELES: Novak Mićović; Carlos Garcés (Julián Aude 46′), Maya Yoshida, Mathias Jørgensen, John Nelson (Harbor Miller 90’+3); Elijah Wynder (Marco Reus 71’), Lucas Sanabria (Isaiah Parente 75’), Edwin Cerrillo; Gabriel Pec, Diego Fagúndez; Miguel Berry (Christian Ramirez 71’) [Substitutes not used: John McCarthy, Eriq Zavaleta, Tucker Lepley, Ruben Ramos Jr.]

REACTION:

JESPER SORENSEN

On his team’s strong second half after Galaxy’s equalizer:

“I think the team looked aggressive and on the front foot in the second half. I think we really played a very dominant half. At the last bit of the first half, we looked a little flat, having difficulties with the structure of our pressure, they played through us and we had to run a lot back. So we changed a few things at the break, and I think it played out well.”

On the team’s 100% start to the MLS season:

“I think, first and foremost, I came in and inherited a team that was well structured and in good shape. Of course, I think that we had a little bit of luck. We played 11 against 10 [in the first game] and then we scored the late winner. But I would say that the team has looked great. They’ve done well in preseason, everybody has chipped in and been ready to the new ideas I brought in. So I think that I can only be happy with what I’ve seen so far, and I hope it’s only the beginning.”

STRIKER BRIAN WHITE

On continuing this good form throughout this busy schedule:

“It’s a business. You know, you put this game behind us, we recover tomorrow and we return to play Monterrey [on Wednesday]. And then it’s just one after another, just keep going and keep working.”