The Vancouver Whitecaps dug deep, not only into the depth of their bench but also into a gutsy performance as they handed Minnesota United their first loss in nine matches.
A second-half, three-goal display helped the Whitecaps regain top spot in the Supporters’ Shield Standings and a decisive seven-point lead in the MLS Western Conference (at the time of publication).
With the upcoming CONCACAF Champions Cup match on Wednesday, Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sørensen deployed a much-changed squad.
“The player gave me the confidence that they deserve the chance to play,” he said.
In particular, the midfield was completely new from the previous match, with Ralph Priso, J.C. Ngando and Jeevan Badwal coming in to provide rest for Andrés Cubas, Sebastian Berhalter and Pedro Vite.
Both Sam Adekugbe and Jayden Nelson regained their starting positions after time away with injury.
Bjørn Inge Utvik also nabbed a rare start, giving Tristan Blackmon a welcome rest.
The first half was a tentative affair with little to get excited about. Both sides were testing the ball through the midfield, but there were few chances into the attacking third.
The Whitecaps had no shots at all in the first half. Rios was starved for service, with only one accurate cross making it through in the period.
“We didn’t create anything special in the first half. We had some time where we should have done a little bit better,” the head coach said.
However, Vancouver started to find life in the second half.
The addition of Berhalter at the half added needed dynamism to the build-up for the Whitecaps. And they were rewarded for their push.
Berhalter’s beautiful shot from outside the 18-yard box in the 55th minute gave Vancouver the first lead of the match.
Referee Drew Fraser was sent to the pitchside monitor to review the goal, originally called offside by the linesman. A quick review showed Giuseppe Bovalina to be onside in the build-up, giving Vancouver the lead just before the hour mark.
A couple more changes for Vancouver contributed to a second goal in the 66th minute for Vite.
The feed into the 18-yard box from Ngando found the Ecuadorian attacking midfielder, who cheekily lobbed Dayne St. Clair to double the Whitecaps’ lead.
Not content to sit back, Vite got the brace in the 70th minute after a great 1-2 passing sequence on the left between Ali Ahmed, who had come on with Vite and Ngando.
“Pedro…had a great game when he came in, scoring two goals, being a decisive player for us in this victory,” Sørensen said.
Ahmed’s ball found Vite through traffic, and he made no mistakes in burying the ball into the back of the net.
Minnesota pulled one back in the 80th minute. Tani Oluwaseyi’s header kept the play alive, putting the ball back in for Wil Trapp. The veteran player breathed some life into the home side.
But it was not enough to mount a comeback as Vancouver held on for the 3-1 win.
Rotation pays off for Whitecaps
A total of eight players were changed from the mid-week match against Inter Miami to this one today. It meant starts for Bovalina and Badwal.
Badwal has seen consistent time as a late substitution this season. Bovalina has had less time, only coming on late against Austin earlier this month.
“I was not in doubt for giving players opportunities that haven’t been playing that much,” Sørensen said.
Up next
It’s a quick turnaround as the Whitecaps fly out to Miami for the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-final.
The match is on Wednesday, April 30. Kickoff is at 5 p.m.
