After an emphatic 3-0 win over the LA Galaxy in midweek, the Vancouver Whitecaps kept pushing for the Western Conference crown.
On a sunny Sunday afternoon, the Whitecaps welcomed Austin FC to BC Place. Austin were sitting second-to-last in the Western Conference with a 6-8-10 record heading into the game. Verde have not won an MLS game since July 22. In that game, they beat the Seattle Sounders.
For the Whitecaps, the path was clear: win and strengthen their place in the Western Conference. They entered the game with a 14-5-4 record and 46 points. With the Houston Dynamo and LAFC losing on Saturday night, the blue and white had a great chance to increase their lead in the Western Conference. Their Supporters Shield chances were also still alive as league leaders Nashville SC drew with Inter Miami on Saturday. Nashville has 54 points, so there is a chance for the Whitecaps to catch up as they are in second place in the Supporters Shield race.
This was a game the Whitecaps should have won, even without Thomas Müller, who was out with a quad injury. (or Dead Leg as it is called in soccer) The Raumdeuter was also celebrating his 37th birthday.
Unfortunately, soccer isn’t played on paper, and the Whitecaps lost. And boy, this one was frustrating for many reasons.
First half: Silly goal to give up; Gauld misses a penalty.
As expected, the Whitecaps controlled the game. Brian White nearly opened the scoring five minutes in. The play started with Tristan Blackmon making a great defensive play before he found Mathias Loaborda, who then found Ryan Gauld off to the races. Unfortunately, Brad Stuver denied White on the partial breakaway.
Vancouver were relentless with their press. Andres Cubas and Oliver Larraz were doing a great job winning the ball back, and Bruno Caicedo provided a big threat down the left side. Austin were having trouble connecting passes and going up the pitch. The Whitecaps displayed good ball movement, but the play in the box had much to be desired.
As the half went on, Austin started to sit deeper and deeper. They even made a few good blocks.
In the 28th minute, the Whitecaps were caught napping, and Austin went quickly the other way. Christian Ramirez was left all alone as he charged into the box to receive the pass from Facundo Torres. That should not have happened. This isn’t the first time this season either. All that control, and the Whitecaps go down. Hey, I’ve seen this one!
The goal seemed to have rattled the Whitecaps, as they then had trouble stringing passes together. But in the 38th minute, Gauld looked like he was body-checked hockey-style in the box, and that was a penalty. The Scotsman stepped up and beat Stuver… but not the bar.
That was the first time Gauld missed a penalty since October 22, 2023, against LAFC. That was Decision Day, and he was denied by former teammate Maxime Crepeau twice.
It was another frustrating half where the Whitecaps had a good start, lost momentum and then conceded a preventable goal.
Second half: Whitecaps score, go down again, then can’t score+ awful officiating.
Rui Modesto was making his debut for the Whitecaps at right-back. But he was taken off at halftime for Edier Ocampo.
It only took three minutes for the Whitecaps to tie the game. Like Vancouver earlier, Austin were caught napping. Cubas found Gauld, and White timed his run perfectly to receive the pass. The American striker calmly and cleanly beat Stuver on the breakaway.
Gauld put Vancouver into the lead less than a minute later. But he was thwarted by the crossbar again. Sometimes, the bar can be your worst enemy.
The blue and white looked more like themselves. Their press was on, and they moved the ball as quickly as they did in the early stages of this game. Ocampo added a new spark down that right side with his speed and passes. He connected with Gauld perfectly in the 58th minute, but the shot was weak and right at Stuver.
The visitors were not going away quietly. In the 60th minute, it was Ramirez again who snuck in behind the Whitecaps backline. He fired a bullet past Yohei Takaoka, and it was two shots and two goals for Austin. Oof.
The Caps had their backs against the wall again. Vancouver again had trouble keeping the ball for long, as there were many careless passes.
Referee Victor Rivas was also making some… interesting calls. For instance, He refused to give a foul on Mikkel Desler for grabbing Jeevan Badwal. Yet he called some soft fouls on Emmanuel Sabbi (who was booked) and Mathias Laborda. Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sørensen was even booked for his words to Rivas.
The fans were heated and so were the players on both sides. As the Whitecaps attacked before stoppage time, Austin defender Guilherme Biro took down Ocampo and got his second yellow. He was not happy with the call and argued with Rivas, and Stuver had to tell him to get off the pitch. Fans flipped him off, and one even threw a water bottle at him. (If you are a fan at a game, don’t do that.) So the Whitecaps had a chance to salvage at least a point.
Substitute Rayan Elloumi missed a close header, and fellow sub Yadaly Diaby had a great chance saved by Stuver. But they couldn’t find that equalizer and dropped three big points.
Stat of the match
This is a very concerning stat, especially with the fall stretch coming up. It’s been a recurring theme for the Whitecaps since the World Cup break: Go down and then struggle.
What was said
Sørensen was clearly frustrated by the game.
“I think we played a little bit too slow,” he said. “In the beginning, we had a couple of moments where we could’ve done more and created bigger opportunities for ourselves. I am so unhappy with the first goal. It just put us in a horrible position. We just ran back after a corner kick…and they scored after that. Then, we had the opportunity from the spot and couldn’t convert. That’s obviously what can happen. In the second half, I had the feeling that when we scored the goal, we were on top of things and we were playing with more urgency…then they got another goal…it was well taken. “
“We should’ve scored a goal in the end, and we ended up here, on the losing side.”
He was also asked about the inconsistent results and performances since the World Cup break.
“I think performance-wise, we’re OK in many situations, but today was frustrating,” said Sørensen. “We had the feeling we could do better; we missed the opportunity. I think we didn’t really force the pace of the game the way we are used to. If it was easy to just push a button, we would do it, but it is not…Today we made it difficult for ourselves.”
White also spoke to the media after the game. He was also asked about the team’s inconsistent form and what it would take to get back into consistency.
“It’s been not as easygoing as it was at the beginning of the year,” he said. “Every game is an opportunity and every game we try to win.”
He was also asked about the team’s struggles when they give up the first goal.
“You go down one and then obviously you have to score at least two to win the game, so it puts you in a bad position,” said White. “It’s difficult; teams can play a bit differently when they are up by a goal, and they sit back. It definitely breaks up the game. The key is to obviously come out stronger.”
Tweet of the match
The fans at BC Place really gave it to Rivas. The “ref you suck” crowds were as loud as ever. It is never a good thing when the referee becomes part of the game’s story.
Wrap-up
The Whitecaps inconsistent run of form is concerning. Is this team good enough to win MLS Cup? Yes. But given the way they’ve been playing as of late? No.
It’s frustrating because in some games, their attack is on fire. Then the next, their attack is ice cold. The goals they have given up lately have been against the run of play and were preventable. Ralph Priso and Ranko Veselinovic can’t come back soon enough. Blackmon and Laborda looked gassed after playing a lot of minutes together, and the pairing probably isn’t suited for long stretches of games. (There is also Sebastian Ramirez, who the Whitecaps signed on loan from Fortaleza, but he hasn’t featured on the matchday squads yet. Belal Halbouni has also been out since November.)
This game was probably the most frustrating of all as the two teams were at opposite ends of the standings.
This team has a lot of talent. But talent can only get you so far. Execution hasn’t been good enough lately. If the ‘Caps want to win the West and win the MLS Cup, there needs to be a string of wins that can give their fans some reasons to believe.
Up next is a cross-country trip to take on CF Montreal at Stade Saputo for the second leg of the Canadian Championship semi-final on Wednesday. The tie is knotted at 1-1. Kickoff is at 4:00 pm Pacific. Then it is off to Utah, where the buffalo roam. The ‘Caps take on Real Salt Lake on Saturday, and kickoff for that game is at 6:30 pm Pacific.
Maybe the Whitecaps can string a couple of wins together. Each loss feels like a copy-and-paste of the last one. Can this consistently inconsistent team finally find consistency?
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