The Vancouver Whitecaps regained their Supporters’ Shield contenders status as they defeated Colorado Rapids at BC Place, blanking the visitors in a dominant 2-0 display.
The Rapids were not able to manage a shot on target throughout the 90 minutes.
Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sørensen said he was “very happy with the game.”
“I think it was a big victory for us,” he said. “Of course, everybody knows the conference games always have a bit extra to it. So, I think we played well.”
Sørensen opted to keep the majority of his starting XI the same as the midweek match against Pumas. J.C. Ngando and Ralph Priso were dropped to the bench, while Pedro Vite moved down a line into the midfield with the recently recovered Andrés Cubas and the ever-stalwart Sebastian Berhalter.
Emmanuel Sabbi was granted his first start as a Whitecap, playing alongside Brian White and Ali Ahmed.
Colorado opened the first 10 minutes, pushing the Whitecaps into their defensive end. Vancouver had difficulty setting up their possession-based game and had to deal with the early pressure.
However, they weathered the storm and slowly grew into the match. Sabbi, Cubas, and Ahmed, in particular, were the creative outlets.
In the 20th minute, Tate Johnson’s switch of play found Berhalter in the 18-yard box. The midfielder chested the ball down to White, and the striker blind-swiped the ball past a flat-footed Zack Steffan.
It was White’s second goal of the MLS season and his sixth overall. Johnson collected his first MLS assist as well.
Relentless pressure continued from the home side. Sabbi doubled the lead in the 38th minute as he cut across the goal, and Ahmed played a pinpoint ball to him.
It was Sabbi’s first goal as a Whitecap.
Vite had a goal chalked off early in the second half. A beautiful volley from outside the 18-yard box, but White was offside in the preceding play.
Continuously, Vite attacked Colorado’s goal, at one point, ringing a shot off the stanchion behind the net and another well-placed shot into the hands of Steffan.
“I was quite happy with the performance overall,” the head coach said. “I think we created a lot of chances and opportunities.”
A somewhat different match
Colorado did well in the opening minutes to try and stifle the Whitecaps, keeping them away from their possession-based play through aggressive pressing. However, the home side was able to find a plan B.
“We were up against a team that press up high and also did that today. But I think we kept our cool and played out of the pressure well. It was maybe a little bit more of a counterattacking play, a bit more direct play today, but we also showed that we could manage that type of game.”
The Whitecaps kept it clean at the back, not giving the Rapids a single shot on target. It marked back-to-back matches for Yohei Takaoka in clean sheets.
“We want to be known for playing an attacking style of football, but first and foremost…it’s important that we have a solid team defensively that allows us the freedom to attack,” Sørensen said. “And I think not always the defensive players are praised, but right now we also have a quite new lineup at the back, and they’re doing exceptionally well.”
Up next
It’s off the Mexico for the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup this Wednesday, April 9.
Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
