- Whitecaps FC matched two club records on the road with seven wins and 24 points in an MLS season, previously set in 2015
- The 'Caps are 5W-1L-1D in their last seven MLS matches
- With his goal, Pedro Vite recorded his fourth goal contribution of the season in all competitions (2 goals, 2 assists)
- Ryan Gauld recorded his 10th assist of the MLS season. The Scotsman now has 70 goal contributions in his MLS career, including playoffs (32 goals, 38 assists)
- Gauld also set a club record in MLS game-winning assists with 10
- The 'Caps recorded their seventh clean sheet of the season in all competitions
AUSTIN, TX – After playing over 100 minutes in the blazing Texas heat, Vancouver Whitecaps FC secured a gutsy 1-0 win over Austin FC to stay in the hunt for the top spots in the Western Conference.
The match started with Whitecaps FC looking dangerous. Ryan Gauld sent Fafa Picault into the box with a clever through ball. Picault hit it first time and it took a slight deflection as it whiskered by the far post. Ranko Veselinović then was inches away himself from getting the ‘Caps on the scoreline from the following corner, heading it just wide of the post.
Pedro Vite kept the Whitecaps FC pressure up a little while later, going for the volley in the second phase of a free kick and bouncing it just past the far post. Andrés Cubas tried his luck from 25 yards out and forced Brad Stuver into a big save, pushing it wide at full stretch.
After a period of hard-fought jostling for possession, MathÃas Laborda came close to opening the scoreline in the 42nd minute. Gauld served up another wonderful cross from the back post for Laborda to rise up and meet, but just got a little too underneath it to get it on frame.
At the end of a thoroughly dominant first half, Whitecaps FC thought they finally broke through Austin FC right before halftime, as Gauld curled an effort into the side-netting, but it was called back due to an offside in the build-up. That would be the last action as the referee called for the break.
After waiting for over an hour, the 'Caps finally broke the deadlock thanks to a stunning strike from Vite in the 70th minute. A clever one-two on the edge of the box between Vite and Gauld set-up the Ecuadorian to tee up a vicious strike that blasted into the back of the net, giving Stuver no shot.
Ali Ahmed almost sealed the deal right at the end of regular time, finding space in the middle of the box but his goal-bound shot was deflected wide for a corner.
In the end, Whitecaps FC finished a top performance from start to finish to secure another all-important three points on the road as they head into the business end of the season.
Whitecaps FC are back in action for their next two matches. First up, next Saturday, September 7 they host FC Dallas at BC Place at 7:30 p.m. PT on Next Gen Night. Then, on Saturday, September 14 they host San Jose Earthquakes in the club's '90s Match. For tickets, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
MATCH DETAILS
VWFC GE Appliances Player of Quality: Pedro Vite
Attendance: 20,738
Referee: Mark Allatin
Scoring Summary
70’ – VAN – Pedro Vite (Ryan Gauld)
Statistics
Possession: ATX 53% - VAN 47%
Shots: ATX 7 - VAN 20
Shots on Goal: ATX 0 - VAN 5
Saves: ATX 4 - VAN 0
Fouls: ATX 12 - VAN 10
Offsides: ATX 2 - VAN 1
Corners: ATX 9 - VAN 7
Cautions
8’ – ATX – Matt Hedges
87’ – ATX – Osman Bukari
90’+8 – VAN – Yohei Takaoka
90’+9 – ATX – Guilherme Biro
90’+10 – VAN – Fafa Picault
Austin FC
1.Brad Stuver; 3.Mikkel Desler (11.Jáder Obrian 79’), 2.Matt Hedges (11.Jáder Obrian 79’), 4.Brendan Hines-Ike (18.Julio Cascante 67’), 29.Guilherme Biro; 33.Owen Wolff (9.Gyasi Zardes 67’), 8.Alexander Ring, 6.Daniel Pereira; 7.Osman Bukari (13.Ethan Finlay 90’+1), 10.Sebastian Driussi, 17.Jon Gallagher
Substitutes not used
30.Stefan Cleveland, 5.Jhojan Valencia, 16.Hector Jimenez, 21.Oleksandr Svatok
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Yohei Takaoka; 2.MathÃas Laborda, 4.Ranko Veselinović, 15.Bjørn Inge Utvik (6.Tristan Blackmon 82’); 7.Ryan Raposo (8.Alessandro Schöpf 63’), 16.Sebastian Berhalter (12.Belal Halbouni 85’), 20.Andrés Cubas, 45.Pedro Vite, 22.Ali Ahmed (27.Giuseppe Bovalina 90’+2); 11.Fafa Picault, 25.Ryan Gauld (19.Damir Kreilach 90’+2)
Substitutes not used
32.Isaac Boehmer, 17.Joe Bendik, 13.Ralph Priso, 55.Cyprian Kachwele
