INDIO, CA – Vancouver Whitecaps FC played to a 1-1 draw against fellow Western Conference side San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday in a preseason friendly in Coachella Valley, California.
In the 12th minute, J.C. Ngando played a short corner to Ryan Gauld, who whipped a floated cross into the box for Bjørn Inge Utvik. The Norwegian saw his header fly narrowly over the San Jose goal.
Five minutes later, San Jose opened the scoring and took the 1-0 lead.
The ‘Caps would equalize shortly after, as J.C. Ngando’s free kick from the left side of the box went untouched and into the back of the net, tying the match at 1-1.
The Blue and White continued to have the better of the chances in the first half, with Damir Kreilach putting a header wide in the 28th minute and Gauld hitting the crossbar with a right-footed shot outside the box.
Both sides would go level heading into the halftime interval.
In the dying moments of the match, Whitecaps FC BMO MLS Academy product Liam Mackenzie made an interception in midfield and played in Jay Herdman. The New Zealand youth international fired a left-footed shot just wide of the far post.
The 'Caps will continue their preseason preparations for the MLS season in Coachella Valley, before returning to Vancouver on February 21.
Whitecaps FC MLS season opener, presented by TELUS, is just two weeks away on Saturday, March 2 when they host Eastern Conference side Charlotte FC at BC Place. Kickoff will be at 4:30 p.m. PT, the upper bowl will be open, and more than 25,000 tickets have already been sold. For ticket information, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
MATCH DETAILS
Scoring Summary
17' – SJ – Tanner Beason
19' – VAN – J.C. Ngando
Caution
21' – SJ
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
32.Isaac Boehmer; 15.Bjørn Inge Utvik (2.MathÃas Laborda 59’), 4.Ranko Veselinović (6.Tristan Blackmon HT), 12.Belal Halbouni; 23.Javain Brown, 26.J.C. Ngando (92.Jay Herdman 68’), 20.Andrés Cubas (16.Sebastian Berhalter HT), 28.Levonte Johnson (41.Eliot Goldthorp 69’); 25.Ryan Gauld © (8.Alessandro Schöpf HT); 11.Fafà Picault (97.Liam Mackenzie 83’), 19.Damir Kreilach (52.Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau HT)
Substitutes not used
1.Yohei Takaoka, 17.Joe Bendik
