- Game 3 will be played on Friday, November 8 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. PT and available to watch live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV or to listen on CKNW.com
- Ryan Gauld recorded his fifth goal of the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, and sixth goal contribution - both the most of any player in the postseason. With 43 career goals in all competitions for Whitecaps FC, he has tied Camilo Sanvezzo for the second most in the MLS era, behind only Brian White (55)
- Whitecaps FC kept their second clean sheet of the playoffs, and the 12th of the season in all competitions
VANCOUVER, BC – BC Place was bouncing on Sunday night as Vancouver Whitecaps FC pulled off an epic 3-0 victory over Los Angeles FC to force a Game 3 in this Best-of-3 Round One playoff series.
The match began exactly how Whitecaps FC wanted it to, with an early goal courtesy of their captain Ryan Gauld. Brian White squared a ball from the left side of the box, towards Stuart Armstrong. Armstrong’s ensuing shot got blocked but LAFC could do nothing to deny Gauld on the follow-up to put the ‘Caps 1-0 up.
Whitecaps FC made it 2-0 in quick succession in the 14th minute, and it was Gauld at the heart of it again. The Scot whipped in a dangerous cross right into the six-yard box, and Ryan Hollingshead tried to clear it but instead redirected it into the roof of the net.
Denis Bouanga nearly pulled one back for LAFC close to the half-hour mark, finding space on the right side of the box and firing a volley over the bar. Fafa Picault came close to making it 3-0 moments later, curling a wonderful effort right towards the top right corner, but Hugo Lloris was equal to it.
Whitecaps FC continued to frustrate LAFC throughout the half, defending their 2-0 lead.
The second half began with LAFC trying to claw one back. Bouanga had two cracks at goal that went wide of either post, before Mateusz Bogusz fired one straight at Yohei Takaoka. Ali Ahmed tried his luck from outside the box in the 57th minute, blasting a low shot towards goal before getting deflected and looping over the goal. Not long after, Ranko Veselinovic volleyed a chance off the ensuing corner, getting a wicked curve that went just a whisker wide.
Takaoka came up huge moments later for Whitecaps FC, denying Bouanga on a clear one-on-one opportunity to keep the ‘Caps two-goal advantage alive. Takaoka then came up clutch once again, putting his body on the line to block a shot from Eduard Atuesta after it took a deflection off Tristan Blackmon.
Whitecaps FC finally did make it 3-0 on the night after another own goal, this time with Gauld drilling a low cross into the six-yard box. The ball then deflected off the back heel of Eddie Segura before rolling into the far corner.
White came close to getting a fourth with less than 15 minutes to go, after Gauld curled in a wonderful free kick. The American striker went for the diving header and struck it just a tad too high.
Bjørn Inge Utvik pulled off a massive goal-line clearance a few minutes later, using his thigh to knock the flight of the ball off target before it could nestle into the net.
Whitecaps FC held out for the last moments, keeping the clean sheet and forcing this series to a deciding third match.
That decisive third match against LAFC will be played this coming Friday, November 8 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT and available to watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV or to listen on CKNW.com.
MATCH DETAILS
VWFC GE Appliances Player of Quality: Ryan Gauld
Attendance: 20,695
Referee: Rosendo Mendoza
Scoring Summary
10’ – VAN – Ryan Gauld
13’ – VAN – Ryan Hollingshead (own goal)
68’ – VAN – Eddie Segura (own goal)
Statistics
Possession: VAN 44.4% - LAFC 55.6%
Shots: VAN 15 - LAFC 17
Shots on Goal: VAN 2 - LAFC 5
Saves: VAN 4 - LAFC 1
Fouls: VAN 15 - LAFC 11
Offsides: VAN 0 - LAFC 1
Corners: VAN 9 - LAFC 5
Cautions
41’ – LAFC – Denis Bouanga
50’ – VAN – Ali Ahmed
57’ – VAN – Sebastian Berhalter
84’ – LAFC – Jesús Murillo
89’ – LAFC – Eddie Segura
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Yohei Takaoka; 16.Sebastian Berhalter (2.Mathías Laborda), 6.Tristan Blackmon, 4.Ranko Veselinović, 3.Sam Adekugbe (15.Bjørn Inge Utvik 74’); 26.Stuart Armstrong (13.Ralph Priso 82’), 20.Andrés Cubas, 22.Ali Ahmed (8.Alessandro Schöpf); 25.Ryan Gauld ©️, 11.Fafa Picault (7.Ryan Raposo 82’); 24.Brian White
Substitutes not used
32.Isaac Boehmer, 19.Damir Kreilach, 23.Deiber Caicedo, 45.Pedro Vite
Los Angeles FC
1.Hugo Lloris; 14.Sergi Palencia, 25.Maxime Chanot (4.Eddie Segura 63’), 33.Aaron Long; 13.Cristian Olivera, 11.Timothy Tillman (20.Eduard Atuesta 64’), 8.Lewis O’Brien, 24.Ryan Hollingshead (3.Jesús Murillo 76’); 19.Mateusz Bogusz, 9.Olivier Giroud (30.David Martínez 64’), 99.Denis Bouanga (23.Kei Kamara 76’)
Substitutes not used
12.Thomas Hasal, 2.Omar Campos, 5.Marlon, 6.Ilie Sánchez
