- With seven points from their first three matches, Whitecaps FC are off to their best MLS start since 2012
- Two goals conceded are the fewest through the first three matches for Whitecaps FC since 2014
- Six different Whitecaps FC players have scored a goal to start the 2024 MLS season
- Fafà Picault started his first match for Whitecaps FC, scoring his first goal and recording his first assist for the 'Caps. Picault has scored five goals against FC Dallas, a club he played for in 2020
- Brian White recorded his first goal and first assist of the season after putting up a team-high 15 regular season goals and adding five assists during the 2023 MLS season
- Ryan Raposo recorded his first assist of the 2024 season after scoring a goal in the opening match against Charlotte FC
FRISCO, TX – It was a thrilling match on a humid Saturday night in Frisco, Texas as Vancouver Whitecaps FC would get back-to-back road wins after defeating FC Dallas 3-1 to continue their fine start to the season.
Ryan Gauld would get the first look on goal inside 25 minutes. Alessandro Schöpf was slipped in on the left before chipping a cross into the box. Gauld dove forward to head the cross but it would just curl wide of the mark, while his follow-up shot would get blocked.
Whitecaps FC would continue to keep up the pressure and finally break through a minute later through MathÃas Laborda. The defender started the move with a clever pass in behind for Brian White on the right. White would surge into the box and fizz a driven pass right back to Laborda, with the Uruguayan producing a deft finish into the bottom left corner to open his account for the season.
The ’Caps would make it 2-0 just a few minutes later, thanks to some brilliant work from Fafà Picault. The Haitian international would use his skill to dribble past his marker on the left and curl in a cross into the Dallas box. White would rise the highest and flick a header past Paes to make it a quickfire double.
Dallas would roar back into the match off a set-piece five minutes out from halftime. Jesús Ferreira floated a cross into the box from a free-kick, finding Sebastian Lletget to loop a header over Yohei Takaoka and into the top-right corner.
Whitecaps FC would have an instant reply in the 42nd minute, as Picault would score his first goal for the club. Ryan Raposo waited patiently before whipping another good cross into the box and, despite being one of the smallest players on the pitch, Picault would rise above his marker and thunder a downward header past Paes to restore the two-goal advantage.
FC Dallas would look to get back into the match quickly at the start of the second half, with both Petar Musa and Sam Junqua getting half-chances early on. Dallas would keep pushing as Musa would smash an effort against the frame of the goal just a few minutes later.
Substitute Sebastian Berhalter would come inches from making it 4-1 on the night in the 67th minute. Luis Martins, who came on at the same time, would curl a perfect cross to the back post for Berhalter to get on the end of, but his diving header would just skim the wrong side of the post. Meanwhile, Dallas would have their best opportunity of the night a couple minutes later, with Musa finding himself all alone at the back post with the ball bouncing towards him. His half-volley effort would prove to be too powerful, however, as he ballooned his effort high and wide from just a few yards out.
And while Dallas would try their best to get back into the match, the ‘Caps would hold onto their lead to earn another road win to start the season.
Whitecaps FC are back in action at home against Real Salt Lake next Saturday, March 23 at 4:30 p.m. PT. For tickets, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
MATCH DETAILS
VWFC GE Appliances Player of Quality: Fafà Picault
Attendance: 19,096
Referee: Jonathan Weiner
Scoring Summary
25’ – VAN – MathÃas Laborda (Brian White)
29’ – VAN – Brian White (Fafà Picault)
40’ – FCD – Sebastian Lletget (Jesús Ferreira)
43’ – VAN - Fafà Picault (Ryan Raposo)
Statistics
Possession: DAL 55.8% - VAN 44.2%
Shots: DAL 12 - VAN 6
Shots on Goal: DAL 3 - VAN 3
Saves: DAL 0 - VAN 2
Fouls: DAL 12 - VAN 11
Offsides: DAL 0 - VAN 5
Corners: DAL 3 - VAN 2
Caution
32’ – VAN – Ryan Gauld
FC Dallas
1.Maarten Paes; 25.Sebastian Ibeagha, 17.Nkosi Tafari, 29.Sam Junqua (77.Bernard Kamungo 63’); 22.Ema Twumasi (27.Herbert Endeley 83’), 8.Sebastian Lletget (31.Eugene Ansah 84’), 6.Patrickson Delgado (16.Tsiki Ntsabeleng 73’), 11.Dante Sealy; 10.Jesús Ferreira, 7.Paul Arriola; 9.Petar Musa
Substitutions not used
1.Jimmy Maurer, 3.Omar Gonzalez, 4.Marco Farfan, 18.Liam Fraser, 24.Amet Korça
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Yohei Takaoka; 2.MathÃas Laborda, 4.Ranko Veselinović, 6.Tristan Blackmon; 7.Ryan Raposo (23.Javain Brown 84’), 45.Pedro Vite (16.Sebastian Berhalter 60’), 20.Andrés Cubas, 8.Alessandro Schöpf (14.LuÃs Martins 60’); 25.Ryan Gauld © (19.Damir Kreilach 83’), 24.Brian White, 11.Fafà Picault (22.Ali Ahmed 73’)
Substitutes not used
32.Isaac Boehmer, 13.Ralph Priso, 15.Bjørn Inge Utvik, 28.Levonte Johnson
