VANCOUVER, BC – It was a statement win from Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place on Saturday, as they put four goals past Toronto FC to move into first place in the Western Conference on the 'Caps third annual Vaisakhi Celebration Match.
- With 24,678 fans, Whitecaps FC had their third crowd this season over 24,000. Dating back to the end of last season, six straight crowds over 22,000 have now come to BC Place
- Whitecaps FC are now in first place in the Western Conference
- At 13 points, the 'Caps have equaled their best-ever six-game start to an MLS regular season
- Whitecaps FC lead MLS with nine first half goals this season
- Brian White scored his second goal of the MLS season
- Alessandro Schöpf recorded his second goal contribution of the season (one goal, one assist), tying his total from the 2023 MLS season
- Fafà Picault made his 200th MLS regular season appearance, and scored his 50th career MLS regular season goal. He now has a goal in three straight appearances, and five total goal contributions in his last three matches
- Ryan Gauld scored for a second straight match. He is the first Whitecaps FC player with 25 career goals and 25 career assists (28) in MLS, including playoffs
- With his assist, Ryan Raposo now has four goal contributions in MLS so far this season after having two assists during the 2023 MLS season
- Ranko Veselinović scored his first goal of the season, and his fifth career MLS goal
- Goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka made his 50th career Whitecaps FC appearance and start in all competitions
- The ‘Caps recorded their second clean sheet of the season
- Ralph Priso made his Whitecaps FC debut, against his former club Toronto FC where he came up through the academy as a homegrown player
The 'Caps began the game brightly, nearly scoring inside the first three minutes after Brian White put a wonderful ball straight across goal, just missing the foot of Ryan Gauld.
It didn’t take much longer for the ‘Caps to open the scoring as White won the ball back in the TFC final third by dispossessing Deybi Flores, and bore down on goal to score his 42nd goal for the ‘Caps in all competitions. That goal made him the team’s second top all-time scorer of the MLS era.
Toronto nearly levelled in the 18th minute, after Deandre Kerr smacked an effort off the post for TFC, with the ball only narrowly getting cleared. Kerr forced a save out of Yohei Takaoka less than ten minutes later, after muscling his way through on goal. White then nearly got his second right after, getting a touch as he raced past Johnson, but unable to get his shot away before the ‘keeper palmed it out.
The 'Caps did make it 2-0 in the 29th minute, thanks to another headed goal from Fafà Picault. Alessandro Schöpf was the provider, as his left footed cross found Picault perfectly at the back. The Haitian winger then rose the highest to score his 50th MLS regular season goal.
Schöpf nearly went from provider to scorer as he got on the end of a lofted Ali Ahmed cross and volleyed it sweetly, forcing Johnson into another save. That would be the story of the first half, as Whitecaps FC kept the pressure on until the break.
Another beautiful play in the 72nd almost gave Whitecaps FC a third. A one-touch passing sequence inside the Toronto box between Gauld and Picault nearly allowed White to backheel it past Johnson, but the American ‘keeper scrambled back in time to gather the ball before it crossed the line.
Gauld, however, sealed the deal by scoring the ‘Caps third in the 81st minute, sprinting from inside his own half to get away from two markers and cooly slot it past Johnson.
Ryan Raposo, coming off the bench, forced Johnson into yet another save, trying to squeeze through a shot from a close angle after good work from Picault to send him through on the right.
On the ensuing corner kick, he set up Ranko Veselinović for the fourth, whipping a cross in near post for the Serbian to loop over Johnson and make it 4-0 on the night.
Takaoka then made one more stellar save right at the death, denying Toronto from spoiling his clean sheet by the tip of his toes.
That would be all she wrote as the referee blew his final whistle to mark the end of an exciting match that put Whitecaps FC top of the Western Conference.
Whitecaps FC are back in action at BC Place next week against Los Angeles Galaxy, in a battle at the top of the table. For tickets, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
MATCH DETAILS
VWFC GE Appliances Player of Quality: Alessandro Schöpf
Attendance: 24,678
Referee: Ramy Touchan
Scoring Summary
6’ – VAN – Brian White
29’ – VAN – Fafà Picault (Alessandro Schöpf)
81’ – VAN – Ryan Gauld (Andrés Cubas)
89’ – VAN – Ranko Veselinović (Ryan Raposo)
Statistics
Possession: VAN 48.1%- TOR 51.9%
Shots: VAN 14 - TOR 7
Shots on Goal: VAN 7 - TOR 3
Saves: VAN 3 - TOR 3
Fouls: VAN 11 - TOR 18
Offsides: VAN 2 - TOR 0
Corners: VAN 5 - TOR 5
Cautions
45’ – TOR – Tyrese Spicer
53’ – VAN – Andrés Cubas
54’ – TOR – Deybi Flores
69’ – TOR – Alonso Coello
78’ – TOR – Kevin Long
83’ – VAN – Alessandro Schöpf
90’+6 – TOR – Federico Bernardeschi
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Yohei Takaoka; 2.MathÃas Laborda, 4.Ranko Veselinović, 15.Bjørn Inge Utvik (6.Tristan Blackmon 72’); 22.Ali Ahmed (7.Ryan Raposo 62’), 20.Andrés Cubas (13.Ralph Priso 84’), 45.Pedro Vite (3.Sam Adekugbe 72’), 8.Alessandro Schöpf; 25.Ryan Gauld © (28.Levonte Johnson 85’), 24.Brian White, 11.Fafà Picault
Substitutes not used
32.Isaac Boehmer, 16.Sebastian Berhalter, 19.Damir Kreilach, 23.Javain Brown,
Toronto FC
1.Sean Johnson; 27.Shane O’Neill (47.Kosi Thompson 45’), 5.Kevin Long, 15.Nicksoen Gomis (9.Ayo Akinola 79’); 7.Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, 8.Matty Longstaff (14.Alonso Coello 65’), 20.Deybi Flores (99.Prince Owusu 71’), 21.Jonathan Osorio, 16.Tyrese Spicer; 29.Deandre Kerr (12.Cassius Mailula 79’), 10.Federico Bernardeschi
Substitutes not used
90.Luke Gavran, 6.Aime Makiba, 17.Sigurd Rosted, 19.Kobe Franklin
