- Whitecaps FC earned their third straight clean sheet, and their eighth of the season in all competitions
- Newly signed Designated Player Stuart Armstrong made his Vancouver Whitecaps FC and MLS debut
- U22 initiative signing Édier Ocampo made his Vancouver Whitecaps FC and MLS debut
- Déiber Caicedo made his first appearance of the season, and first appearance since returning from his year-long loan in August 2023
- Tristan Blackmon made his first start since June 22 at Portland Timbers
- Belal Halbouni made his first MLS start
- Ralph Priso made his first MLS start for Whitecaps FC
- Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) forward Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau made his MLS home debut
VANCOUVER, BC – It was an entertaining night at BC Place as a short-handed Vancouver Whitecaps FC were held to a 0-0 draw against FC Dallas, in a match of many chances for the 'Caps.
It was a feisty start to the match, as both sides looked to get the upper hand early on. MathÃas Laborda had a cross almost sneak into the far corner had Jimmy Maurer not gotten a hand to it. Levonte Johnson had a chance not long later, being found at the back post after a flick on header, but his shot was blocked before it could ripple the back of the net.
Alessandro Schöpf came the closest in the 24th minute, when he tried to sidefoot a curling effort towards the far post, beating Maurer but denied by the post and out. Laborda tried to follow-up that chance but his shot was just wide of the mark. Laborda was at the heart of it again just past the half-hour mark, when he jumped high near the back post to redirect a header towards goal, but it was cleared before it could pass the line.
The Whitecaps FC pressure continued to mount thereafter. Sebastian Berhalter forced a diving save from Maurer from a free kick, and Damir Kreilach crashed a header onto the crossbar from close range in the follow-up. Ryan Raposo then drilled a shot hard and low in the box, but into the hands of Maurer.
Dallas nearly got a goal against the run of play right at the end of the half, with Paul Arriola almost lobbing a header over Yohei Takaoka, but the ‘keeper got the slightest of touches to redirect the ball away from goal. That would be the last action of the half as the scores remained goalless.
Petar Musa began the second with a chance to put Dallas ahead in the first five minutes of the half. Jesus Ferreira sent him in behind but the big striker could only drag his shot wide of the far post.
Laborda was close to breaking the deadlock in the most acrobatic of ways, attempting a bicycle kick just inside the box but having it blocked wide before it could reach the net.
Arriola smacked the post from distance just past the hour mark, and Musa thought he was able to deflect it in but the striker was marginally offside.
Tristan Blackmon then had a glancing header threaten the Dallas net off a free kick, as it looped over everyone and hit the crossbar.
Back the other way, Bernard Kamungo, off the bench, slalomed his way into the Caps’ box with a quarter of the match to go and fired a low shot for Takaoka to gather.
Deiber Caicedo had two glorious opportunities to steal all three points at the end. First, the substitute was played through on goal by Berhalter, but his touch to try to get around the ‘keeper was a smidge too close to Maurer, who clawed it wide to undo the danger.
Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau was close right at the end as well, getting on the end of a whipped cross from Sam Adekugbe, but his first-time volley went high and wide.
Finally, Caicedo was inches from winning it right at the death when the ball dropped to him inside the six-yard box, but a heroic block ensured Dallas would come away with a point as the teams shared the spoils.
Whitecaps FC are back in action next Saturday, September 14 as they host San Jose Earthquakes on the club's 90s Match at 7:30 p.m. PT. For ticket information, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
MATCH DETAILS
VWFC GE Appliances Player of Quality: Ralph Priso
Attendance: 23,188
Referee: Allen Chapman
Scoring Summary
None
Statistics
Possession: VAN 51.6% - DAL 48.4%
Shots: VAN 20 - DAL 6
Shots on Goal: VAN 5 - DAL 2
Saves: VAN 2 - DAL 5
Fouls: VAN 11 - DAL 7
Offsides: VAN 2 - DAL 2
Corners: VAN 7 - DAL 1
Cautions
83’ – VAN – Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau
87’ – FCD – Marco Farfan
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Yohei Takaoka; 12.Belal Halbouni (18.Édier Ocampo 73’), 4.Ranko Veselinović ©, 6.Tristan Blackmon; 2.MathÃas Laborda,16.Sebastian Berhalter, 13.Ralph Priso (26.Stuart Armstrong 84’), 8.Alessandro Schöpf, 7.Ryan Raposo (3.Sam Adekugbe 62’); 19.Damir Kreilach (52.Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau 63’), 28.Levonte Johnson (23.Déiber Caicedo 73’)
Substitutes not used
32.Isaac Boehmer, 15.Bjørn Inge Utvik, 27.Giuseppe Bovalina, 59.Jeevan Badwal
FC Dallas
1.Jimmy Maurer; 25.Sebastian Ibeagha, 17.Nkosi Tafari, 29.Sam Junqua; 7.Paul Arriola, 8.Sebastian Lletget, 14.Asier Illarramendi, 4.Marco Farfan; 10.Jesus Ferreira (23.Logan Farrington 61’), 16.Tsiki Ntsabeleng (77.Bernard Kamungo 61’); 9.Petar Musa (20.Alan Velasco 80’)
Substitutes not used
13.Antonio Carrera, 3.Omar Gonzalez, 11.Dante Sealy, 22.Ema Twumasi, 31.Eugene Ansah, 32.Nolan Norris
