LOS ANGELES, CA – It was yet another action-packed match for Whitecaps FC 2 as they won 4-3 on the road against LAFC for three valuable road points.
Whitecaps FC began the match with full confidence, and it reflected with the young ‘Caps taking the lead inside three minutes. Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau drilled a ball into the box for Cyprian Kachwele to latch onto. After winning his duel against his marker, Kachwele calmly slotted his effort past David Ochoa to give Whitecaps FC 2 the lead.
The young ‘Caps kept the pressure on with Giuseppe Bovalina cutting inside from the right and lacing a shot only for it to be blocked. Fleuriau Chateau then had a header go over the net from a Jay Herdman free kick inside 15 minutes. Not a minute later, Kachwele had a golden opportunity to double the lead off another stellar cross from Fleuriau Chateau, but his shot from inside the six-yard box rolled just wide of the net.
LAFC then equalized in the 18th minute through Tomás Ángel. The first team striker pounced on a rebound in the box after the Max Anchor saved a shot from distance, and managed to tap it in to level the match. Whitecaps FC 2 did not falter despite losing the lead, and had the opportunity to retake it through a penalty after Fleuriau Chateau was brought down in the box. Mihail Gherismencov then stepped up and venomously dispatched his penalty, sending Ochoa the wrong way.
LAFC came back from behind to score once again just inside 30 minutes, after great work by Aiden Martin. Martin zipped past his marker and whipped a cross in for Ángel to tap in for his brace. In the 40th minute, LAFC themselves had a chance to score from a penalty spot after an alleged handball in the box, but Thabo Nare was denied by the outside of the right post.
Both sides would continue to battle it out but had to settle for going into the break level.
WFC2 began the second half with another strong start, with Fleuriau Chateau putting a headed effort on target from a free kick delivery. The MLS SuperDraft pick nearly had a goal in the 59th minute, dancing past his marker on the left and charging into the box before trying to laser a shot into the bottom right corner, but his effort went a whisker wide of the far post.
LAFC earned another opportunity from the penalty spot in the 70th minute, on another handball call inside the box. Anchor did well by guessing correctly and diving to his left, but Leonardo Flores’ shot was just too powerful, and Anchor was unable to get enough on it to deny LAFC their third of the match.
WFC2 would not give up, and in the 78th minute the ‘Caps were the ones to equalize this time around. Jay Herdman shimmied his way past his defender and curled a sumptuous cross towards the back post for Fleuriau Chateau to head home to level it up at 3-3. Belal Halbouni then nearly got the go-ahead goal for the young ‘Caps off a corner, but his header looped up and over the crossbar.
This thrilling match would have a victor before the end of regulation, and it would be Whitecaps FC 2 thanks to a late goal by Herdman. Malek Mehri crossed a ball in from the right side and found Herdman dashing towards the near post. The New Zealand youth international flicked his header past Ochoa to give his side the all-important goal to win the match and earn themselves a crucial three points on the road.
WFC2 now get set to play the last of six straight on the road, as they head to Colorado to face Rapids 2 on Sunday, May 19 at 5 p.m. PT.
The 'Caps will then play their first home match at Swangard Stadium on Sunday, May 26 at 4 p.m. PT against Ventura County FC. For tickets, visit whitecapsfc.com/wfc2.
MATCH DETAILS
Referee: Greg Dopka
Scoring Summary
3’ – VAN – Cyprian Kachwele (Nicholas Fleuriau Chateau)
18’ – LAFC – Tomás Ángel
21’ – VAN – Mihail Gherismencov (penalty kick)
30’ – VAN – Tomás Ángel (Aiden Martin)
71’ – LAFC – Leonardo Flores (penalty kick)
78’ – VAN – Nicholas Fleuriau Chateau (Jay Herdman)
90’+1 – VAN – Jay Herdman (Malek Mehri)
Statistics
Possession: LAFC 59% - VAN 41%
Shots: LAFC 10 - VAN 17
Shots on Goal: LAFC 4 - VAN 6
Saves: LAFC 2 - VAN 1
Fouls: LAFC 18 - VAN 7
Offsides: LAFC 6 - VAN 1
Corners: LAFC 3 - VAN 4
Cautions
19’ – LAFC – Javen Romero
68’ – VAN – Dembo Saidykhan
70’ – VAN – Belal Halbouni
86’ – LAFC – Bajung Darboe
Los Angeles FC 2
31.David Ochoa; 32.Shakir Nixon, 52.Javen Romero, 44.Thabo Nare (46.Decarlo Guerra 67’), 82.Aiden Martin (49.Javier Hernandez 90’+2); 36.Thomas Musto, 43.Diego Rosales, 70.Matthew Evans; 27.Nathan Ordaz (55.Bajung Darboe 45’), 21.Tomás Ángel (48.Tamir Ratovitz 45’), 39.Leonardo Flores
Substitutes not used
51.Dylan Glowaski, 65.Adrian Sanders
Whitecaps FC 2
50.Max Anchor; 83.Finn Linder (51.Dembo Saidykhan 38’), 12.Belal Halbouni, 56.Immanuel Mathe, 27.Giuseppe Bovalina (41.Eliot Goldthorp 58’); 54.Mihail Gherismencov, 48.Malcom Simmons, 59.Jeevan Badwal (49.Malek Mehri 58’), 92.Jay Herdman; 52.Nicholas Fleuriau Chateau (46.Darko Ilić 82’), 55.Cyprian Kachwele (44.Myles Morgan 82’)
Substitutes not used
99.Matheus De Souza, 53.Buster Sjöberg
