VANCOUVER, BC – It was a gorgeous summer afternoon at Swangard Stadium on Sunday, a setting fit for an emphatic performance as Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 swept aside LAFC2 with a resounding 4-0 win.
The match began with both sides settling into the game in the early stages. It then began to heat up in the 20th minute, when a ball in behind for Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau was tapped around LAFC2 goalkeeper David Ochoa, but the WFC2 forward was unable to tap it home as a diving slide blocked his shot before it could find the back of the net.
LAFC2 nearly got the opener right at the end of the first half, as Matias Wanchope cut inside from the right and tried to curl one into the top left corner, but instead sent it curling over the bar as the two teams went into the halftime interval scoreless.
In the end, it was the young 'Caps who broke the deadlock just five minutes into the second half. Malek Mehri intercepted a pass inside his own half and drove towards goal. Mehri found Fleuriau Chateau in space on the left, and Fleuriau Chateau did excellently to shift the ball onto his left and drill a shot into the bottom right corner to net his fourth goal of the campaign.
Myles Morgan doubled the lead two minutes later to get his first ever Whitecaps FC 2 goal. Morgan got on the end of a chipped Eliot Goldthorp cross and headed a looped effort off the underside of the cross bar and in.
Fleuriau Chateau nearly got his second of the match in the 63rd minute, when he was played in behind but was unable to get it past Ochoa as the goalkeeper got a foot out to deny the striker.
Morgan, however, did end up getting a brace in the 76th minute, after substitute Liam Mackenzie squared it to him in the box for a tap in finish. Mackenzie notched his first professional assist on the goal.
Academy product Rayan Elloumi came off the bench in the 80th minute to make his professional debut.
Goldthorp then put the cherry on top in the 88th minute, as he cut inside and blasted a left-footed effort into the roof of the net. LAFC would try to get a late consolation goal, but would come up empty-handed as the referee blew his final whistle to give Whitecaps FC 2 the clean sheet and all three points.
Whitecaps FC 2 will look to wrap up their four-game homestand at Swangard Stadium with another win this Thursday, June 13th as they face Western Conference foes Minnesota United 2. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. PT. For tickets, visit www.whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
MATCH DETAILS
Referee: David Schmidt-Schweda
Scoring Summary
50’ – VAN – Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau (Malek Mehri)
52’ – VAN – Myles Morgan (Eliot Goldthorp)
76’ – VAN – Myles Morgan (Liam Mackenzie)
88’ – VAN – Eliot Goldthorp (Malcom Simmons)
Statistics
Possession: VAN 40% - LAFC 60%
Shots: VAN 8 - LAFC 7
Shots on Goal: VAN 5 - LAFC 0
Saves: VAN 0 - LAFC 0
Fouls: VAN 5 - LAFC 10
Offsides: VAN 4 - LAFC 4
Corners: VAN 4 - LAFC 7
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
50.Max Anchor; 56.Immanuel Mathe (95.Joshué Ndakala 84’), 53.Buster Sjöberg (captain), 83.Finn Linder, 54.Mihail Gherasimencov; 59.Jeevan Badwal, 48.Malcolm Simmons; 41.Eliot Goldthorp, 49.Malek Mehri (97.Liam Mackenzie 61’); 44.Myles Morgan (63.Rayan Elloumi 80’), 52.Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau (96.Mateo Clark 80’)
Substitutes not used
99.Matheus De Souza, 46.Darko Ilić, 61.Johnny Selemani, 93.Anyole Peter
Los Angeles FC 2
31.David Ochoa; 32.Shakir Nixon, 43.Diego Rosales, 44.Thabo Nare, 82.Aidan Martin (65.Adrian Sanders 82’); 36.Thomas Musto (62.Joshua Santiago 59’), 60.Matias Wanchope (81.Charlie Rosenthal 59’), 46.Decarlo Guerra (49.Javier Andres Hernandez 69’); 70.Matt Evans, 77.Adrian Wibowo, 40.Christopher Jaime
Substitutes not used
41.Aaron Meono, 55.Bajung Darboe, 71.James Arteaga
