AUSTIN, TX – Whitecaps FC 2 put up a valiant effort but eventually fell in a penalty shootout against the defending MLS NEXT Pro champions Austin FC II on Friday night at Parmer Field in Austin, Texas.
With the points, the young 'Caps (10W-10L-7D, 40 points) continue to hold a playoff spot in seventh place in the Western Conference standings. The team will be looking to clinch their first-ever MLS NEXT Pro playoff spot with a result from their regular season finale next Sunday, October 6 against Houston Dynamo 2.
At the quarter hour in the match, a hard-charging Eliot Goldthorp pressed forward, and put a 19-yard strike on goal to force a save from Austin FC II goalkeeper Aaron Cervantes.
A minute later, WFC2 goalkeeper Alexander Milošević was put on notice. Cheick Touré snapped a high cross to C.J. Fodrey, with his header going high over the goal and out of danger.
At the other end, WFC2 had a brilliant counterattack that was brilliant in execution.
Down the left wing, Goldthorp outran defenders and sprinted ahead to corral a long ball. He kept his head up to whip a low ball that flashed across to the boots of a wide-open Cyprian Kachwele, who saw his volley go high over the crossbar.
The hard-working ’Caps were rewarded for their valiant effort. Striker Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau alertly picked off a pass, juked to make space, and laid off a pass for Goldthorp. The 2024 MLS SuperDraft pick unleashed an absolute scorcher into the top corner to give his side a 1-0 lead in the 40th minute.
It didn't take long for Austin FC II to get back in the match, as the home side found their equalizer off a long Jimmy Farkarlun cross that connected with C.J. Fodrey, who expertly climbed the ladder to nod home the equalizer.
Then, one minute into stoppage time, Austin midfielder Bobosi Byaruhanga was ejected for his second yellow – and subsequent red card – after a hard tackle on Jeevan Badwal. Both teams would go into the halftime interval deadlocked at 0-0.
As the second half wound on, WFC2 found numerous openings with the one-man advantage.
Goldthorp was denied from collecting a brace with a trio of chances; a 15-yard attempt on goal, a glancing header which dipped wide, and a free kick that barely swerved out of play at the near post.
With time running out, a Badwal free kick led to a powerful header from eight yards out by substitute Myles Morgan – but Cervantes dove to his left to punch away the chance.
In a mirror image of the first half, Austin FC II was shown another red card in stoppage time as defender Rubén Bonachera was sent off before the shootout.
It all comes down to this. Whitecaps FC 2’s last regular season match will be another Texas trip against Houston Dynamo 2 on Sunday, October at 1 p.m. PT. A win or a draw would see the young 'Caps secure their first-ever ticket to the MLS NEXT Pro Cup Playoffs.
MATCH DETAILS
Referee: Melinda Homa
Scoring Summary
40’ – VAN – Eliot Goldthorp (Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau)
44’ – ATX – C.J. Fodrey (Jimmy Farkarlun)
Shootout
VAN – Scored – Eliot Goldthorp
ATX – Scored – Cheick Touré
VAN – Scored – Myles Morgan
ATX – Scored – Alonso Ramirez
VAN – Scored – Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau
ATX – Scored – Diego Abarca
VAN – Scored – Finn Linder
ATX – Scored – Antonio Gomez
VAN – Saved – Mihail Gherasimencov
ATX – Scored – Peter Grogan
Cautions
13’ – ATX – C.J. Fodrey
37’ – ATX – Bobosi Byaruhanga
49’ – ATX – Alonso Ramírez
66’ – VAN – Mihail Gherasimencov
90’ – VAN – Jeevan Badwal
90+5’ – ATX – Rubén Bonachera
Ejections
45+1' – ATX – Bobosi Byaruhanga
90+5' – ATX – Rubén Bonachera
Statistics
Possession: ATX 62% – VAN 38%Shots: ATX 6 – VAN 14
Shots on Goal: ATX 2 – VAN 4
Saves: ATX 3 – VAN 1
Fouls: ATX 12 – VAN 7
Offsides: ATX 2 – VAN 5
Corners: ATX 8 – VAN 3
Austin FC II
20.Aaron Cervantes; 2.Cheick Touré, 5.Salvatore Mazzaferro, 14.Nicolás van Rijn Portabella, 3.Rubén Bonachera; 6.Alonso Ramírez, 18.Bobosi Byaruhanga, 30.Ervin Torres (90.Peter Grogan 88’); 10.Jimmy Farkarlun (11.Christopher Garcia 74’), 32.Micah Burton (77.Diego Abarca 84’), 19.C.J. Fodrey (4.Antonio Gomez 84’)
Substitutes not used
1.Marcus Ryu Alstrup, 7.Anthony García, 8.Steeve Louis-Jean, 17.Bryan Arellano, 25.Anthony De Anda
Whitecaps FC 2
90.Alexander Milošević; 83.Finn Linder, 53.Buster Sjöberg, 51.Dembo Saidykhan, 54.Mihail Gherasimencov; 59.Jeevan Badwal, 97.Liam Mackenzie; 43.Antoine Coupland (46.Darko Ilić 84’), 41.Eliot Goldthorp; 55.Cyprian Kachwele (44.Myles Morgan 62’), 52.Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau
Substitutes not used
80.Trystan Reed, 48.Malcolm Simmons, 56.Immanuel Mathe
