VANCOUVER, BC – Whitecaps FC 2 picked up a point in their Cascadia clash with Portland Timbers2 on Saturday afternoon at BC Place, drawing 2-2 in regulation and falling 3-2 in a penalty shootout.
The match started with both teams off to the races.
In the fourth minute, a pass inside for Sawyer Jura allowed him to shift onto his right and arrow his long-distance effort into the top right corner to open the scoring.
Despite WFC2 pushing hard after conceding the first, Portland would strike again in the 31st minute. A long ball forward would get flicked on by Blake Pope, sending through Noah Santos to bear down on Max Anchor and slipping it past him to make it 2-0.
The young ‘Caps kept fighting throughout the rest of the first half, but were unable to level it before the referee blew the whistle for halftime.
Whitecaps FC 2 began the second half with a point to prove, and got rewarded for it inside 60 seconds.
Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau fought for the ball inside the box and got fouled to win his side a penalty. Lowell Wright then cooly stepped up and put home his third goal of the season to halve the deficit for the young ‘Caps.
Fleuriau Chateau nearly got the equalizer for the Whitecaps less than 10 minutes later, rising highest to get on the end of a Wright cross, but his effort looped wide. Goldthorpe was then denied in the 61st minute by a goal-line clearance, after volleying an effort inside the six-yard box past Trev Muse.
Whitecaps FC 2 continued dominating the game in the second half, and capitalized on it by getting their equalizer through substitute Cyprian Kachwele. Fleuriau Chateau was at the heart of the play again, fighting for possession inside the Portland box. The ball then fell loose at the edge of the box for Kachwele to wrap his foot around it and curl it into the bottom left corner.
Kachwele came close to his second of the night minutes later, thanks to some dazzling play by substitute Antoine Coupland. Coupland danced past his marker and chipped a cross in for Kachwele to tap in, but his effort ballooned over the bar.
The rest of the second half saw both sides battling to find the lead, but they could not be separated, resulting in Timbers2 winning the match via a penalty shootout.
Whitecaps FC 2 are back in action next week as they begin their six-game away stretch against Ventura County FC on Sunday, April 7. Kickoff from Dignity Health Sports Park is set for 5 p.m. PT. The young 'Caps will return home on Sunday, May 26, hosting Ventura County FC in their first home match at Swangard Stadium this season. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. PT. For tickets, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
MATCH DETAILS
Referee: Michael Venne
Scoring Summary
4’ – POR – Sawyer Jura (Noah Santos)
31’ – POR – Noah Santos (Blake Pope)
47’ – VAN – Lowell Wright (penalty)
65’ – VAN – Cyprian Kachwele (Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau)
Shootout
VAN - Missed - Jay Herdman
POR - Missed - Mataeo Bunbury
VAN - Scored - Eliot Goldthorp
POR - Scored - Kyle Linhares
VAN - Scored - Malcolm Simmons
POR - Scored - Blake Pope
VAN - Missed - Mihail Gherasimencov
POR - Scored - Alexis Moreno
VAN - Missed - Cyprian Kachwele
Statistics
Possession: VAN 42% - POR 58%
Shots: VAN 11 - POR 7
Shots on Goal: VAN 4 - POR 4
Saves: VAN 1 - POR 0
Fouls: VAN 11 - POR 8
Offsides: VAN 2 - POR 2
Corners: VAN 3 - POR 5
Cautions
23’ – POR – Malcom Johnston
76’ – VAN – Antoine Coupland
90’+2 – VAN - Immanuel Mathe
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 Lineup
50.Max Anchor; 56.Immanuel Mathe, 53.Buster Sjöberg, 83.Finn Linder; 41.Eliot Goldthorp, 48.Malcolm Simmons, 59.Jeevan Badwal, 54.Mihail Gherasimencov; 92.Jay Herdman ©, 52.Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau (43.Antoine Coupland 76’), 42.Lowell Wright (55.Cyprian Kachwele 58’)
Substitutes not used
99.Matheus De Souza, 46.Darko Ilić, 49.Malek Mehri, 51.Dembo Saidykhan
Portlands Timbers 2 Lineup
25.Trev Muse; 45.Blake Pope, 40.Keesan Ferdinand, 48.Kaveh Rad, 51.Sawyer Jura; 55.Malcom Johnston (38.Brazton Taghvai-Naijb 90’+3), 68.Harvey Neville (87.Christian Mendoza 65’), 46.Victor Enriquez (42.Alexis Moreno 90’+3); 70.Josh Penn, 37.Noah Santos (47.Mataeo Bunbury 65’), 77.Kyle Linhares
Substitutes not used
96.Carver Miller, 35.Alexis Manzo Mendoza
