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Report and Reaction: Record breakers Vancouver Whitecaps can now rest easy

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Report and Reaction: Record breakers Vancouver Whitecaps can now rest easy

Vancouver Whitecaps are so frustrating this season.

After the disappointment of defeat in Montreal on Wednesday night, and after a string of mixed results, the ‘Caps became record breakers on Saturday, beating LA Galaxy 1-0 to end their 29 home game unbeaten streak.

As far as the Whitecaps results go this season, the victory is right up there with Vancouver’s 2-0 win over LA at the start of April. That was a complete team performance and it was the same on Saturday night.

Those two wins over LA bookend a ten game run of games that produced only three wins and 11 points for Vancouver. Thankfully other results went their way and kept their head above water and the chasing pack.

With tonight’s win the Caps now sit tied for the lead of the Supporters’ Shield and the Western Conference, as they head into a bye week and some much needed rest.

A loss could have seen them come back from that break right in the pack and fighting for their playoff positioning. As Carl Robinson is fond of saying, fine lines.

Here’s our match report and postgame reaction from both locker rooms after the 1-0 win.

REPORT:

Los Angeles Galaxy’s last defeat at the StubHub Center came on March 8th last year in a 1-0 First Kick defeat to Real Salt Lake. That was 29 games and counting, in all competitions, as Vancouver Whitecaps headed to Carson, California.

‘Caps coach Carl Robinson has said post match that records are made to be broken, so why couldn’t it be them? No reason at all as it turned out.

Kekuta Manneh’s 32nd minute strike was the difference between the two teams on the night, but Vancouver had the far better chances throughout, hitting on the counter and squandering their opportunities to win by a few. That’s still a concern, but that’s also for another time.

After making six changes to his starting line-up for the midweek loss in Montreal, Robinson returned his big hitters for this one, against a weakened, but still strong, LA side.

The home side had the better of the early going without creating any real threat to David Ousted’s goal.

Goalmouth action in general was hard to come by, with both defences mopping up whatever was coming towards them.

The game needed a spark. It came in the 32nd minute and opened the scoring for Vancouver.

Manneh collected the ball inside his own half, playing it forward to Octavio Rivero who took a few touches before playing it back out wide to the winger. The Gambian had been a handful for the Galaxy defence to start the match and gave them more trouble, cutting inside of a backing off Omar Gonzalez before firing home past Brian Rowe from the edge of the box.

The young speedster was having an impressive game, both in attack and with a strong defensive shift, and he nearly set Cristian Techera up for the second with four minutes of the half remaining, but the Uruguayan fierce strike was touched off the near post by Rowe.

A strong first half by Vancouver, and keeping themselves tight in the second was now the key.

As it turned out, LA didn’t really look all that threatening in the final third and Vancouver continued to have the best chances, just not taking them and killing the game off.

Manneh had a chance to add a second ten minutes into the second half, when he sprung the Galaxy defence, but his first touch let him down and allowed Rowe to come out quickly and block the danger.

Robbie Keane came close moments later, as you wondered how costly a miss Manneh’s could be. But there was more, and worse, to come!

Sub Alan Gordon came within inches of getting his toe on a dangerous Stefan Ishizaki ball across goal in the 63rd minute, in a lucky escape for the ‘Caps.

As LA pressed, Vancouver should have made it two in the 72nd minute on a quick counter-attack.

Rivero received a pass from Pedro Morales just inside the ‘Caps half, easily turned Leonardo and bore down on goal on a two-on-one break with the ‘Caps captain. With Rowe narrowing the angle, the Uruguayan made the perfect pass inside to Morales but the Chilean could only look on in anguish as his shot crashed off the left post with the goal gaping.

The rebound fell to Rivero but took an awkward bounce and LA cleared the danger.

The Galaxy nearly made them pay, but Keane was unable to connect on a long ball forward.

It was deja vu with seven minutes remaining when Rivero found himself on another two-on-one break, this time with sub Darren Mattocks, but the strikers ball inside was too hard for the Jamaican to get on to.

A concerning as the misses are, it wasn’t to matter and the Caps held on for a historic win.

Vancouver now go into a bye week and two weeks rest until their next match away to New York Red Bulls on June 20th. It just got a lot more enjoyable for them. Psychologically, this result could be massive.

FINAL SCORE: Los Angeles Galaxy 0 – 1 Vancouver Whitecaps

ATT: 20,219

LOS ANGELES: Brian Rowe; Oscar Sorto, Omar Gonzalez, Leonardo, Baggio Husidic; Stefan Ishizaki, Juninho, Mika Vayrynen (Kenney Walker 56), Ignacio Maganto (Sebastian Lletget 75); Robbie Keane, Edson Buddle (Alan Gordon 60) [Subs Not Used: Andrew Wolverton, A.J. DeLaGarza, Tommy Meyer, Rafael Garcia]
VANCOUVER: David Ousted; Steven Beitashour, Kendall Waston, Pa Modou Kah, Jordan Harvey; Matias Laba (Russell Teibert 75), Gershon Koffie, Cristian Techera, Pedro Morales (Darren Mattocks 80), Kekuta Manneh (Mauro Rosales 75); Octavio Rivero [Subs Not Used: Paolo Tornaghi, Christian Dean, Nicolás Mezquida, Robert Earnshaw]
REACTION:

** To follow shortly **

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