Vancouver Whitecaps FC had an offensive outburst as they defeated the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1 on Sunday night at BC Place to move into second place in the Western Conference standings.
Both sides were looking to break their current slumps when they met on Sunday night. With three points up for grabs, the Whitecaps came out on top. Vancouver controlled play at both ends of the pitch throughout the contest. Scoring early and often, the 'Caps cruised to a 3-1 victory.
Vancouver off to dream start
Whitecaps midfielder Mauro Rosales scored his first of the season in the 5th minute with a left-footed strike from outside the San Jose box. His shot beat Earthquakes goalkeeper David Bingham as it found the net to give Vancouver an early lead.
In the 32nd minute, the Whitecaps would score again as defender Kendall Waston also scored his first goal of the season with a thunderous header from a Rosales cross.
The Whitecaps were very solid defensively throughout the first half. It was also a notable half for Whitecaps defender Christian Dean who was making just his third ever MLS start.
Whitecaps forward Octavio Rivero was also buzzing for a goal throughout the first half in hopes of ending his current scoring slump. Failing to score so far in the month of July, the Whitecaps’ leading scorer has had a frustrating month to say the least.
Rivero breaks his duct
In the second half, Rivero was hauled down in the San Jose box by Earthquakes defender Paulo Renato. With an opportunity to put his scoring woes to rest, Rivero subsequently stepped up to take the penalty kick and assertively sent the ball into the bottom left corner to give Vancouver a commanding three-goal lead in the 56th minute.
Conversely, San Jose's offensive struggles persisted throughout the match, even though the team had the luxury of having top scorer Chris Wondolowski back to start the game. Despite being previously ruled out because of his recent Gold Cup duties with the United States Men's National Team, Wondolowski managed to arrive in time to play and he was a surprise addition to the club’s starting squad before the match.
Speaking of returning players, this match also marked the return of Whitecaps captain Pedro Morales in the 68th minute. The Chilean midfielder returned to the ‘Caps after missing the last six weeks with a calf injury.
San Jose searches for consolation goal
San Jose’s attack started to press in the last 25 minutes as the Whitecaps started to play a more reserved game. Midfielder Cordell Cato had a great scoring opportunity as he forced Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted to make a diving save in the 76th minute.
Earthquakes midfielder Shea Salinas also had two great chances around the 80th and 81st minute, hitting the crossbar with the latter attempt. His strike hit the bar and tumbled down towards the goal line, but would fall just short of a goal.
In the 90th minute, Earthquakes forward Quincy Amarikwa would get a goal back for San Jose with his right-footed shot hitting the bottom left corner of the net from a Salinas pass to make it 3-1. However, that was all the Earthquakes could muster up as they were handed their fourth straight MLS loss. Remaining winless in the month of July, changes need to be made for San Jose.
The Whitecaps broke out of their recent slump with a strong offensive outing, but they also need to be more disciplined. Picking up three more yellow cards on Sunday night, the ‘Caps currently lead the MLS in yellow card accumulations.
Regardless, it was a solid overall performance for the Whitecaps. They will look to build off of their victory when they face Seattle Sounders FC on August 1st at CenturyLink Field in Seattle. The Earthquakes will have to wait until they host the Portland Timbers at Avaya Stadium on August 2nd to try and get back into the win column.