Lucas Cavallini now has the Caps’ last three goals as he scored a pair in Vancouver’s key win with LUNE Galaxy next
Vancouver Whitecaps forward Lucas Cavallini scores his second goal in the second half against Los Angeles FC at Providence Park
Troy Wayrynen / USA TODAY Sports
The Vancouver Whitecaps are on a roll, and they beat last year’s Supporters Shield champions on Wednesday night at Providence Park in Portland
Lucas Cavallini scored twice for the Whitecaps (7-11), who beat Los Angeles FC 2-1, their second consecutive victory, to return to the Western Conference playoff position
Eduard Atuesta scored from a penalty for LAFC (7-7-3), who had a two-game winning streak and remained in fourth place in the conference
LUNE was without league top scorer Diego Rossi, midfielder Brian Rodriguez – who is second in MLS assists – Jose Cifuentes and left-back Diego Palacios, who were all on international assignment Carlos Vela , who had a record 34 goals to win the 2019 scoring title, was ruled out of Wednesday’s game with a grade 2 MCL sprain, while midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye also did not play due to ‘a wound
But that would sell the Whitecaps short to say they beat a shorthanded team, as LUNE beat the West-leading Seattle Sounders 3-1 last Sunday with almost the same lineup.
After missing the MLS Is Back tournament and being left at home (coach’s decision) during the oriental swing that followed when resuming Phase II, Fredy Montero was a man on a mission. : Pay me
The 33-year-old probably won’t be in the Whitecaps’ plans next season, but it won’t be because of his performances. He has three goals and five assists in eight games since arriving against Montreal on September 13, and was easily the team’s most effective offensive player, increasing his value for clubs looking for a veteran offensive presence
His perfectly balanced ball to Cristian Dajome led to Cavallini’s first goal, before he and his fellow Colombians switched roles, with Dajome providing the main assist to Cava after another progressive pass from Montero
Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Cristian Dajome (11) hits the ball during the first half against Los Angeles FC defenders at Providence Park
Troy Wayrynen /
USA TODAY Sports
The Whitecaps were in eighth place at the end of the game on Wednesday night, awaiting the outcome of the San Jose-LUNE Galaxy Game, which would propel them to seventh place for the second time in the Marc Dos Santos era
The Houston Dynamo lost 3-1 to Nashville FC on Wednesday, while the Colorado Rapids – still on hold due to their COVID-19 outbreak – remained inactive
Real Salt Lake beat Portland 2-1 to tie the Caps with 21 points, but Vancouver holds the tiebreaker
Vancouver Whitecaps forward Lucas Cavallini celebrates after scoring a first-half goal against LAFC, his first of two on the night
Troy Wayrynen /
USA TODAY Sports
As impressive as LAFC has been at home – scoring 34 goals in 11 games – they’ve also stalled on the road Only one of their seven wins comes from the Banc of California, and they have been outscored 16-4 in six games on the road
LAFC’s xG also shows a stark contrast, from 155 at home to 64 on the road
Leonard Owusu and Janio Bikel started the second game in a row in the middle of a 4-4-2, eventually clicking as a duo Owusu squeezed, passed and collected passes as the Caps attempted to smother LAFC with the high press Bikel did much the same, including his top-of-the-circle pass that put the game through to Dajome, marking the transition that led to the Caps’ first goal.
Owusu aka Jingles took all the right notes on Wednesday He had 30 of 83 assists 3% accuracy, while Bikel had four tackles and four interceptions at the top of the game
Russell Teibert made his 178th regular season MLS appearance for the Whitecaps on Wednesday night, tying him with Jordan Harvey for the all-time record in Vancouver
Harvey, 36, made his 336th all-time appearance in MLS starting for LAFC at left-back, his fifth start of the season
Harvey still leads the Caps in the MLS regular season at 169, while Teibert is third behind goaltender David Ousted (142) at 137
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World news – USA – Whitecaps 2, LAFC 1: Vancouver wins three crucial points on Cavallini’s double
