The Whitecaps win over Minnesota 3-2

May 06, 2023 • 4 Comments

Brian White exits the game after scoring 2 of Whitecaps’ 3 goals. Simon Becher added one to keep the Whitecaps lead.

The Whitecaps broke their streak of two consecutive 0-0 draws coming into this game with a goal from Brian White in the 17th minute mark. White found himself all alone against Minnesota’s Dayne St. Clair coming off a fast break, his right foot shot easily on the mark and gave the Whitecaps a 1-0 lead early in the first half.

Minnesota United, who before this game has won half of its eight all-time road games in Canada with alternating wins and losses, tried to even the game with a couple of attempts. Bongokuhle Hlongwane’s right footed shot from the outside of the box was blocked in the 26th mark and Robin Lod’s header from close range was saved in the 33rd mark.

Minnesota’s efforts finally paid off when Jeong Sang-Bin’s corner kick to the center of the box was misread by Whitecaps’ goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka, who went up to intercept which resulted in the ball rattling on the ground in front of Minnesota’s Michael Boxall. Boxall then sent the ball with a right footed shot from very close range, and it went straight through the net as Takaoka was unable to recover.

With the game tied at 1-1 the Whitecaps spent the remainder of the first half trying to get the lead back. Julian Gressel and Ranko Veselinovic both tried to score from the right side of the box, but both missed. Brian White and Pedro Vite tried to score but White’s shot was saved and Vite’s header missed to the right.

The Whitecaps started the second half hot by scoring their second goal when Ranko Veselinovic fed the ball to Brian White who found himself in front of Minnesota’s goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair. The two collided after White sent the ball through the net with a left footed shot. White went down in pain and was taken out of the game.

Just four minutes later Vancouver scored another goal courtesy of Simon Becher from an assist by Ryan Gauld. This was Becher’s 4th career goal and gave the Whitecaps 3-1 lead early in the second half.

Minnesota responded in the 65th mark as Jeong Sang-Bin scored a goal with a right footed shot from the center of the box, keeping the game alive and bringing Minnesota to just within a goal at 2-3. But Minnesota came up short, unable to score again in the remainder of the second half. Ménder García made a couple of attempts, his shot in the 71st mark missed and another in the 72nd mark was saved. Kemar Lawrence and Jeong Sang-bin tried to score in the dying minutes to save the game with Sang-Bin’s shot just narrowly missing.

Staff Writer, Ryan Espinosa, Shotbug Press

Video Credit: Sukhwant Dhillon/Shotbug Press