Whitecaps facing Wild Card game after loss to LAFC

Photo: Gerrit te Hennepe

Vancouver Whitecaps 1-2 LAFC

VANCOUVER, BC–Vancouver has gone from a potential top four team in the Western Conference to maybe not even hosting the wildcard game after extending their league winless streak to six matches following a 2-1 loss against LAFC at BC Place. LAFC have now won four straight and keep faint hopes of the top seed in the West alive with the win.

Both teams were missing several players to international duty, but Mateusz Bogusz was not one of them. He picked up a diagonal ball from David Martinez and beat Yohei Takaoka far post after just 34 seconds to give the Black and Gold the lead.

Both teams had chances either to equalize in Vancouver’s case or extend the lead in LAFC’s case, but the former would come in the 62nd minute. Sebastian Berhalter’s free kick was unintentionally headed in by Sergi Palencia for an own goal and put the Whitecaps on terms.

Brian White had to glorious chances to put the Whitecaps ahead in the second half, but lacked the accuracy. He then had a third chance in the 86th minute off the corner, but that was cleared off the line by Tim Tillman.

In the third minute of stoppage time, substitute Nathan Ordaz dribbled between two Whitecaps defenders, fed to Kei Kamara, who fed to Ilie Sanchez who scored from just outside the penalty area to give LAFC the win. To add insult to injury for Brian White, his late header to potentially draw the match would go off the post and out.

The Whitecaps enter Decision Day (Saturday) in eighth one point ahead of Portland. To avoid the wildcard game, the Whitecaps need to win at Real Salt Lake and hope Minnesota United loses at home to St. Louis City SC. LAFC will likely be the second seed in the West, though they can still claim the top seed if they defeat wooden spoonist San Jose, and then LA Galaxy lose at Houston with a goal difference swing of three in the process. All Western Conference games on Decision Day kickoff at 8pm CT on Apple TV.

For more of Gerrit te Hennepe’s photos from the night at BC Place, please click on the link to his gallery.