Pavel Bucha scored two goals to propel host FC Cincinnati to a 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday in the teams’ return to MLS play.
Kevin Denkey and captain Evander each recorded their team co-leading 10th goal for FC Cincinnati (6-5-5, 23 points), who improved to 5-2-1 at home.
Roman Celentano finished with three saves to help his club defeat Vancouver for the first time in four tries (1-1-2).
Whitecaps captain Ryan Gauld scored two goals while playing in his first MLS match since undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in the offseason. He returned to action last Wednesday when Vancouver posted a 4-1 victory over Cavalry FC in Canadian Championship play.
Homegrown midfielder Jeevan Badwal scored his first goal of the season in the 12th minute and Yohei Takaoka turned aside two shots for the Whitecaps (10-3-2, 32 points), who yielded just 12 goals in their previous 14 MLS matches.
Vancouver star Sebastian Berhalter was not spotted on the bench for the team after competing for the United States in the World Cup. His contract is up after this season, however.
Gauld deflected a shot from Oliver Larraz past Celentano to give Vancouver a 2-1 lead in the 24th minute
That advantage was short-lived, however, as Denkey converted a header in the 28th minute and Evander unleashed a shot from outside the box in the 36th.
Bucha, who opened the scoring in the ninth minute, gave FC Cincinnati a 4-2 lead in the 56th minute after converting Evander’s chip-pass from the 6-yard box. The Whitecaps didn’t help themselves by failing to clear the ball on multiple occasions.
Gauld halved the deficit in the 58th minute with a sizzling blast from just outside of the box.
The Whitecaps pressed for the equalizer, to no avail.
–Field Level Media
