Mathias Laborda and Tate Johnson scored goals Saturday night and the Vancouver Whitecaps made it three wins in as many matches to start the season, blanking CF Montreal 2-0 in Vancouver.
Vancouver controlled most of the match, possessing the ball 54.5 percent of the time and outshooting Montreal 15-10. It also put seven shots on frame to the visitors’ two, making it easier for goalie Yohei Takaoka and the defense to put up their first clean sheet.
Jonathan Sirois finished with five saves for Montreal, which fell to 0-3-0 on a season-opening seven-match road trip. It has been outscored 6-2 and blanked in its last two matches.
The Whitecaps got the only goal they needed in the 32nd minute via hard work and a bit of luck. After a corner kick broke down, Vancouver tried to organize another attack in the box. Laborda took the ball away from two defenders and poked a right-footed shot past Sirois.
Johnson’s marker in the 49th minute wasn’t quite as greasy. Ali Ahmed ran down the right side and offered a crossing pass at the left post. An unmarked Johnson chipped the ball into the right corner as Sirois moved to his left and exposed half an open net.
Montreal generated two good chances in the last seven minutes of the game and stoppage time. Prince Owusu squeezed off a shot in the 83rd minute that appeared to have a better-than-average chance of going in, but Takaoka came up with the save.
In the third minute of stoppage time, Owusu beat Takoaka but not the crossbar. Time expired a minute later.
The only other shot Montreal got to goal came in the 36th minute when Aleksandr Guboglo’s header that the MLS website estimated had a 9 percent chance of resulting in a goal was denied by Takoaka.
Vancouver is 3-0-0 to start a season for the first time. It won despite the absence of fullback Edier Ocampo, who was suspended for the match after a studs-up tackle in the team’s win over the LA Galaxy on March 2.
–Field Level Media
