Brian White logged a first half brace, helping send the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps into the World Cup break with a 4-2 defeat of San Diego FC on Saturday night.
Bruno Caicedo and Ralph Priso added second half markers for Vancouver (10-2-2, 32 points), which remains tied atop the West table on points with San Jose. David Vazquez and Bryan Zamble scored for San Diego (4-6-5, 17 points), which played the final 18 minutes plus stoppage time with 10 men after Luca Bombino earned his second yellow card.
The Whitecaps bounced back nicely from a 1-0 loss in stoppage time on May 16 at Houston, outshooting San Diego 20-10 and putting 11 shots on frame to San Diego’s three. The final margin could have been worse if CJ dos Santos hadn’t made seven saves for San Diego.
After nearly a half-hour of back-and-forth play, White initiated scoring in the 30th minute via a slick passing sequence. Tristan Blackmon sent Thomas Muller down the right side and the German star crossed into the middle for a sliding White, who flicked the ball past dos Santos with his left foot.
Just before halftime, White struck again. Taking a back-pass header from Jeevan Badwal, White beat dos Santos with a well-struck shot that snuck just inside the left post.
San Diego pulled one back in the 53rd minute as Anders Dreyer teed up Vazquez at the top of the box. After an initial touch got him into position, Vazquez lasered a shot between goalie Isaac Boehmer and the right post.
But Vancouver added on in the 67th minute with a pretty bit of passing. Muller hit White on the right side of the box and he split two defenders with a pass to Caicedo, who smashed it past dos Santos near the left post.
Priso tacked on his goal in the 75th minute after Bombino’s dismissal, collecting White’s shot that was headed for the net and roofing it just before it crossed the goal line.
Zamble capped the scoring in the first minute of stoppage time for San Diego.
–Field Level Media
