Fafa Picault and Stuart Armstrong scored goals to help the Vancouver Whitecaps post a 2-0 home victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night.
Ryan Gauld had both assists to raise his season total to 12 for the Whitecaps (13-8-6, 45 points), who moved into fifth place in the Western Conference. Yohei Takaoka had two saves while registering his third consecutive MLS shutout and seventh of the season.
Daniel made nine saves during a strong individual performance for the MLS-worst Earthquakes (5-21-2, 17 points).
San Jose, which has allowed a league-worst 65 goals, was eliminated from playoff contention.
Picualt wasn’t marked closely enough on a corner kick by Gauld in the 35th minute. Picualt leaped and easily snapped a header into the net for his ninth goal of the season.
Picault just missed a second goal in the 51st minute when his header caromed off the crossbar.
San Jose nearly managed to tie the score in the 68th minute when Ousseni Bouda sent a right-footed shot past Takaoka. But officials ruled that Bouda was offside when he received the pass from Cristian Espinoza and the goal was nullified.
Daniel kept the Earthquakes in the game with a couple of superb saves in the 82nd minute. Alessandro Schopf drilled a right-footed shot that Daniel stopped and it went out of bounds. On the ensuing corner kick, Edier Ocampo’s header in front of the net was saved by Daniel.
But the San Jose defense didn’t remain sturdy and Armstrong scored his first career MLS goal in the 86th minute. Gauld was in the box and sent it to his left and he drilled a right-footer into the net to highlight his second appearance.
Bouda had a great opportunity to end the shutout but he sent his header wide left of the net in the first minute of second-half stoppage time.
Vancouver outshot San Jose, 19-5.
The Whitecaps had solid two chances in the first half prior to Picault’s goal.
Picault sent a close-range header on the net in the 21st minute but Daniel deflected it away with his hand. Two minutes later, Daniel made a stellar save on Ali Ahmed’s close-range right-footed shot.
–Field Level Media
