A Colombian affair!! Deiber Caicedo and Cristian Dajome each scored two great second half goals to lead the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 2-1 victory over LA Galaxy on Saturday night. Fielding their youngest roster of the season, the Whitecaps ended their rough winless streak with a comeback win.
Although fans can celebrate the win, there is still a lot to work on. Once again the Whitecaps looked totally disorganized in every aspect of the game. They did not move for passes, they did not close down opposing players, they did not look like they knew what they were supposed to be doing.
Despite all that, they still clawed their way back into the game. It’s an impressive feat and fans can only hope this is the start of more positive results.
Lineups
Vancouver Whitecaps: 4-3-3
Here's your #VWFC Starting XI for #VANvLA, delivered with @DoorDash 🌊 pic.twitter.com/mjo0AlbDXG
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) July 18, 2021
LA Galaxy: 4-3-3
#GalaxyCommunity 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞 👊#LAGalaxy x @ModeloUSA
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) July 18, 2021
Match Stats
Scoring Summary
5′ – LA – Rayan Raveloson (assisted by Víctor Vazquez)
48′ – VAN – Deiber Caicedo
77′ – VAN – Cristian Dajome (assisted by Brian White)
Statistics
Possession: VAN 49.8% – LA 50.2%
Shots: VAN 11 – LA 9
Shots on Goal: VAN 4 – LA 2
Saves: VAN 1 – LA 2
Fouls: VAN 11 – LA 8
Offsides: VAN 5 – LA 2
Corners: VAN 4 – LA 1
Cautions
62′ – LA – Derrick Williams (Yellow)
69′ – VAN – Michael Baldisimo (Yellow)
Match Report
“I’ve been very impressed with the environment in the locker room in a very difficult moment,” Whitecaps head coach Marc Dos Santos said after the win. “It’s hard to be in our situation, being 8 games without winning, it’s difficult and very easy for stories to come out, for guys to be crying, so I’ve been impressed with the mindset”
With the Whitecaps entering the match with their ninth straight winless match staring them in the face, the odds were certainly stacked against them. Unfortunately for them, the first half made it seem like they were going to add to that streak.
It was a frustrating start for the Whitecaps as they conceded EARLY once again. Former Toronto midfielder, Victor Vazquez, found space as he delivered a well placed ball to the penalty area for an open Rayan Raveloson. The Whitecaps have now let in the first goal in 11 out of their 13 matches this season.
TWO GOALS IN TWO GAMES!@RavelosonR22 puts us ahead early in Utah pic.twitter.com/BSNK0c4N1T
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) July 18, 2021
The rest of the first half was all about the Galaxy as they chased their second goal of the game. The Whitecaps had a couple chances but nothing really to make note of unfortunately. The team looked uninspired and nothing seemed to be meshing.
This has been the case every single time the Whitecaps have had a long break for the past three years. What exactly are they doing with that time? They come back even more disjointed than normal. The Galaxy finished an absolutely brutal first half up 1-0.
“We’re trying to figure it out,” Dos Santos said of his team’s first-half struggles.
“We have to find solutions.”
While the Whitecaps seem to like to start off slow, they also like to turn it on after the break. Then seemingly out of nowhere, Deiber Ceicedo had the equalizer early on in the 48th minute. Javain Brown sent a dangerous cross into the box, but despite a decent stop from the Galaxy keeper, the ball went up in the air, and right to the boot the Caicedo. The young Colombian cashed in with a slick volley to make it 1-1.
'Av it! 💥#VWFC #VANvLA pic.twitter.com/dfRabI51wC
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) July 18, 2021
Not much happened for either team after the equalizer but the Whitecaps did have a little pep in their step.
It was the momentum boost the Whitecaps needed to continue to fight for the win. The team continued to press and cause problems for the Galaxy. This sudden burst would eventually pay off in the 77th minute thanks to some great play from Dajome and White.
After some fantastic interplay between Dajome and White, White would find Dajome near the penalty spot. The Colombian came through with a nice cut back, and would make no mistake with his chance, blasting the ball over Bond into the net to secure the lead.
Dictionary definition of "on a plate"#VWFC #VANvLA pic.twitter.com/Xe6kVZ2VEL
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) July 18, 2021
With the goal, Dajome is cementing himself as the team leading scorer with five goals on the season. Ironic that our DP striker has less goals than one of our wingers, but I digress.
The Whitecaps would hold on for the rest of the match and swarm the Galaxy every time they had the ball. They looked like a different animal than previous matches. After having thrown away points in the late stages of games as of late, it was nice to see them finally hold onto a lead.
MDS summed the ending of the match perfectly,
“If you had many car accidents, you’d probably be afraid of being in a car,” Dos Santos said. “We’ve had moments where we conceded late, so of course we’re trying to manage this injury-time not conceding.”
Post Match Thoughts
It’s hard to know what to think of the match overall. Even though the Whitecaps got the win in the end, they started off the match worse than they have in a long while. Most matches have been rough to watch, but even with the extended break, nothing much had changed.
Then again, the second half Whitecaps were a completely different kind of beast. They gave up almost nothing defensively and put up almost a full expected goal more than their opponents. If they did that every half they played, then they would easily be a playoff team. That is a fact. The potential is there, but there is still so much the team needs to work on.
Now it’s time to focus on the next match. The Whitecaps turn their attention to a clash with the Houston Dynamo on Tuesday. With little to no rest before then, the Whitecaps need to find a way to keep this momentum going.
With this in mind, there was a wholesome moment with the team at halftime with MDS.
MDS says that he and his staff shared some pictures/videos of BC Place filled with #VWFC fans to remind the players what awaits them soon, as some players are still yet to play in front of the Vancouver faithful
Certainly seemed to inspire them tonight. Nice to see
— Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@AlexGangueRuzic) July 18, 2021
“You have guys that have never seen Vancouver,” Dos Santos said. “Who don’t have a clue what it is to play in a packed BC Place, so we shared with the group what awaits us.”
Whitecaps FC will look to keep the momentum going on Tuesday. They host Houston Dynamo FC at Rio Tinto Stadium. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. PT, live on TSN and ESPN+
