VANCOUVER — Despite being down 2-0 early in Sunday's match, the Vancouver Whitecaps refused to panic.
Striker Brian White scored his second goal of the game in the 70th minute as the Whitecaps dug themselves out of an early hole to extend their unbeaten streak to 11 games with a 2-2 draw against Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer play.
“It was early that they scored the two, so we knew we had a lot of game left to wake up,” said White. “I don’t think there was any panic. There was a lot of confidence in the way we play. It’s just a matter of executing the game plan we had drawn up.”
Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sorensen said “stupid mistakes” like a bad penalty caused the Whitecaps to fall behind early.
“All of a sudden you’re behind but (you) don’t go into panic mode,” said Sorensen. “We knew we could do better. We knew we could come out with more energy and better quality on the ball.”
Midfielder Mark Delgado scored in the eighth minute for LAFC and winger Denis Bouanga on a penalty kick in the 17th minute.
White scored Vancouver’s first goal with a pretty effort in the 26th minute, bringing a crowd of 22,437 to life at BC Place Stadium. He completed the brace as the Whitecaps pressed in the second half. Second-half substitution Ali Ahmed headed a ball into the centre of the box that White headed into the net.
White now has 13 goals across all competitions this season and is tied with three other players for the MLS lead with eight. He returned to Vancouver’s lineup after missing last week’s win over Real Salt Lake with a tight hamstring.
White said the comeback shows how this year’s Whitecaps team is different than past editions.
“It shows the turning of what we were in the past,” he said. “At times we would have been really happy to come out with a point. Now we’re a little frustrated that we let in two not great goals. We have to continue to learn from these mistakes we made and hopefully continue to improve and do better.”
Sorensen praised White’s play.
“He’s on pace for a special season,” he said. “Brian is a player, when you have him on the pitch, you have the feeling he can always score. It’s a great feeling to have.”
The Whitecaps (8-1-3) lead all MLS teams with 27 points, two ahead of Cincinnati and Columbus. Vancouver holds a five-point edge over Minnesota in the Western Conference. The Whitecaps are riding a 6-0-5 streak across all competitions. Vancouver has 22 goals and four clean sheets during the stretch.
With the draw, Sorensen becomes the first coach in MLS history to record 27 points in his first 12 games. Los Angeles FC (5-4-3) sits sixth in the Western Conference with 18 points. LAFC is undefeated in five MLS games (2-0-3).
A flurry of shots resulted in LAFC’s opening goal. First centre back Eddie Segura had a chance on a header that Vancouver goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka stopped, but Delgado put in the rebound with a left-footed shot from the centre of the box.
L.A. stretched its lead to 2-0 after Vancouver right back Edier Ocampo was called for hauling down defender Ryan Hollingshead. Bouanga put his penalty kick over a diving Takaoka.
History repeated itself on Vancouver’s opening goal. The Whitecaps earned a free kick after Bouanga fouled Ocampo. Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter sent a ball from about 45 feet out into the box that White redirected with a nifty header.
LAFC came dangerously close in the 90th minute. Takaoka stretched himself out to stop a Jeremy Ebobisse shot, then the ball sailed just over the top of the net.
Takaoka said Vancouver was frustrated over trailing 2-1 at halftime.
“The first half was not good enough in terms of intensity and the quality,” he said. “We came back in the second half. It was a good attitude.”
FOOT NOTES
Berhalter has seven goal contributions in his last five games. … Vancouver leads all Western Conference teams with five home wins (5-1-1). … The Whitecaps next game is Saturday on the road against Austin. … The Whitecaps home game on May 31 against Portland has been rescheduled to Sept. 24 due to Vancouver playing LIGA MX side Cruz Azul on June 1 in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup Final. … So far this year 18 Whitecaps have contributed either a goal or an assist. … LAFC is 1-3-2 on the road this year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2025.
Jim Morris, The Canadian Press
