LAFC edges struggling Whitecaps with stoppage time goal

VANCOUVER — A last-minute goal broke the spirits of Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini on Sunday.

After a lacklustre first half, the Whitecaps (13-12-8) had battled back against Los Angeles FC and, with just moments to go in stoppage time, the score was level at 1-1.

Then former 'Cap Kei Kamara sliced a pass to Ilie Sanchez and the midfielder blasted a right-footed shot into the Vancouver net, giving LAFC a 2-1 victory.

“I don’t know what it is. Bad luck or whatever you want to call it," Sartini said. "We shouldn’t have lost and I’m incredibly disappointed. If you ask me now, I don’t want to be a coach any more in my life.”

The exuberant Italian won't coach his team's regular-season finale next week.

Sartini received a yellow card in the final minutes of the game. It was his third warning of the season and comes with an automatic suspension for Saturday's away match against Real Salt Lake.

Sunday's result was a blow for a Whitecaps team that has gone winless in its last six Major League Soccer matches (0-4-2) and is desperately trying to avoid starting its post-season run with a play-in game.

“I think, the second half, we had fight. I think you saw that clearly," said midfielder Sebastian Berhalter. "That's tough, to come out of that game with nothing. It's tough. I think we worked and created the chances. And it's one of the days it just doesn't fall our way.”

L.A. has now won five games in a row and can still catch their regional rivals, the L.A. Galaxy, to take first place in the Western Conference.

Fans were still filtering to their seats when LAFC opened the scoring 34 seconds in on Sunday.

David Martinez sailed a long ball down the field, with L.A.'s Mateusz Bogusz and Vancouver's Bjorn Utvik in pursuit. Bogusz got a foot on it, chipping a shot up over 'Caps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka and in to make it 1-0.

The visitors threatened to add to their lead across the first half as the Whitecaps struggled to handle an aggressive press.

Bogusz set up another opportunity with a corner in the 20th minute, swinging a ball into the six-yard box where Eddie Segura directed a header on net. Takaoka stretched out and got a hand on the ball for the save.

The 'Caps got a chance in the 36th minute when Brian White went one-on-one with LAFC's Hugo Lloris. The 'keeper darter out to the top of the six-yard box and smothered the ball before the American striker could get his shot off.

L.A. outshot Vancouver 7-6 across the first half, and 3-1 in on-target shots.

“We were a little bit disconnected. In the first half, we were too long. And when we are too long, of course, it's easy for the other team to play in-between us, and easy for them if we play a long ball to win the second ball," Sartini said. "So in the second half, it was much better.”

The home side returned to the field with renewed aggression, controlling play and creating ample scoring chances.

The work paid off in the 63rd minute when LAFC's Sergi Palencia was shown the yellow card and the Whitecaps won a free kick.

Stationed near the edge of the penalty area, Berhalter curled a ball into the six-yard box, where it pinged off Palencia in traffic and in past Lloris for the equalizer.

Substitute Deiber Caicedo came within inches of giving Vancouver the lead in the 72nd minute when he beat his defender near the goal line and launched a shot that just missed the far post.

Sanchez — who came off the bench for Martinez in the 59th minute — scored the winning goal three minutes into stoppage time, putting a shot just past Takaoka's outstretched finger tips to make it 2-1.

The Whitecaps outshot LAFC 17-11 across the game, with each side getting four shots on target.

“We didn't score the goals. We had, like, 27 chances. They had one-and-a-half and they scored," Sartini said. "Unfortunately, that's what it is.”

NOTES: Both sides had a number of players away on international duty. Vancouver's Ali Ahmed (Canada), Sam Adekugbe (Canada), Andres Cubas (Paraguay), Ryan Gauld (Scotland), Fafa Picault (Haiti) and Pedro Vite (Ecuador) were all with their national squads, while L.A. was missing Denis Bouanga (Gabon), Cristian Olivera (Uruguay) and Maxime Chanot (Luxembourg). … Whitecaps midfielder Stuart Armstrong missed the game due to a calf injury. He's considered day to day. … An announced crowd of 30,303 took in the game at B.C. Place.

UP NEXT: The Whitecaps wrap their regular-season campaign with a visit to Real Salt Lake on Saturday. LAFC hosts the San Jose Earthquakes the same night.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 13, 2024.