✍️ Baltej Bining
Happy Monday, everybody! Hope you all had an amazing weekend, as now it's time to conquer this new week. In terms of Vancouver soccer, it's a packed weekend of soccer for the fans and neutrals to enjoy! But let's look at the previous week of Vancouver soccer, and check up on our 4 professional clubs!
This is Vancouver Weekly!
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps saw their four-match winning run come to an end, but they did at least avoid defeat, earning a 1-1 draw away at LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park.
After a first half where chances went begging, the Whitecaps were punished early in the second when a loose pass from Yohei Takaoka was intercepted, allowing Joseph Paintsil to finish and give the hosts the lead.
Vancouver responded well, and their pressure eventually paid off when a Sebastian Berhalter set piece found Mathías Laborda, who headed home the equalizer.
That goal proved decisive as the match ended level, giving Vancouver their first MLS draw of the season and second draw in all competitions.
Laborda continues to climb the club’s all-time scoring charts for defenders, now sitting just two goals shy of Kendall Waston’s record.
Next up, the Whitecaps remain in California to face the league-leading San Jose Earthquakes at PayPal Park on Saturday night.
Vancouver FC
Vancouver FC are finally off the mark, recording their first win of the season with a 3-1 victory over Pacific in the first edition of the Salish Sea derby.
The Eagles struck first through Mohamed Amissi, who controlled a Morey Doner cross with a superb first touch before turning and volleying home, with a slight deflection helping the ball into the net for his second goal of the season.
In the second half, Doner again played a key role, threading a pass to Thierno Bah, who squared it for Terran Campbell to finish past Sean Melvin and double the lead. It marked the first time Vancouver FC had scored more than once in a match this season.
Pacific pulled one back through a brilliant strike from Yann Toualy, but Vancouver responded quickly. After Nicolás Mezquida struck the post from a free kick, Campbell reacted fastest to bury the rebound and seal his brace, confirming the win.
While Pacific have struggled so far this season, the result is still a significant confidence boost for Vancouver FC, who will now aim to build momentum.
Next up is Langley United in Canadian Championship action on Sunday (3:00 pm PT / 6:00 pm ET) at Langley Event Centre.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2
Just like the first team, WFC2 also travelled to Los Angeles, taking on LAFC2 at Rawlinson Stadium, falling 2-1 away in a game that swung quickly in the second half.
Daniel Ittycheria opened the scoring in the 13th minute, heading home a precise cross from Sahil Deo for his third goal of the MLS NEXT Pro season.
However, LAFC 2 responded strongly, scoring twice in six minutes through Tommy Mihalić and Sebastian Nava to turn the match around and take a 2-1 lead.
From there, WFC 2 struggled to break through, managing only one major chance after the turnaround: a missed opportunity from Ittycheria himself, as the scoreline remained unchanged.
It marks a fifth defeat of the season for Rich Fagan’s side, who will be looking for a response when they face San Jose Earthquakes II at Negoesco Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Vancouver Rise FC
Vancouver Rise endured a difficult night in Laval, falling 4-0 to the Montréal Roses at Stade Boréale in what was a one-sided result after the opening stages.
A key absence was Latifah Abdu, listed as “in doubt” pre-match, forcing Vancouver to hand Colombian Maithé López her first start for the club. Despite a competitive start, the Roses struck first through former Rise forward Lisa Pechersky, whose cross was headed in by Elyse Bennett for her league-leading third goal of the season.
Montréal doubled their lead before halftime when captain Tanya Boychuk finished from a set-piece scramble, capitalising on poor defensive organisation.
Any hopes of a comeback were effectively ended just after the break when Boychuk added her second goal of the match in the 49th minute, heading home after Bennett hit the crossbar moments earlier.
The fourth goal summed up Vancouver’s night, as Jessika Cowart was dispossessed by Noémi Paquin, who scored from distance with Morgan McAslan caught out of position.
It is a second straight defeat for the defending champions, who will be aiming to respond quickly when they travel to face Ottawa Rapid in the nation’s capital on Wednesday afternoon (4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET).
That's all from the fourth edition of Vancouver Weekly! A 1-1-2 record is not ideal, but let's all hope the Vancouver sides can make amends in this new week.
Thanks as always for reading this column, and we will see you next week, Vancouverites!
