White’s Late Strike Earns Whitecaps a Point Against Timbers
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By Noan Gagnon
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Bullets:
- Brian White’s equalizer in the 88th minute helped the Vancouver Whitecaps seal a 1-1 draw with the Portland Timbers.
- The result keeps Vancouver second in the Western Conference, one point behind San Diego.
- On Saturday, Vancouver will face the Seattle Sounders, while Portland will return home to take on FC Dallas.
The Vancouver Whitecaps held on to their long undefeated track record on Wednesday night thanks to Brian White’s dramatic late goal in the 88th minute, amid his return from injury. The 29-year-old forward salvaged a 1-1 draw against the Portland Timbers at BC Place, further cementing their second position in the Western Conference, just one point behind San Diego.
White’s 15th Goal of the Year
After he was sidelined for three matches because of a hamstring problem, the New Jersey native came off the bench in the second half and immediately made his presence felt, redirecting Sebastian Berhalter’s strike into the net to score his 15th league goal of the year. All 20,000 fans in attendance burst into cheer.
The Whitecaps nearly completed the comeback when Emmanuel Sabbi rattled the crossbar in stoppage time.
Portland had taken the lead in the first half when left back Kamal Miller unleashed a long-range shot in the 39th minute that curled into the top corner. That strike ended a run of 325 minutes without conceding for Vancouver. Goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka’s wait continues to break the franchise single-season shutout record, as he is still tied with former keeper David Ousted at 13 clean sheets.
Timbers Fired Shots
The Timbers came out flying in Vancouver, firing seven shots before the Whitecaps could pull through one of their own. Kristoffer Velde tested Takaoka twice within the opening minutes and then smashed a breakaway chance off the post in the 11th minute.
The Japanese goalkeeper also denied Ian Smith, Matias Rojas, and Velde again in a busy first half. His best save came in the 36th minute, tipping a Kevin Kelsey header over the bar.
Vancouver took a while to grow into the soccer game. After halftime, when Mathias Laborda’s header in the 53rd minute went wide, more pressure accumulated until White’s late equalizer finally changed the mood inside the stadium.
Standings and Future Games
Across all competitions, the Caps now stand at 5-0-3 in their last eight outings. Notably, Jesper Sørensen’s side played without veteran star Thomas Müller for the second straight match. The 36-year-old, who joined from Bayern Munich in August, is nursing an adductor injury but has already impressed with four goals in three MLS appearances, including a hat trick.
For Portland (11-10-10), the point holds them in seventh place, though their recent form has been shaky, with only one win in their last seven league matches.
Up next, Vancouver heads south to face Seattle Sounders on Saturday, while Portland returns home to meet FC Dallas the same night.
