Whitecaps FC Win Again, Edge Revolution
Vancouver Whitecaps FC defeated New England Revolution 2-1 on a rainy Saturday night at Gillette Stadium, earning their third straight road victory and breaking New England’s 17-match home unbeaten streak in the process.
With the victory, the Whitecaps now have 10 wins on the season and sit first in the Western Conference with 32 points in 18 games, surpassing an idle Seattle Sounders FC team that plays Portland Timbers on Sunday.
Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted had another spectacular performance for the ‘Caps with eight saves. He made two big saves early in the match, stopping a dangerous shot by Teal Bunbury in the 10th minute and a long drive by London Woodberry two minutes later.
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Even though the Revolution were playing their third game this week, fatigue didn’t seem to be a factor for the Revs in the early stages of the match. The club moved the ball well and continually tested Ousted.
In the 18th minute, the ‘Caps rewarded their goalkeeper for his early heroics as forward Cristian Techera pounced on a loose ball in the New England end and poked it behind goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth for the opening goal.
Things started to get rowdy in the 29th minute as Revolution defender Andrew Farrell brought a streaking Techera down in New England’s box.
Much to the dismay of the New England crowd, Farrell received a red card and was forced out of the game for his infringement.
Many of the calls in this game – against both New England and Vancouver – were fairly questionable. It seemed as if the inconsistent officiating got under the skin of both the fans at Gillette Stadium and the players on the pitch.
Nevertheless, for the second straight game, Vancouver’s opponents were limited to just 10 men early in the contest.
When the animosity settled, Octavio Rivero stepped up to take the penalty kick in hopes of ending a six-game goal drought. And that is exactly what he did as the Uruguayan striker’s serene shot found the back of the net to make it 2-0 for Vancouver.
In the second half, the ‘Caps’ offence continued to press hard. Whitecaps’ Kekuta Manneh almost scored his third goal in as many games in the 64th minute, but his shot nailed the post and stayed out. Manneh was an offensive threat throughout the match, registering four shot attempts.
The Revolution had their share of chances as well. Despite being down by two goals, the 10-man Revs remained aggressive and opportunistic throughout the contest. Teal Bunbury led New England’s attack with five shot attempts. He had a terrific game for his club.
In the 84th minute, Bunbury finally found the back of the net. His late tally invigorated the New England crowd.
However, despite playing an admirable game, that was all the short-handed Revolution could muster as they lost their third straight match.
All in all, it was a decent outing for the Whitecaps. The road warriors continue to find ways to win. Though the ‘Caps did have to hold on tight to their lead in the later stages of the game, often relying on Ousted to bail the rest of the team out, it was a deserved win.
On another note for Vancouver, midfielder Mauro Rosales drew back into the starting squad for the Whitecaps after missing last match because of an illness. He was a factor in Vancouver’s first goal and continued to cause trouble for the Revolution all night long.
Whitecaps defender Jordan Harvey also had a solid outing in his 200th MLS appearance, which saw him wear the captain’s armband.
Tim Parker also rose to the occasion in place of suspended defender Kendall Waston. He was a big part of Vancouver’s ability to hold a strong New England attack, which featured one of the hottest strikers in the league, Charlie Davies, at bay.
“It’s always nice to get three points in any game, especially away from home in a very difficult place as we know New England was going to be,” Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson told media after the match. “I’m proud of the guys in there today because we had a couple of key players missing but other guys stepped into the lineup. Battled, strong, disciplined performance which helped us get over the line.”
New England Revolution will have to wait until July 4 to try to get back into the win column when they take on FC Dallas in an Independence Day matchup.
The Whitecaps also play on July 4 when they meet Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. With just one more away game remaining on their five-game road trip, can the ‘Caps make it four road wins in a row before returning to BC Place?