Saturday night in California, the Vancouver Whitecaps took down LAFC by a final score of 3-2, securing their first road win in a very long time.

Not only was this a huge boost for the Whitecaps in terms of their playoff positioning, as they are up to 5th in the West in terms of points per match, but also for their confidence going forward, as they genuinely went toe to toe with one of the best teams in CONCACAF, at LAFC’s home stadium, and came out victorious. More than halfway into the MLS season, the Vancouver Whitecaps are the third-best team in MLS in terms of expected goals, behind only LAFC and Seattle. Not too shabby.

Vanni Sartini, to his credit, decided to take the game to LAFC with his approach, rather than cowering in a defensive shell and hoping to limit chances for the opposition. This was highlighted to me by the fact that Vancouver was able to expose Ille Sanchez playing out of position for LAFC at centreback, while largely avoiding the same potential frailty in their side, with Luis Martins in a back three.

Undoubtedly, the Whitecaps will rue the fact they conceded just prior to the half, and were not able to play LAFC out of the match early in the second half, as the black and gold started to find their form and create more dangerous chances. That being said, I thought the Whitecaps did a great job calming themselves inside the final twenty minutes, ultimately taking the steam out of LA’s comeback attempt and securing a huge three points.

Ok, on to the player ratings.

Yohei Takaoka (7.0) After a quiet opening half, Takaoka was busy in the second 45, as he ended up making seven saves, all of which came from shots inside the box. His passing was not quite as sharp as usual overall, but I loved the long ball which created the corner that led to Vancouver’s first goal – great heads-up play from the keeper.

Mathias Laborda (6.0) While it wasn’t always successful, Laborda’s aggressive style really suited the way the Whitecaps set up in this match. He needs to pick his spots a bit more in terms of lunging in, but obviously, he was up against tough opposition, so given this, I think he held up alright.

Ranko Veselinovic (6.0) A rare high-event night for the centreback who normally doesn’t make waves. He showed off his attacking upside with a nice headed goal, but also had a number of hairy moments at the back, including a whiff which led to LAFC’s second goal. He looked a bit lost without his normal CB partner alongside.

Luis Martins (7.0) I can’t believe I’m doing this, but Martins earns the highest grade of the back three from Saturday. What could have been a massive nightmare turned out to be a relative non-issue for Vancouver, which is a huge win, especially considering the front three they were facing. There were certainly some “bend but don’t break” moments, but Martins was the most successful of Vancouver’s defenders, winning all six of his ground & aerial duels.

Andres Cubas (7.5) Doing what he does best, Cubas suffocated the midfield and made life about as difficult for LAFC’s talented front three as he possibly could, all while shielding a patchwork defensive line.

Ryan Raposo (6.0) I’m not going to lie, after Raposo’s last outing against LAFC, I’m a bit surprised Raposo started this one (even with so few options), though it’s good to see the manager showing some confidence in him. While Vancouver did most of their attacking work on the opposite side of the pitch, Raposo did try to make things happen with some crosses and was very scrappy defensively.

Alessandro Schopf (7.5) While he did not spend as much time on the ball in an advanced role in this one, Schopf did a tremendous job in terms of leading the midfield group counter-pressing LAFC and winning the ball back effectively. A system where Vite and Gauld push forward seems to allow Schopf to focus his efforts a little more specifically on being a steady hand, launching attacks from a deeper role, and I think it suits him.

Pedro Vite (7.0) A year ago at this time, Vite was struggling for minutes because Vanni Sartini did not trust his defensive work-rate. Fast forward a year and Sartini has Vite playing as a number eight against one of the best teams in the continent. Because of the role he was playing, Vite’s offensive contributions took a bit of a hit, but he did the job that was asked of him and was a big part of what made Vancouver so suffocating for LAFC at times, contesting 16 ground duels and winning 7. His dogged efforts were exemplified when he helped create the third Whitecaps goal out of nothing.

Ryan Gauld (10.0) Yea, why not, a perfect grade. Ryan Gauld was everything the Whitecaps could have asked for in this match, from goal contributions to gritty defensive work which frustrated opponents, he was the X-factor Vancouver needed. In terms of stats, Gauld had 1 goal, 2 assists, 4 key passes, 8 ground duels won, 3 interceptions, and 4 tackles. His performance really spoke for itself, all you had to do was watch.

Sergio Cordova (6.0) At least he is starting to get some chances! This was perhaps the Venezuelan’s best showing to date and although he did not find the back of the net, his presence was vital on a couple of Vancouver’s goals. That being said, his touch and instinct in front of goal is still severely lacking. He really needs a good bounce just to boost his confidence and get the ball rolling downhill. One small step at a time!

Brian White (7.0) The American has found real consistency as 2023 has gone on, scoring yet again, and with Gauld playing the way he is at the moment, there’s no reason to think that won’t continue.

Substitutes (6.0) The supporting cast did not have much of an impact in this one. Simon Becher only had 5 touches, while Sebastian Berhalter was solid if not all that notable. Deiber Caicedo only had a brief cup of coffee, but his energy did help to close things out.

Vanni Sartini (8.5) As mentioned at the outset, huge credit goes to Vanni Sartini for his approach to this match, which was bold, but ultimately the right one. I think what was equally impressive is Vanni getting some decent showings out of guys that have been under-performing, or not playing much as of late, in Raposo, Cordova, and Schopf. The fact that Vancouver managed to go to LA without four regular starters and got the job done is a huge confidence boost, even if LAFC was also without some key players. Vancouver now has the depth where they can deal with these issues and still keep their level high. Now, the mission is to build on this road success and maintain what they have been doing at home.

Alright, those were my thoughts on the big win down in California. Let me know yours in the comments.

(Image Credit: Vancouver Whitecaps FC)