The Vancouver Whitecaps started their prolonged road trip with a 1-1 draw against the LA Galaxy, with Mathias Laborda grabbing a much-needed set-piece goal to breathe life into a bit of a sluggish game from the ‘Caps.

A quiet first half was quickly undone in the second, when an error building up out of the back gifted the Galaxy a goal. Vancouver looked out of ideas for much of the second half, but a trio of subs re-energized the match and, despite some struggles, the ‘Caps earned a result in this one.

The lone change from last week’s win over Colorado was the entrance of Jeevan Badwal, who replaced an under-the-weather Thomas Müller. Otherwise, Jesper Sorensen elected to run it back.

The ‘Caps were content to lie low early, being patient in possession and happy to concede some control of the match to the Galaxy. All the while, they ramped up the press and were able to latch onto some juicy turnovers.

Vancouver wasn’t tested much in defence, but LA did have a couple of moments where they were able to pin Vancouver’s fullbacks upfield and sneak John Nelson or Joseph Paintsil in behind. Gabriel Pec, meanwhile, was locked in on his battle with Tate Johnson, with the left back generally getting the better of the duel.

A burst of pressure led to Vancouver’s best chance of the first half, with a quick bit of buildup after a wayward Galaxy ball leading to Johnson whipping in a dangerous cross, one that Emmanuel Sabbi couldn’t quite ping by JT Marcinkowski. Sabbi also had a half-chance with a free header on the resulting corner, but it didn’t amount to anything.

It was not exactly a fast-paced first half, and the second part of the opening 45 minutes slowed down even more. A series of sloppy mistakes from both sides and a run of fouls broke up play and kept either team from getting a foothold. The ‘Caps regained control late in the half but were unable to create the clear-cut chance they needed.

The tide turned quickly in the second half after a horrific turnover from Yohei Takaoka, who played out of the back right to the feet of Lucas Sanabria. A sprawling challenge from Sebastian Berhalter couldn’t halt the attack, with Painstil grabbing the goal. Forty-five minutes of being well-organized defensively were undone in an instant.

The goal seemed to shock Vancouver, and they struggled to get on the same page. The attack was predictable, making things fairly easy on a well-drilled LA side. The Galaxy remained lively and looked the more likely side to score again. In response, Sørensen made a triple sub, bringing on Bruno Caicedo, Kenji Cabrera, and AZ Jackson for Sabbi, Cheikh Sabaly, and Andres Cubas (who was on a yellow card).

The line change didn’t completely change things for Vancouver, though it did give them a burst of energy at a time when things were starting to flag. Caicedo’s motor challenged Mauricio Cuevas and the Galaxy backline. But LA was content to put men behind the ball and frustrate Vancouver’s attack.

It was a bit of set-piece magic, however, that gave the ‘Caps a lift. A sloppy foul from the substitute Miki Yamane gifted Berhalter a chance to put a fantastic ball in. The ‘Caps players were lining up to head it in, but it was Laborda who got the goal and levelled things with 10 minutes to play.

Vancouver didn’t really wrestle control of the match back, however, and a couple of promising Galaxy attacks were only stymied by yellow card fouls from the ‘Caps. Another one, with Paintsil bearing down on goal, should have caused problems, but Elijah Wynder’s finish let the defence off the hook. Both teams scrapped well into stoppage time but couldn’t come up with a winner.

Stray Thoughts

• It didn’t come to much in the end, but Tate Johnson deserves a lot of credit in this one. He handled Gabriel Pec well (never an easy task), and his delivery from wide areas was excellent. The five key passes he racked up underscored his influence, particularly as he picked his spots getting forward. Every dangerous move came down the left-hand side in the first half and Johnson was a big reason why.
• I’m not sure if it is the unfamiliar nature of going on the road, the no good, very bad week off the field, or just an off night, but this team just didn’t look on the same page. Sabaly, Sabbi, and Jackson were the primary offenders, but it touched pretty much everyone at some point. These sorts of matches happen in MLS, but this sort of performance won’t fly against San Jose next week.
• And yet…Vancouver will look at this match and feel like they should have gotten more from it. For all the miscues and lack of ideas that plagued the attack at times, they still created enough chances to win this game (the xG was 2.73-1.4, so this isn’t just the eye test). This is one they probably get over the line at BC Place.
• I think we all love Yohei Takaoka’s distribution, but sometimes you have to be willing to blast it into orbit, man. Part of Jesper Sørensen’s system necessitates living on a knife’s edge, but this was a goal Vancouver had been begging to concede all season. Live by building out of the pack, die by building out of the back.
• Bruno Caicedo and Kenji Cabrera weren’t amazing, but they gave this team a needed lift and helped wrestle momentum back away from the Galaxy at a key juncture in the match. Caicedo was exhilarating once again, though teams seem to be doing a bit better job of planning for him. Still, his quality shone through and helped open up a bit more space going forward, even when he was being double-teamed.
• Congrats to Mathias Laborda, who nabbed his fifth goal involvement of the season and tied Kendall Waston for most goals from a defender in Whitecaps history. Laborda continues to be a cheat code on set pieces and, while Waston used his massive frame, Laborda relies more on savvy, individual quality, and an excellent rapport with Sebastian Berhalter. You have to imagine that Laborda will surpass Waston sooner rather than later this season.

Man of the Match

Laborda is the obvious choice, as his goal came on top of an excellent game defensively. But Tate Johnson deserves to at least share the honours after a fine performance.