ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC might have played its best 20 minutes of the season Saturday night at Vancouver. Yet it simply wasn’t enough.
Brian White scored three times as the Whitecaps climbed out of an early two-goal deficit to beat City SC 4-3 in a Major League Soccer Western Conference contest at B.C. Place.
City SC (3-7-10) had its winless streak extended to a franchise-worst nine matches (0-6-3). Its last triumph was a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Fire 3-1 on May 11.
“This is a tough stretch for the team,†City SC coach Bradley Carnell said. “We’ve seen some really good moments. We have to grow from those moments.â€
City SC bolted to a 2-0 lead after just 12 minutes on goals by Njabulo Blom and Eduard Lowen. It controlled play at both ends of the pitch in the first half of the opening 45 minutes. And it did so with an injury-riddled lineup.
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Leading scorer Klauss has a sprained MCL and will be out at least six weeks. He missed his first match on Saturday. Defender Tim Parker, who scored the first goal in club history last season, did not play because of a groin injury. Josh Yaro missed the match because of a concussion he suffered in training late last week.
Goalkeeper Roman Burki was given the night off because of some minor dings.
“He’s been going through some management in terms of his knee,†Carnell said. “Nothing major.â€
Burki, the MLS goalkeeper of the year last season, had played in every one of the club’s 1,710 minutes this season before Saturday. Ben Lundt, a native of Berlin, Germany, started for the first time since giving up all the goals in a 3-0 loss at Vancouver on Oct. 4, 2023.
The 11 starters in the makeshift lineup had accounted for just seven goals entering the contest. But that didn’t stop City SC from starting the match with plenty of offensive flair that quieted the home crowd.
That spark seemed to go out as the first half wound down. City SC never regained that early burst.
“It’s just frustrating week in, week out to put so much effort into being better than the opponent,†Lowen said. “We were the better team, we just conceded some easy goals. That’s how it is. We scored three goals away from home and conceded just four such easy goals.â€
Nokkvi Thorisson, who brought City SC to within 4-3 on a goal three minutes into stoppage time, said a lack of focus at crucial times was costly.
“We have to demand more from ourselves to close (out) these games,†Thorisson said. “We were a little naive. Obviously, it was not good enough.â€
City SC came out with a point to prove.
Blom converted from 25 yards out with a blast that deflected off a defender in the seventh minute. It was Blom’s first goal since Sept. 23, against Minnesota. Chris Durkin sent a perfect pass onto the foot of Blom, who one-timed it past Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka.
Lowen pushed the lead to 2-0 by scoring on a penalty kick just over five minutes later. He drilled a low shot along the ground into the right corner of the net.
Lundt capped off a strong beginning with a nifty save off a partial break by Levonte Johnson in the 17th minute.
But White kick-started the Whitecaps’ offense with his first goal late in the first half. He also scored in the 54th and 61st minutes to put the hosts in front to stay. His header off a pass from Ryan Raposo snapped a 2-2 tie. Sebastian Berhalter, son of United States national team coach Gregg Berhalter, started the play.
The Whitecaps (8-7-4) used a solid effort in the midfield to flip the switch early in the second half. Fabrice Picault scored what became the game-winner on a left-footed blast in the 90th minute that pumped the lead to 4-2.
City’s John Klein, a former ºüÀêÊÓƵ University standout from Columbia, Missouri, played well throughout the contest. Caden Glover, a Homegrown player who began his career with the ºüÀêÊÓƵ City Academy, entered the match in the 79th minute.
Reinforcements coming
City SC announced before the match forward Brendan McSorley and defenders Jaylen Reid and Tyson Pearce have been signed to short-term loans from City2, the team’s developmental squad.
McSorley made his debut June 19 in a 3-0 loss to Colorado.
Reid started June 22 in 1-1 tie against Atlanta and played all 90 minutes.
The 16-year-old Pearce, a Homegrown product from St. Charles, has played in 12 of the 15 City2 matches this season.
Not a lucky day
City SC will host San Jose (3-15-2) at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at CityPark.
It is the third of five Wednesday matches this season. City SC dropped the first two, losing to LAFC 2-0 on May 15 and 3-0 to Colorado on June 19.
City SC will be on the road for its remaining Wednesday matches after this week, on July 17 against Seattle and Oct. 2 against LAFC.