Brian White and Emmanuel Sabbi scored first-half goals as the Western Conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps notched a 2-0 win against the visiting Colorado Rapids on Saturday.
The Whitecaps (5-1-1, 16 points) are unbeaten in their last two matches, while Colorado (3-2-2, 11 points) was shutout for the third time this season.
White’s goal gave the Whitecaps a 1-0 lead in the 19th minute. 19-year old defender Tate Johnson sent a soaring pass to the back post that Sebastian Berhalter headed to White. At point-blank range, White tucked a right-footed shot inside the back post for his second goal of the season.
In his first start for Vancouver, Sabbi gave the Whitecaps a 2-0 lead in the 38th minute. It was the first MLS goal for the Italian-born winger who grew up in Ohio.
Ali Ahmed settled a long ball and played a 1-2 pass with Pedro Vite that brought him inside the 18-yard box. Ahmed assisted with a slick pass that cut through the Rapids’ back line for Sabbi to blast a lefty shot into the back of the net.
The Rapids started out on the front foot and earned an opening-minute corner kick, which was cleared away. White and Vite showed off the Whitecaps’ transition game in the 12th minute but the Colorado back line held with a clearance.
Vancouver stayed focused on outside-to-inside runs as Behalter played a slot pass to the back post. But, White couldn’t convert as Colorado defender Keegan Rosenberry cleared the ball for a Whitecaps’ corner.
After an extended Vancouver possession in its attacking third, Ahmed’s shot from 18 yards out was punched away by Colorado goalie Zack Steffen in the 15th minute.
A third Vancouver goal was waved off when White drifted offside prior to his pass that Vite blasted into the net from just inside the 18-yard box in the 49th minute. Moments later Vite kept the pressure on with a left-footed rocket shot that sailed just high.
While the Whitecaps had 15 shots, five which were on goal, the Rapids never got going as they had nine shots of which none were on frame. It’s the fifth clean sheet of the season for Vancouver goalie Yohei Takaoka.
–Field Level Media
