Mathias Laborda equalized in the 81st minute Saturday night and the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps salvaged a 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy in Carson, Calif.

Vancouver (8-1-1, 25 points) owned major advantages in possession time and shots but couldn’t convert that into anything tangible until the closing minutes. Sebastian Berhalter serviced Laborda in the center of the box on a free kick and he converted on a header past JT Marcinkowski for his third marker of the season.

The Whitecaps finished with 57.5% possession and a 19-7 advantage in shots, although they got just five to frame. LA (3-4-4, 13 points) managed just two shots on net against Yohei Takaoka.

But the Galaxy made one of them count in the 46th minute, thanks to a dreadful giveaway by Takoaka as he tried to start the attack. His kick went right to Lucas Sanabria, who sent Joseph Paintsil into the right side of the box.

There, Paintsil didn’t mess around, roofing a shot under the crossbar to score his second goal and earn his fifth goal contribution in just seven matches. LA protected that lead through an array of Vancouver attacks until a Miki Yamane foul which set up the tying set piece.

This match started a stretch of eight straight road matches for the Whitecaps as their stadium is readied for use during seven World Cup matches. Despite the draw, they maintained the best goal differential in MLS (plus-20), one goal ahead of San Jose, the only team ahead of them in the West table.

Vancouver did nothing to falsify its reputation as an attacking team that could hog the ball and the Galaxy spent plenty of time in their end of the pitch. But Marcinkowski made a pair of saves in the opening 45 minutes to keep them off the board.

Play grew increasingly chippy, keeping referee Alexis Da Silva busy administering yellow cards. He booked each team five times, four apiece in a testy second half.

–Field Level Media