VANCOUVER, B.C – It was a thrilling evening at BC Place as Vancouver Whitecaps FC held the Portland Timbers to a 1-1 draw on a night filled with many near misses and close calls, but it was enough to secure a spot in the playoffs at the end of the season .

The game started brightly for Whitecaps FC as they scored a goal within three minutes. Tristan Blackmon threw a fantastic ball behind the right defense that Sebastian Berhalter was able to hold on to. Berhalter then drilled a low cross that Brian White fired home after a clever dummy from Levonte Johnson for his 15th goal of the season.

Fafa Picault almost scored the second just three minutes later after Berhalter curled another great cross into the box. The Haitian international attempted a diving header, but his shot went over the crossbar.

Santiago Moreno tested Yohei Takaoka from a free kick just before the half-hour mark, forcing the Caps goalkeeper to turn the shot away for a corner. A few minutes later, Johnson fired a fizzing shot just wide of the post from just outside the Timbers’ penalty area.

Jonathan Rodríguez thought he had equalized for Portland in the 40th minute after hitting a cross at the back post, but his goal was ruled out for offside. But Rodríguez was undeterred a second time, as just a few minutes later he fired a volley deflected by Bjørn Inge Utvik into the goal, bringing the Timbers back to level. This was supposed to be the last action of the half.

Whitecaps FC came into play in the second half and got White on the breakaway goal, but he was ruled offside. A few moments later, White had the same chance, this time on the outside, but his side-footed shot failed agonizingly at the far post before being cleared for a corner.

In the 59th minute it was Felipe Mora’s turn and he was denied by the goal frame when he won a header right in front of the goal, but hit the near post before it could be cleared.

The ‘Caps didn’t turn the ball on until the end, forcing Portland into some panicked clearances and final dig blocks, but just couldn’t find the breakthrough. Cubas came closest to scoring the winner in stoppage time after Pedro Vite saved him on the edge of the box. The Paraguay international fired a shot but again failed to hit the post.

Despite all the action, the game ended in a 1-1 draw, cementing the Caps’ playoff spot for the 2024 postseason.

Whitecaps FC is back in action next Wednesday, October 2nd when they host another Cascadia rival in Seattle Sounders FC at BC Place at 7:30 PM PT. For tickets, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.

VWFC GE Appliances Player of Quality: Sebastian Berhalter
participation: 25,902
referee: Joe Dickerson

Summary of points
3′ – VAN – Brian White (Sebastian Berhalter, Tristan Blackmon)
44′ – POR – Jonathan Rodríguez (Santiago Moreno, Miguel Araujo)

statistics
Ownership: VAN 55.9% – POR 44.1%
Recordings: VAN 11 – POR 13
Shots on goal: VAN 3 – POR 5
Stores: VAN 4 – POR 2
Fouls: VAN 10 – POR 7
Offside: VAN 1 – POR 1
Corners: VAN 2 – POR 8

Precautions
4′ – POR – Kamal Miller
39′ – VAN – Alessandro Schöpf

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1. Yohei Takaoka; 15.Bjørn Inge Utvik, 4.Ranko Veselinović ©️, 6.Tristan Blackmon, 7.Ryan Raposo (3.Sam Adekugbe 63′); 16.Sebastian Berhalter (45.Pedro Vite 80′), 20.Andrés Cubas, 8.Alessandro Schöpf (26.Stuart Armstrong 70′); 28.Levonte Johnson (18.Édier Ocampo 63′), 11.Fafa Picault (23.Déiber Caicedo 80′); 24.Brian White

Substitutes were not used
32.Isaac Boehmer, 2.Mathías Laborda, 13.Ralph Priso, 19.Damir Kreilach

Portland Timbers
16.Maxime Crepeau; 29. Juan Mosquera, 2. Miguel Araujo, 13. Dario Župarić, 4. Kamal Miller (5. Claudio Bravo 70′); 21. Diego Chara, 22. Cristhian Paredes; 11.Antony, 30.Santiago Moreno (44.Marvin Loría 90’+3), 14.Jonathan Rodríguez (19.Eryk Wiliamson 83′); 9.Felipe Mora (17.Tega Ikoba 83′)

Substitutes were not used
41.James Pantemis, 15.Eric Miller, 18.Zac McGraw, 20.Finn Surman