The Vancouver Whitecaps look to build on their first-place status and create some separation from the pack when they host Austin FC on Sunday afternoon in a Western Conference match.
Ryan Gauld, Brian White and Bruno Caicedo scored goals for Vancouver in the victory and goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka recorded his 11th clean sheet of the year while recording five saves. Louis on Sept. “That’s how we take ourselves to a higher level. There has been a few games that have been a bit flatter, and we’ve struggled a little bit. So, it’s down to managing to play at a level and play in a way that we’re always trying to be in control of games.”
The Whitecaps bounced back from a 3-1 loss to St. 5.
“We need to find the consistency,” Gauld said Wednesday.
Facundo Torres produced the equalizer for Austin in the 79th minute. Torres’ goal was his fourth of the season and third in his past five games, as the Verde rallied late to split the points in a match at home for the second time in five days and boosted their unbeaten streak to five consecutive MLS outings. The Verde head to the Pacific Northwest after drawing its past three league matches, the most recent a 1-1 decision at home against Colorado on Wednesday.
Gauld’s goal was his 50th in a Whitecaps’ kit, as he became the first player to reach 50 goals and 50 assists in the team’s MLS history. Austin remains in 14th place in the 15-team West but is still just four points below ninth place and a spot in the conference’s play-in game with 10 matches remaining. “Again, these guys have character; they have personality. The response is always strong. And that speaks to their character and their desire.
“You know, we stay in it,” Austin FC interim coach Davy Arnaud said.
