With a 3-1 win over Club Tijuana, the Vancouver Whitecaps secured the top spot in West 7 of the Leagues Cup, finishing with five points. LAFC took second place with four points. Vancouver will face Pumas UNAM at BC Place in the Round of 32, while LAFC will play against Austin FC at BMO Stadium.
Tijuana started the match strongly, applying pressure in the first 20 minutes and putting Vancouver in awkward situations. Kevin Castañeda capitalized on this pressure, slipping past three defenders and the goalkeeper to score the opening goal.
Sebastian Berhalter and Brian White were standout performers in the first half, helping keep Vancouver in the game. Tijuana had a golden opportunity to double their lead before halftime, but Carlos Gonzalez whiffed on a one-on-one against Caps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka, leaving the score unchanged.
Fafa Picault emerged as the player of the match in the second half. The 33-year-old winger found a second wind after halftime. Right out of the gate, the team strung together three to four quick, direct passes to spring Picault open. The Haitian international beat Tijuana goalkeeper Antonio Rodriguez one-on-one to tie the match. It was game on for everyone in the stadium at that point.
A couple of minutes later, with momentum on the Caps' side, Rodriguez made a crucial block with his face to keep the game level for Xolos but had to be substituted due to a head injury.
Vancouver then started taking long-range shots to test the new goalkeeper, a tactical move by assistant head coach Michael D'Agostino.
This strategy paid off when Levonte Johnson scored with a long shot, taking advantage of a high press and quick recovery on a forced turnover.
The game took a decisive turn when Tijuana player Aaron Mejia received a red card for stopping Picault from having a scoring opportunity, giving Vancouver the momentum and a player advantage.
Picault wasn’t finished with his heroics. He later found Pedro Vite for the final goal. As the match became one-sided, frustrations boiled over, resulting in a chippy and contentious end to the game. Picault had a statement game when the team needed him most due to Ryan Gauld’s absence.
“I think the boys did well with what we wanted them to do in the second half” said D'Agostino. “We wanted to be more aggressive with having the guys higher up”.
Vancouver's tactical adjustments and key performances from their players ensured their victory and advancement to the knockout rounds of the Leagues Cup. Vancouver will need to maintain this momentum when they play Pumas at home, with everyone in the locker room praying their star player can be healthy for their next big matchup.
