VANCOUVER, British Columbia — In an exciting encounter on Sunday, the Vancouver Whitecaps secured a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy, marking their second consecutive win this season. The defending MLS Cup champions, Galaxy, suffered another loss, continuing their winless streak.
The atmosphere was charged with tension as many fans chose to boo “The Star-Spangled Banner.” This reaction was attributed to the discontent stirred by President Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs and comments suggesting Canada could become the 51st U.S. state, mirroring the frustrations frequently voiced by Canadian sports fans.
The match started with an early thrust from Vancouver, as defender Sam Adekugbe scored in just the 3rd minute without assistance, marking his second goal of the season and third in his 44 matches with the Whitecaps.
The Galaxy managed to level the score in the 39th minute when Gabriel Pec, assisted by Miguel Berry and emerging talent Elijah Wynder, netted the team’s first goal of the season. Pec’s performance was keenly watched, given his stellar record of 16 goals and 14 assists during his previous season’s championship journey. The Galaxy had previously lost 2-0 against San Diego FC, a new entrant in the league, during their opening home game.
The decisive moment came in the 87th minute with Brian White heading home the winner from a precision long pass by Pedro Vite. For White, it was his first goal of the season, following two consecutive seasons of scoring 15 goals. Vite contributed with his first assist of the season, bringing his career tally to nine.
Whitecaps’ goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka managed one save during the match, while Novak Micovic, stepping into his sixth start for the Galaxy, stopped two shots.
Vancouver entered the match following an impressive 4-1 win over Portland Timbers last week, which also marked the successful debut of head coach Jesper Sørensen. New star Jayden Nelson was a key player with a goal and three assists, joining the ranks of notable former player Alphonso Davis. He became only the fourth player in club history to achieve four goal contributions in a single match.
Looking ahead, the Whitecaps are set to welcome CF Montreal on Saturday, while the Galaxy will be returning to their home ground to face St. Louis City on Sunday.
