VANCOUVER, British Columbia — In an exciting match on Saturday night, the Vancouver Whitecaps secured a 2-0 victory against CF Montreal with goals from Mathias Laborda and Tate Johnson. Laborda struck first in the 37th minute, marking his initial goal of the season, setting the stage for the Whitecaps’ impressive performance. Tate Johnson, making headlines with his MLS debut, added the second goal at the age of just 19.
The Whitecaps are reveling in an extraordinary start to the season, now boasting a flawless 3-0-0 record, the best in the club’s history. Goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka contributed to the win with two crucial saves, ensuring his first clean sheet of the season.
Laborda’s goal was a brilliant piece of individual skill. With a Montreal defender closely marking him, Laborda managed a waist-high kick to control the ball, quickly spun around to reclaim possession from a deflection by Joel Waterman, and executed a simple finish from close range to open the scoring for Vancouver.
Johnson, whose father, Brian Johnson, was an MLS player from 1997 to 2001, capitalized on a counter-attack in the 49th minute. Ali Ahmed delivered a precise ball from the right, which Johnson expertly redirected into the net, solidifying a two-goal advantage for the Whitecaps.
Montreal, struggling at the start of this season with a 0-3-0 record, failed to find the back of the net and endured consecutive games without scoring. Their goalkeeper, Jonathan Sirois, managed five saves but couldn’t prevent the defeat.
A concern for Vancouver arose in the match as their captain, Ryan Guald, who has been prolific over the last two seasons, left the field with a left-knee injury in the 23rd minute. He was replaced by J.C. Ngando, who made his second appearance this season and his 10th overall in MLS across multiple seasons.
