VANCOUVER, BC — Soccer is often called “the beautiful game,” but on Saturday night at BC Place, it was also a game of chaos. In a match that will be talked about for a long time, the Vancouver Whitecaps defeated their playoff nightmares, Los Angeles FC (LAFC), in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw. For the average fan, this game was a perfect crash course in the drama of the sport.
To understand why this win matters so much, you have to understand the history. For the past two years, LAFC has been the “boogeyman” for Vancouver, knocking them out of the competition twice. LAFC is a team known for spending big money on global superstars, including their current forward, Son Heung-min.
Vancouver, playing in front of a club-record crowd of nearly 54,000 fans, came into the game as the underdog.
The first 45 minutes were arguably the best the Whitecaps have played in the MLS playoffs so far. Dominating possession, they made LAFC look pedestrian. The breakthrough came in the 39th minute from an unlikely source of creativity: goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka.
Spotting a high line, Takaoka launched a 70-yard ball that bypassed the entire LAFC defense. Emmanuel Sabbi latched onto it from the right side of midfield, chipping Hugo Lloris to send BC Place into raptures. It was only the third goalkeeper assist in MLS Cup Playoff history.
Minutes later, in first-half stoppage time, the lead doubled. A pinpoint corner found Müller, whose header was parried by Lloris, only for defender Mathías Laborda to smash home the rebound. At 2-0, Vancouver looked to be cruising.
LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo, managing what would ultimately be his final game for the club, adjusted at halftime, bringing on Andrew Moran to spark the attack. The move paid off in the 60th minute when Son Heung-min, LAFC’s record signing, pulled one back, finishing a chaotic sequence in the Whitecaps’ penalty area.
As the clock ticked down, Vancouver’s defense held firm until the 92nd minute. Disaster struck when Tristan Blackmon, already on a yellow, committed a needless foul on Denis Bouanga. The referee produced a second yellow, reducing Vancouver to 10 men.
To make matters worse, the foul set up a free kick in dangerous territory. Son Heung-min stepped up and delivered a world-class curling effort into the top corner, silencing BC Place and sending the game to extra time at 2-2.
The extra 30 minutes were a study in suffering. Vancouver, already down a man, suffered a cruel blow when substitute defender Belal Halbouni collapsed with a knee injury in the second period of extra time. With no substitution windows remaining, the Whitecaps were forced to play the final frantic minutes with only nine men.
LAFC besieged the Vancouver goal. In the 122nd minute, an LAFC cross hit the bar, the rebound from Bouanga hit the post, and a third follow-up struck the woodwork again. The gods of football, it seemed, were finally smiling on Vancouver.
The drama culminated from the penalty spot. Son Heung-min, the hero of regulation, stepped up first for LAFC and rattled the post. The crowd erupted.
Vancouver seized the advantage. Sebastian Berhalter and Denis Bouanga both scored from the spot. When Mark Delgado sent his attempt over the bar and Ryan Gauld converted his (making it 3-1 in the shootout), victory seemed imminent. However, a miss from Vancouver’s fourth taker kept LAFC alive, leveling the shootout at 3-3.
It came down to Mathías Laborda. The Uruguayan defender, who had scored the second goal of the game, stepped up and coolly fired past Lloris. The net rippled, and BC Place shook.
The victory propels the Whitecaps to their first-ever Western Conference Final, where they will face the winner of San Diego FC vs. Minnesota United on November 29.
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