At Snapdragon Stadium, the matchup between San Diego FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC concluded with a 1-1 stalemate in the MLS Week 21.
The scoring opened in the first half when Manu Duah accidentally directed the ball into his own net in the 40th minute, giving Vancouver the early lead at 1-0. However, San Diego FC responded emphatically with a goal from Ian Pilcher in the 78th minute, leveling the score.
Ian Pilcher was outstanding throughout the match, scoring a crucial goal and successfully defending against 11 dangerous attempts from Vancouver.
Another standout was Yohei Takaoka, the goalkeeper for Vancouver Whitecaps FC, who made 5 critical saves to keep his team in the game.
San Diego FC’s head coach, Michael Anthony Varas, implemented a 4-3-3 formation featuring Pablo Sisniega in goal; Oscar Verhoeven, Manu Duah, Ian Pilcher, and Luca Bombino in defense; Onni Valakari, Luca de la Torre, and Jeppe Tverskov in midfield; and Anders Dreyer, Tomás Ángel, and Hirving Lozano leading the attack.
Conversely, Jesper Sorensen’s Vancouver squad also lined up in a 4-3-3 setup with Yohei Takaoka in goal; Édier Ocampo, Bjorn Utvik, Ranko Veselinovic, and Mathías Laborda in defense; Jeevan Badwal, Sebastian Berhalter, and Andrés Cubas in midfield; and Emmanuel Sabbi, Brian White, and Jayden Nelson in the forward positions.
Referee Alexis Da Silva ensured the game flowed smoothly from the sidelines.
Looking ahead, San Diego FC will host Nashville SC in their next match, while Vancouver Whitecaps FC will play at home against Portland Timbers.
Substitutions for San Diego FC
84’ 2T – Tomás Ángel was substituted for Emmanuel Boateng
Yellow Cards for San Diego FC:
11’ 1T – Luca Bombino (Unsporting behavior)
Substitutions for Vancouver Whitecaps FC
33’ 1T – Ranko Veselinovic was replaced by Belal Halbouni
45’ 2T – Édier Ocampo was substituted for Tate Johnson
57’ 2T – Jeevan Badwal was replaced by Ralph Priso
86’ 2T – Emmanuel Sabbi was substituted for Daniel Rios
Yellow Cards for Vancouver Whitecaps FC:
44’ 1T – Édier Ocampo (Unsporting behavior)
5’ 2T – Mathías Laborda (Unsporting behavior)
50’ 2T – Belal Halbouni (Unsporting behavior)
53’ 2T – Tate Johnson (Unsporting behavior)