With star striker Kei Kamara sidelined by an injury, the Vancouver Whitecaps needed someone to step forward Friday night against Los Angeles Football Club.
It didnB次元官网网址檛 happen.
The Whitecaps gave up two second-half goals and lost 2-0 loss to LAFC. Not only did the loss snap VancouverB次元官网网址檚 11-game Major League Soccer home unbeaten streak, it also was the first time in over a year the Whitecaps lost back-to-back games.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not one player that you can say didnB次元官网网址檛 step up, itB次元官网网址檚 a team,B次元官网网址� said veteran midfielder Russell Teibert. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think the whole team played well today.
B次元官网网址淲hen you have a team that doesnB次元官网网址檛 play well youB次元官网网址檙e not going to win games. They scored more goals than us, they had more quality than us, they had more possession than us. They were better than us.B次元官网网址�
Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi scored for the expansion LAFC (3-2-0). Costa Rican forward Marco Urena assisted on both goals as Los Angeles ended a two-game losing streak.
Kamara injured his groin in training Thursday. Head coach Carl Robinson said the 33-year-old from Sierra Leone underwent an MRI Friday but will probably be lost for B次元官网网址渁 period of time, unfortunately.B次元官网网址�
Kamara was one of the Whitecaps biggest off-season acquisitions when he was obtained in a trade from New England. In 12 MLS seasons, heB次元官网网址檚 scored 101 goals, including three this year as a Whitecap.
Without Kamara in the lineup, the Whitecaps had few scoring chances and lacked finish on the ones they managed.
B次元官网网址淚 could say it (losing Kamara) didnB次元官网网址檛 affect it,B次元官网网址� said Robinson. B次元官网网址淐learly I would be lying. I think we huffed and puffed up front.B次元官网网址�
LAFC coach Bob Bradley said Vancouver is a different team without Kamara.
B次元官网网址淲hen you play Vancouver, you have to make a special emphasis in terms of set pieces,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲hen Kamara doesnB次元官网网址檛 play, that brings them down from that end.
B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 a real threat.B次元官网网址�
With Anthony Blondell still recovering from a concussion, Robinson used Erik Hurtado at striker.
B次元官网网址淎t times during the season we are going to have to ask players to step up,B次元官网网址� said Robinson. B次元官网网址淭oday we did but we were beaten by a better team. We have to accept that.B次元官网网址�
There were boos from the crowd of 22,120 at BC Place Stadium when the final whistle blew. It was unclear if the fans were frustrated with the WhitecapsB次元官网网址� performance or the gameB次元官网网址檚 officiating.
The Whitecaps (3-3-1) were beaten 2-1 on the road by Real Salt Lake last Saturday in another game where they couldnB次元官网网址檛 finish.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not ideal but we are going to go through periods this year where you donB次元官网网址檛 create a number of chances,B次元官网网址� said Robinson. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e had them in two consecutive games.
B次元官网网址淲e just have to go back to the drawing board, whether itB次元官网网址檚 a tweak in formation or a tweak in personnel.B次元官网网址�
Vela put LAFC ahead 1-0 in the 59th minute. Left alone in the box, the shifty forward was fed the ball by Urena and launched a rainbow shot that arched into the top right-hand corner of the net. That broke a LAFC scoreless streak of 202 minutes.
Rossi took advantage of some poor Whitecaps clearing attempts to score in the 70th minute. Vela and Rossi have four goals each on the season.
Bradley liked the way his team rebounded from a 5-0 loss to Atlanta last week.
B次元官网网址淲e had a strong response,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e talked about getting better week to week.
B次元官网网址淭his is a difficult team to play against. Our competitiveness, our concentration, those things were very good today.B次元官网网址�
The game marked the return to Vancouver for former WhitecapsB次元官网网址� defender Jordan Harvey, who signed with LAFC as a free agent. Prior to the game, Harvey was honoured for his 179 appearances with the Whitecaps. He leads the franchise in minutes played and games started
Harvey received a standing ovation from the crowd near the end of the game.
B次元官网网址淚t took me by surprise,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭hat meant a lot to me. IB次元官网网址檓 very grateful to have spent the years here and for the memories that I have.B次元官网网址�
NOTES: There was a minute of silence before the game to honour the victims of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash. B次元官网网址� Vancouver midfielder Felipe played in his 200th MLS game.B次元官网网址� The WhitecapsB次元官网网址� last home loss was a 2-1 defeat by Portland on July 23. B次元官网网址he last time the Whitecaps lost two games in a row was last March 11 against San Jose and March 18 against Toronto.
Jim Morris, The Canadian Press
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