Vancouver Whitecaps 3, Minnesota United 0 | MLS Match Recap

Caitlin Murray

The Vancouver Whitecaps came out strong from the first whistle Wednesday and didn't let up en route to a 3-0 win against Minnesota United. The win was a big one for the Whitecaps' postseason hopes, as it allowed them to move to the top of the Western Conference standings.

Yordy Reyna got the scoring started in just the first five minutes, darting into space to finish a lovely lofted Marcel de Jong pass. Erik Hurtado followed up in the first half with more speed to beat the Minnesota back line and poke in a Brek Shea cross. Shea returned to score one of his own just before the final whistle, rising up and heading in a Fredy Montero cross.

For the Loons, it was rough going, as they couldn't improve their position on the table just one point out of the basement. The Whitecaps doubled them in shots and almost doubled them in passes in the attacking half at BC Place.

Goals

5' – VAN – Yordy Reyna Watch
31' – VAN – Erik Hurtado Watch
88' – VAN – Brek Shea Watch

Three Things

CLIMBING A CASCADIA MOUNTAIN: With their win on Wednesday, the Whitecaps now sit atop the Western Conference table, sharing first place with the Portland Timbers on 44 points each. It’s an all-Cascadia top of the table, with the Seattle Sounders sitting just behind on 43 points. The Whitecaps, however, are averaging the most points per game in the West and are on quite the run with the playoffs just a few weeks away.
RIGHT ON, REYNA: The 23-year-old Peruvian, who joined the Whitecaps this season from Red Bull Salzburg, continues his hot run of form. Yordy Reyna now has three goals in his last five games, which has played no small role in the 'Caps surging as one of the more exciting teams in MLS lately.
DEPLETED LOONS: For an expansion team that has lacked the star power of some of the league’s more well-established franchises, the Loons looked particularly hurt by some key absences. Attacker Kevin Molino was out due to illness while defender Francisco Calvo was out for the birth of his child. Striker Christian Ramirez and defender Marc Burch returned to the bench after injuries, which was a good sign, but they were certainly missed on the pitch, even as Ramirez got on late in the second half. Brent Kallman exiting the game due to an apparent injury wasn’t great news either.