The final game of the season’s opening week ended without any goals.
Despite both teams pressing in the second half, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the Philadelphia Union battled to a scoreless draw Sunday night at BC Place.
The game's best opportunity came on a 66th-minute corner kick, when 2016 Rookie of the Year runner-up Keegan Rosenberry saved a shot from Vancouver's Jordan Harvey off the goal line.
The game marked the second straight home shutout for the ’Caps, who were coming off of a 2-0 win over the New York Red Bulls in CONCACAF Champions League play on Thursday.
Goals
None
Three Things
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT: In what was mostly an underwhelming game, the players who stood out the most may have been the two youngest. For Vancouver, 16-year-old phenom Alphonso Davies looked dazzling on the ball at times. For the Union, 20-year-old Homegrown central midfielder Derrick Jones was outstanding controlling play in his first MLS game.
MORE MLS DEBUTS: Aside from Jones, veteran center back Oguchi Onyewu, central midfielder Haris Medunjanin, striker Jay Simpson and winger Fafa Picault all made their league debuts for the Union. Medunjanin and Onyewu were solid to help slow down Vancouver, but Simpson struggled to do much offensively as the team’s lone striker. In general, considering all the new pieces they inserted into the lineup, Philadelphia will surely be happy taking a road point on the other side of the country.
BENCH POWER: It didn’t lead to a goal, but the Whitecaps helped change the pace of the game by bringing in the dynamic pairing of Fredy Montero and Brek Shea for the final 30 minutes. In the end, though, it was the team’s solid back line that helped the ’Caps get a result, led by a strong performance from Christian Dean as well as former Union players Sheanon Williams and Jordan Harvey. Speaking of debuts, Montero, Shea and Williams were all making their first league appearances for Vancouver.
They Said It
