Achi news desk-
The Vancouver Whitecaps were keen to get their Premier League Football season off to a good start.
Early stumbles blighted the club’s campaigns in recent years, and players and coaching staff alike vowed to change that theme in 2024.
So far, so good.
After a decisive 4-0 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday, the ‘Caps (4-1-1) were at the top of the Western Conference standings.
“I think the last few years, we didn’t start very well. So I think it’s maybe a learning process for us,” said midfielder Alessandro Schopf. “So (this year) we wanted to go strong at the start to get as many points as we can. And it’s different now.”
The Whitecaps took an early lead on Saturday with a goal from Brian White in the sixth minute. Fafa Picault followed with a strike in the 29th, while Ryan Gauld and Ranko Veselinovic each scored late in the second half.
Scopf, Andreas Cubas and Ryan Raposo all helped.
Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka made three saves to record his second clean sheet of the season.
Vancouver has improved on both sides of the ball, head coach Vanni Sartini said.
“I think this year we are even better defensively,” he said. “And the second thing compared to last year, last year we needed 14 chances to score a goal and this year we are much better in the final third.”
The team knows, however, that there is a lot of football left to be played, added Sartini.
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“This is just the beginning,” he said. “Harder things are yet to come. And so we need to work work work work.”
Sean Johnson had three saves on Saturday in his return to Toronto after missing four games with a hamstring injury.
Toronto (3-3-1) has suffered a series of injuries and was without star striker Lorenzo Insigne (ear cord), full-back Richie Laryea (ear cord), defender Raoul Petretta (thigh) and midfielder Brandon Servania field (knee).
The visitors did not play cohesively, said TFC head coach John Herdman.
“I think we are still developing as a group. Players are coming back and trying to get that cohesion and consistency across the squad,” he said. “We were just loose in that first half.”
Toronto controlled 51.8 percent of the possession, but Vancouver dominated the offense, outscoring the visitors 7-3 in shots on target.
White picked the ball off the foot of midfielder Deybi Flores – a former Whitecap – and sprinted into Toronto territory a few minutes in. The American striker unleashed a right-footed shot near the spot, sending the ball into the bottom left corner of the net to give the home side a 1-0 lead in the sixth minute.
The goal was White’s second of the season and came after he was forced to sit out last week’s 3-2 win over the Portland Timbers due to concussion.
Vancouver went up 2-0 in the 29th minute when Schopf sent a high pass across the six-yard box and Picault headed it in for his third goal of the year.
The visitors had a great chance to get on the board after Deandre Kerr was tripped while racing to the ‘Caps net.
Italian striker Federico Bernardeschi took the ensuing free-kick in the 64th minute, sending a ball to the back post where Tyrese Spicer headed it down, only to see the shot blocked by White.
Cubas set up Vancouver’s third goal of the night, getting a long ball to Gauld in midfield.
Pursued by a pair of Toronto defenders, the attacking Scottish midfielder ran downfield and went one-on-one with Johnson before sending a low left-footed shot past the keeper.
The goal after 81 minutes was Gauld’s second of the season.
It was a tough one for TFC to come back from, Herdman said.
“I have said this to my group, that we are self-destructive in big moments. It happened in the previous game and tonight we have done something similar,” said the coach. “If we don’t learn from that, we’re not going to continue to move forward in that Eastern Conference.”
Veselinovic scored his first goal of the season in the 88th minute to give the ‘Caps a 4-0 lead.
He is the ninth player to score for Vancouver this year.
“I really feel that this group is special,” said Veselinovic. You don’t often see in football that the locker room, the 25, 30 players are all on the same page, everyone is good with everyone… That’s very important. And I think big results and big things are built on that.”
The Whitecaps are set to host the LA Galaxy next Saturday. Toronto FC will visit Charlotte FC on the same day.
& copy 2024 The Canadian Press
