By Canadian Press

Second-half surge drives Minnesota to 3-1 win over Whitecaps in MLS

Jul 8, 2022 | 11:00 PM

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Whitecaps gave up three second-half goals to visiting Minnesota United, who battled back from a 1-0 deficit for a 3-1 win in Major League Soccer on Friday.

Striker Luis Amarilla gave Minnesota the lead in the 84th minute with a hard shot from outside the top of the box at B.C. Place Stadium.

Defender Kemar Lawrence tied the match 1-1 in the 71st minute when he took a looping pass from midfielder D. J. Taylor and drilled a shot past Whitecaps goalkeeper Cody Cropper. 

It was the first goal the Whitecaps had allowed in 342 minutes of MLS play.

Midfielder Franco Fragapane made it 3-1 in the 88th minute when he chipped a shot over Cropper after two Whitecaps had collided in front of the net.

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Second half substitute Lucas Cavallini scored in the 63rd minute to give Vancouver a 1-0 lead.

The Whitecaps (7-9-3) saw their three-game unbeaten string (2-0-1) snapped. Minnesota United (8-8-3) won a third straight game.

The win moved Minnesota into fifth in the Western Conference with 27 points. 

Vancouver remained ninth in the West with 24 points, three points out of the seventh and final playoff spot.

Cavallini had the crowd of 14,201 on their feet when he headed a pass from Pedro Vite past outstretched Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair. 

It was the big striker’s team-leading sixth goal of the season.

The goal came just a few minutes after midfielder Ryan Gauld had blasted a shot that went off St. Clair’s fingers and the post.

The Whitecaps challenged in the 14th when Vite lobed a ball into the box. Diving striker Cristian Dajome chipped a shot toward the net, but St. Clair was able to scoop up the ball.

Minnesota’s best first-half chance came in the 45th minute when midfielder Wil Trapp launched a right-footed shot from distance that Cropper stopped.

Early in the second half, Gauld blasted a shot just wide of the Minnesota net.

NOTES: The Whitecaps announced before the match that forward Déiber Caicedo underwent successful surgery Thursday for a meniscus tear in his right knee and has been placed on the season-ending injury list. Caicedo suffered the injury in the first half of Vancouver’s 0-0 home draw against New England Revolution June 26 … The last time the Whitecaps recorded a first-half goal was June 18 when Cavallini scored in the second minute of a 2-0 win over FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium … After a four-game homestand, the Whitecaps go on the road for games in Cincinnati July 13 and Portland July 17 before returning home July 23 to host Chicago.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 8, 2022.

Jim Morris, The Canadian Press