Vancouver v San Jose
Whitecaps beat Earthquakes 4-1, remain tied atop Western Conference
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Sebastian Berhalter had two goals and an assist, Rayan Elloumi and Thomas Müller each added a goal, and the Vancouver Whitecaps in a 2-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday.
Vancouver (17-6-9) has 60 points and is tied with San Diego atop the Western Conference, two points ahead of third-place Minnesota. San Jose (10-15-8) has 38 points and fell out of playoff position. Eighth-place Dallas has 41 points, while Salt Lake and Colorado have 40 points apiece.
Elloumi, an 18-year-old homegrown who made his eight career appearance and second start in MLS, opened the scoring with a volley from point-blank range in the 39th minute. Berhalter played a perfectly-placed free kick from the left side to the back post, where Elloumi put away the first-touch finish.
Müller, on the counter-attack, ran onto a pass played by Ali Ahmed and gently settled it with his first touch and bent a low shot that slipped inside the left post into the side-net to make it 2-0 in the 57th.
The 36-year-old Müller, who has scored 45 goals in 131 career appearances for the German national team, was acquired Aug. 6 and has five goals and two assists in five appearances (four starts) for the Whitecaps.
Berhalter blasted a rising shot from 30 yards out that slipped inside the post to make it 3-0 in the 74th and his goal in the second minute of stoppage time capped the scoring.
Beau Leroux made it 3-1 in the 89th with a shot from outside the area that deflected off Vancouver's Giuseppe Bovalina into the net.
Ralph Priso made a goal-line block of a header by Josef Martínez in the seventh minute.
San Jose's Daniel De Sousa Britto - known simply as "Daniel" - had six saves.
Game Information
- Referees:
- Rosendo Mendoza
MLS Standings
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GD | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego FC | 34 | 19 | 6 | 9 | +23 | 63 |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | 34 | 18 | 9 | 7 | +28 | 63 |
| LAFC | 34 | 17 | 9 | 8 | +25 | 60 |
| Minnesota United FC | 34 | 16 | 10 | 8 | +17 | 58 |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 34 | 15 | 10 | 9 | +10 | 55 |
| Austin FC | 34 | 13 | 8 | 13 | -8 | 47 |
| FC Dallas | 34 | 11 | 11 | 12 | -3 | 44 |
| Portland Timbers | 34 | 11 | 11 | 12 | -7 | 44 |
| Real Salt Lake | 34 | 12 | 5 | 17 | -11 | 41 |
| San Jose Earthquakes | 34 | 11 | 8 | 15 | -3 | 41 |
| Colorado Rapids | 34 | 11 | 8 | 15 | -12 | 41 |
| Houston Dynamo FC | 34 | 9 | 10 | 15 | -13 | 37 |
| St. Louis CITY SC | 34 | 8 | 8 | 18 | -14 | 32 |
| LA Galaxy | 34 | 7 | 9 | 18 | -20 | 30 |
| Sporting Kansas City | 34 | 7 | 7 | 20 | -24 | 28 |

