The Vancouver Whitecaps grabbed a vital three points in the competitive Western Conference on Wednesday, defeating Real Salt Lake 2-0 at BC Place on the back of two first-half goals.
The Whitecaps got a fortunate bounce to open the scoring, as a 34th-minute clearance attempt by RSL defender Tony Beltran bounced off teammate Justen Glad and into the net to put the hosts ahead.
The lead was doubled just three minutes later, as Cristian Techera unloaded a swerving 25-yard rocket that went inside the near post.
Box Score
- 34' - VAN - Justen Glad (OG)
- 37' - VAN - Cristian Techera (Christian Bolanos)
- Full box score
- Stats
- Highlights
Three Things
- A WIN IS A WIN: The Whitecaps did not play dominant soccer on the night, basically grabbing their goals against the run of play, but they'll certainly take the three valuable points. Having Techera back in form could be a good omen for the 'Caps for the rest of the summer.
- SMALL GROUP: Meanwhile, RSL gave it a good fight, starting out rather shorthanded with just 16 players making the trip to BC Place. With the midfield and attack in particular missing a number of options due to injuries and suspensions, the visitors gave it a pretty good fight for the majority of the game, but had nothing to show for it in the end.
- GOLAZO DE BICHO! The unquestionable highlight of the game was Techera's goal. The diminutive Uruguayan unleashed a beautiful strike, one worthy of a much-needed victory for his side.
