Coming off their first home win of the year, Whitecaps FC2 extended their unbeaten run at home to five games as they knocked off Arizona United 2-0 at Thunderbird Stadium. After three straight draws to open up their home campaign, WFC2 has now earned back-to-back wins for the first time all year. Head coach Alan Koch fielded a very different lineup compared to the one against the Salt Lake City Monarchs last week. The Caps roster was infused with five newly loaned players from the Whitecaps MLS roster.
With the help of the additional experience and quality provided by MLS players Paolo Tornaghi, Deigo Rodriguez, Nicolas Mezquida and Kainz Froese, Vancouver controlled the ball and the tempo from the opening whistle. Mezquida and Caleb Clarke both couldn’t capitalize on glorious first half chances. Mezquida missed high from in tight and Clarke fired his free header right into Arizona keeper Carl Woszcynski’s hands.
WFC2 continued to control the run of play to start the second half and were finally rewarded in the 49th minute. After a Whitecaps corner was not fully cleared, Clarke was able to pounce on the rebound for his team leading fourth goal of the season. The lead was doubled in the 78th minute as Brett Levis, who had replaced Mezquida just after the hour mark, won the ball in the Arizona half before skipping past two flat-footed defenders outside the box and depositing his left footed shot into the bottom corner.
“It felt awesome,” said Levis about his first career USL goal. “Kianz’s run really opened it up for me, as soon as he came across their back line it set them off balance….I cut the first [defender], the second was kind of static so I cut the second too and was lucky to have it go into the bottom corner.”
After collecting seven out of a possible nine points during their three game home streak the Whitecaps FC2 will now look to keep the momentum going as they head out on the road for three straight games.
“It’s sometimes nice to go on the road,” said head coach Alan Koch. “It brings you together, you spend a lot of time on planes, buses and the hotel so it gives you a good chance to have some more intimate moments chatting with the players so this will give us some momentum, we’ll come together as a group, and we’ll go on the road and fight for everything we can and hopefully come back with some points.”
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