Whitecaps blank first-place LAFC for first win

Updated: May 17, 2023, 05:23 am

In desperate need of their first victory of the season, the Vancouver Whitecaps pulled off the improbable Wednesday night with a 1-0 victory over visiting LAFC, the top team in Major League Soccer.

Winless in their first six games under new head coach Marc Dos Santos, who was an assistant coach with LAFC last season, the Whitecaps used a goal from In-Beom Hwang in the 27th minute to take the lead and then held on the rest of the way.

After giving up 10 goals this season, the Vancouver defense held the league's highest-scoring team, using relentless pressure on LAFC forward Carlos Vela, who leads the league with eight goals.

Whitecaps goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau made three saves to record his second shutout of the season.

It took seven tries, but Vancouver picked up their first win of the season on Wednesday night.
Anne-Marie Sorvin/USA TODAY Sports

Hwang's goal was the first score LAFC surrendered in 352 minutes, going back to a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on March 23. That game was also the last time LAFC trailed in a match.

It was the first career MLS goal for Hwang, who transferred from Daejeon Citizen FC of South Korea and is in his initial season with Vancouver.

LAFC goalkeeper Tyler Miller made three saves in the defeat. He managed to keep his team in striking distance by making a one-on-one save against Lucas Venuto, who was on a breakaway in the 48th minute.

Playing their second game in a stretch of three games in nine days, LAFC made a number of lineup changes, which included the first career MLS starts for defenders Shaft Brewer Jr. and Niko Hamalainen as well as midfielder Peter-Lee Vassell.

LAFC also lost midfielder Latif Blessing in the 40th minute because of a shoulder injury that occurred when he landed on his side after two hard first-half tackle attempts.

Vancouver's victory was its first since a 2-1 decision over the Portland Timbers on the final day of the 2018 regular season. LAFC lost for the first time since a 3-2 defeat to Real Salt Lake in the knockout round of last season's MLS playoffs.