Whitecaps rally past Austin for fourth straight win

Deiber Caicedo scored the deciding goal with seven minutes to play as the surging Vancouver Whitecaps FC rallied for a 2-1 win over visiting Austin FC on Saturday afternoon in British Columbia.

It was the second time in three weeks that the Whitecaps have come from behind for a 2-1 victory against expansion Austin.

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Vancouver (7-7-8, 29 points) won a fourth consecutive game for the first time in six seasons and extended its club-record unbeaten run in MLS competition to 10 matches (five wins and five draws). The Whitecaps swept the season series from Austin FC.

Austin FC (5-13-4, 19 points) has dropped five of its past six matches, is tied for the fewest goals in the league (21) and is tied with Toronto for the most losses in MLS.

Austin found the net at the end of a back-and-forth first half, with Sebastian Driussi waiting deep in the box for a cross from Cecilio Dominguez, heading home the lead goal into the bottom right corner past Whitecaps goalkeeper Thomas Hasal in the 45th minute.

Austin dominated the first-half statistics, outshooting the home side 7-1, placing two shots on goal to none for the Whitecaps, and leading in possession percentage (51.7 percent to 48.3 percent) and total passes (262-252).

But everything changed in the second half.

Austin keeper Brad Stuver preserved the lead with back-to-back saves in the 63rd minute, denying Brian White and then Ryan Gauld in one-on-one situations.

The Whitecaps broke through in the 70th minute when Cristian Dajome found Erik Godoy at the far post on a long cross from the left corner, with Godoy making short work of the pass with a ringing header into the left side of the net while giving Stuver no chance to make a stop.

Austin defender Julio Cascante kept the match tied in the 78th minute when he raced to clear a chipped shot from Caicedo off the line after the shot was lifted over Stuver.

But Vancouver was eventually up to the task, rallying for the go-ahead goal in the 83rd minute. Gauld's excellent chance after a crossing pass from the left was blocked by Stuver but the rebound bounced directly to Caicedo, who calmly directed the ball into the bottom right corner of the goal.