Photograph by: Steve Bosch, PNG

By Pearl Allison Lo

Vancouver’s three goals in the first 20 minutes were able to top San Jose’s late comeback in a 3-2 decision Saturday, as the Whitecaps celebrated their 40th anniversary.

The game winner came off Pedro Morales’s first goal of the game and the Whitecaps’ penalty kick. It came in the 19th minute and was preceded by a Jordan Stewart giveaway, before the slight touch by Victor Bernardez against Darren Mattocks who had a breakaway.

Vancouver outshot the Quakes 17-7.

In the first half, the ‘Caps controlled the majority of the ball possession. The possession San Jose did have was usually intercepted, deflected, given away or more.

The game’s first goal was braced by San Jose’s Yannick Djalo going down twice on the turf. Already suffering from groin tightness, when he went down the first time, play continued.

Vancouver’s Kekuta Manneh ‘s initial shot went off the left post then came back to him. The rebound shot then went to the right post and into the net in the 10th minute.

Djalo’s second time down again forced coach Mark Watson to go early to his bench for Alan Gordon in the 13th minute. It was Djalo’s first start for the team.

Morales’s second goal came almost straightaway outside the box and just a minute after his first to make it 3-0, as he took off his shirt in celebration.

All of the Whitecaps’ goals came before the Quakes’ first shot.

In the 28th minute, Mattocks went down on his own as well with a hamstring injury. Erik Hurtado came in to replace him.

San Jose’s Sam Cronin was in net to prevent a fourth goal when Morales passed the ball to Manneh who passed the ball to Hurtado before his shot in the 34th minute.

In the 45th minute, the Quakes spoiled David Ousted’s clean sheet and got a goal back when Chris Wondolowski took the penalty kick. Alan Gordon had got knocked down by Jay DeMerit after Gordon headed the ball.

The Quakes prevented another fourth goal when the rookie Hurtado came attacking. Goalie Jon Busch went equally hard forward to challenge Hurtado and with the block, joined the 1,000 save club in the 59th minute.

The 3-2 score occurred in the 91st minute. Wondolowski scored his second goal of the game, fifth of the teams’ eight goals during the season and ninth in his career against Vancouver as the ball slid right past Ousted. Stoppage time ended in the 94th.

Game notes: It was the first meeting between Steven Beitashour and San Jose since they parted. Morales had to go off the field temporarily in the second half. Gordon got yellow carded in the 70th minute. The Quake’s Billy Schuler experienced his first action of the season when he subbed in for Brandon Barklage.