Vancouver Whitecaps forwards Ali Ahmed (#22) and Alessandro Schopf (#8) celebrate their second goal of the game against the San Jose Earthquakes at Pay Pal Park on Saturday MAR 9, 2023. (Vancouver Whitecaps)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — The Vancouver Whitecaps reserves scored two goals in the second half en route to a 2-0 shutout victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday evening at Pay Pal Park.

San Jose have started the season losing its first three matches. Vancouver earned its first win of the season after a 1-1 draw against Charlotte in its season opener last week.

It was a mild first half to say the least. Neither team generated many scoring chances in the opening 45 minutes. San Jose (0-3-0) controlled the possession by a 62%-38 % margin. They had three shots on goal as opposed to the Whitecaps only generating one shot on net.

“I thought we had control of the game,” said ‘Quakes head coach Luchi Gonzalez about the team’s disappointment. “I had no doubt that at the very least we were going to tie (the game) if not score and push for the winner. But it doesn’t matter how much possession we have, if we don’t put away chances. Tonight they (Vancouver) were efficient, and we were not.”

Vancouver (1-0-1) had the best scoring chance in the first half when Javain Brown’s header from the center of the box was saved by ‘Quakes goalkeeper Daniel in the 34th minute.

The Earthquakes kept the momentum they established in the first half to start the final 45 minutes. In the 53rd minute, Amahl Pellegrino’s header attempt went wide right on Whitecaps goalkeeper Yahei Takaoka.

Whitecaps striker Brian White made a move around a ‘Quakes defender in the 60th minute, but his left footed shot just sailed wide left of the net.

The Whitecaps broke the seal in the 74th minute off a corner kick. Ryan Gauld centered the ball into the middle where Rodriguez headed the ball out of the box. Alessandro Schopf, who came in as a substitute in the 71st minute, came charging in from behind and fired in a right footed shot from just behind the D off the hand of Daniel for his team-leading second goal of the season.

Things became chippy in the 79th minute when Vancouver’s Fafa Picault and San Jose’s Alfredo Morales exchanged words and shoves after a foul on Morales by Picault. Each were issued yellow cards in the 80th minute.

“It was a small foul, I tried to sell it a little bit. I got the call from the ref. I just wanted to go to up to him and say I know it was almost nothing but they called it, and he (Picault) went crazy. But that’s how it is, it’s just emotions,” Morales said.

Vancouver put the game away in the 86th minute with an insurance goal from Ali Ahmed. Tristan Blackmon sent a long ball down the left sideline. Ahmed hit the ball off his chest then touched it to himself with his right foot racing into the box before depositing a right footed shot into the upper right corner of the net for his first goal of the season.

Takaoka finished the match with two saves on the five shots on target from San Jose to earn his first clean sheet of the season. Daniel made two saves on the six shots on target in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with eight corner kicks. Vancouver had six.

‘Quakes defenseman Bruno Wilson received a yellow card for a hard foul in the 62nd minute. Then in the 73rd minute, Preston Judd was issued a yellow card for a hard foul.

Tonight’s attendance was 16,045.

UP NEXT: San Jose travels out to the Midwest to take on Sporting Kansas City on Saturday 3/16 at 5:30pm at Children’s Mercy Park.