Gauld scores twice to steer playoff-seeking Whitecaps past Rapids
Criscito, Bernardeschi lead Toronto FC to draw with Revolution
Midfielder Ryan Gauld scored a pair of first half goals as the Vancouver Whitecaps kept their Major League Soccer playoff hopes alive with a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rapids Wednesday night.
Striker Gyasi Zardes scored in the 76th minute for Colorado.
The win, before 14,682 fans at BC Place Stadium, leapfrogged the Whitecaps (9-11-6) into the seventh and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with 33 points. It also was the bounce-back performance coach Vanni Sartini was hoping for after his team was mauled 5-2 by the L.A. Galaxy on the road Saturday.
The Whitecaps, who have eight games remaining, are (3-3-3) in their last nine matches.
WATCH l Gauld powers Whitecaps past Rapids:
Colorado (8-10-7) dropped to 11th in the West with 31 points. The Rapids suffered just their second loss in their last eight games (3-2-3). They are 2-7-3 on the road.
The Western Conference remains tight. Six teams are in contention with just two points separating the sixth-place Galaxy and Colorado.
Vancouver goalkeeper Thomas Hasal made his first start since injuring his hand May 8 in a game against Toronto.
Gauld opened in the scoring in the 14th minute off a heads-up play by Julian Gressel. The Vancouver midfielder, obtained from D.C. United in a July trade, stole the ball along the sidelines then drove toward the Colorado net. He dished the ball to Gauld who beat goalkeeper William Yarbrough with a right-footed shot.
It was just the second time in eight matches Vancouver scored the game's opening goal.
Gauld came close again early in the second half, blasting a shot from deep in the box that was stopped by a Colorado defender on the goal line.
Zardes made things interesting late in the second half. Lewis started the play with a shot that Hasal stopped but Zardes put in the rebound.
The goal gave the Rapids some legs and they pressured the Whitecaps for the rest of the match. There was a groan from the crowd when seven minutes of injury time was extended. Zardes came close in the extra time, hitting the post with a header.
Gauld now has six goals on the season, second on the Whitecaps behind Lucas Cavallini's eight. Gressel, who collected his first assist as a Whitecap, came close in the 38th with a hard shot from distance that just missed the open side of the net.
Colorado's Jonathan Lewis had a couple of great chances in the first half. In the 22nd minute Hasal stopped a Lewis shot from the left side of the box, then in the 26th minute Lewis sent a shot just over the top of the net.
Toronto FC plays to draw with Revolution
Federico Bernardeschi opened the scoring early and Domenico Criscito fired an impressive goal late as Toronto FC extended its unbeaten run to five games with a 2-2 Major League Soccer draw against the New England Revolution on Wednesday in Toronto.
Bernardeschi scored on a penalty kick in the 31st minute at BMO Field after Ayo Akinola was fouled inside the box taking a pass from Jayden Nelson. In the 75th minute, down 2-1, Criscito volleyed a cross from Michael Bradley to tie the game.
The Revolution's Thomas McNamara scored in the 37th minute in front of the net after Toronto goalkeeper Alex Bono saved two shots from McNamara and Justin Rennicks from inside the box. Rennicks scored inside the box after being sprung free behind the defence for an open shot in the 48th minute.
Both teams entered the match on four-game unbeaten streaks.
WATCH l Criscito's impressive goal lifts Toronto FC to draw:
Toronto went 3-0-1 outscoring its opponents 11-4 and scoring three-plus goals in all but one game during the run — a 0-0 draw against the Revolution on July 30. New England (8-7-10) went 2-0-2 having not conceded a goal in its last four matches.
TFC (8-12-6), sitting in 11th place, will next take on Inter Miami on the road on Saturday as it continues to fight for every possible point to find its way into the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Although he continued to find creases to squeeze passes and crosses to spring his teammates, TFC missed on multiple opportunities.
In the 15th minute, Bernardeschi put forth a corner kick that was whiffed on by both Akinola and Lorenzo Insigne.
Five minutes later, Bernardeschi sent a cross to Akinola who was able to get his head on the ball but it went over the net.
Amid missed chances, a Nelson through ball to Akinola led to a Christian Makoun penalty inside the box. With a chance to open the scoring, Bernardeschi scored on a low shot.
Fun fact: Berna has scored every time he's stepped onto the pitch in Toronto 🍁<a href="https://twitter.com/fbernardeschi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@fbernardeschi</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TFCLive?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TFCLive</a> <a href="https://t.co/taCsMFnGAq">pic.twitter.com/taCsMFnGAq</a>
—@TorontoFCIn the 34th minute, Bernardeschi threaded the needle to Jonathan Osorio who was unable to handle the pass properly, and Petrovic took hold of it.
A similar scenario took place eight minutes later, with Bernardeschi delivering his pass from inside the box, but Osorio was unable to take advantage of the opportunity.
Toronto held possession for 61.5 per cent of the first half.
In the second half, the Revs got going early as Rennicks received a pass from midfielder Carles Gil who found him behind Toronto defender Lukas MacNaughton and fired one past Bono to quickly put his side up 2-1.
In the 59th minute, Richie Laryea found himself streaking to the net taking a pass from Nelson but was tackled in the box by DeJuan Jones as the ball rolled away. The crowd followed it with deafening boos.
Two minutes later, Bernardeschi struck a shot right into Petrovic's hands inside the box, throwing his hands up in disappointment.
In the 70th minute, Insigne headed the ball off a Bernardeschi cross that was narrowly cleared by Makoun at the goal line.
As five more minutes passed, TFC found the back of the net once again.
On a corner kick, Bernardeschi passed the ball to Michael Bradley who sent a cross to the opposite end of the box to Criscito who volleyed it straight past Petrovic as the crowd of 28,464 went into a frenzy with the game tied 2-2.
Toronto was unable to capitalize on any more opportunities as the team drew one point with eight games remaining in the regular season and now sitting three points out of the playoff picture.
