Whitecaps rally to beat Tijuana 3-1, advance in Leagues Cup

Vancouver Whitecaps' Fafa Picault, back left, scores against Tijuana goalkeeper Antonio Rodriguez during the second half of a Leagues Cup soccer match, in Vancouver, on Saturday, August 3, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Forward Levonte Johnson came on to start the second half and added some of the aggression that was lacking in the first 45 minutes as the Vancouver Whitecaps battled back from an early deficit for a 3-1 win over Club Tijuana on Saturday to advance to the round of 32 of the Leagues Cup.

Johnson scored in the 77th minute to give Vancouver a 2-1 lead and assisted on Fafa Picault’s goal that tied the game in the 49th minute.

“We knew the first half we did not do as well as we could have,” said Johnson, who is in his first full season with the Whitecaps after playing for Syracuse University.

“In the second half we came up with a lot more energy, more drive, power and passion. We pressed them a lot, forced a lot of mistakes. At the end we kind of overwhelmed them with our press and our finishing.”

Pedro Vite scored Vancouver’s other goal in the 83rd minute after Picault threaded him a pass.

Kevin Castaneda scored in the eighth minute for Tijuana.

The Whitecaps will now play the Mexican team Pumas UNAM either Wednesday or Thursday at BC Place Stadium.

Vancouver coach Michael D’Agostino, who was filling in for the suspended Vanni Sartini, said the Whitecaps were a little passive in the first half.

“We gave them a little too much in the first half,” said D’Agostino. “This team (Tijuana) is very good with the ball. We learned that the hard way in the first 20 minutes.

“In the second half we were a little bit more aggressive. We pushed guys a little bit higher on the press and we were able to win the ball back. We realized they were a little bit vulnerable in transition.”

Picault tied the match early in the second half, beating Tijuana goalkeeper Jose Rodriguez with a shot after a smooth feed from Johnson.

Shortly after Vancouver’s goal, Johnson hammered a shot that hit Rodriguez in the face. The goalkeeper collapsed to the turf and was removed on a cart but gave the thumps up sign to the crowd of 18,896 at BC Place Stadium.

Tijuana coach Saucedo Cirilo said the injury changed the momentum of the game.

“It was totally different after that,” he said in Spanish.

Jose Carona replaced Rodriguez and allowed the next two goals.

Johnson’s goal was a finesse shot that found the open far corner.

“I took the touch out,” he said. “The goalkeeper was cheating a bit to one side so I just tried to place it as far as I could to the other side and thankfully it went in.”

Tijuana was forced to play a man short after Aaron Mejia Montoya was given a red card for manhandling Picault in the 81st minute.

Both teams played without their head coach.

Sartini was given a red card during the Whitecaps 4-2 road shootout win over LAFC Tuesday night.

Tijuana coach Juan Carlos Osorio also received a red card after a confrontation with a linesman during the Xolos 3-0 loss to LAFC on July 26.

The Leagues Cup brings together the 47 clubs from Major League Soccer and LIGA MX leagues. The tournament decides three qualifiers for the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup. The winner of that competition will represent the region at the FIFA Club World Cup.

The Pumas defeated FC Monterey 3-0 in penalties to advance. The teams were tied 1-1 after regulation time.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 3, 2024.