Seattle Sounders FC 2 (9-11-6, 33 points) topped Whitecaps FC 2 (11-7-8, 41 points) on a late goal by Homegrown Player Darwin Jones on Friday evening at Starfire Stadium. S2 rallied from a 1-0 deficit with a pair of second-half goals, beginning with Irvin Parra's scissor-kick in the 67th minute and finishing with a left-footed strike from Jones in the final play of the match. S2, which earned six points this week on two last-gasp wins versus Cascadia rivals, now sits just one point behind the postseason cut-off line in the Western Conference with four road matches remaining. Next up, the Rave Green have a quick turnaround with a road tilt at Whitecaps FC 2's McLeod Athletic Park on Monday, September 5 (3:00 p.m. PT / Live-streamed on SoundersFC.com).
It was an end-to-end affair in a scoreless first half between the rivals, with both sides carving out a pair of half-chances but unable to break the deadlock. Parra had a pair of dangerous opportunities in the 12th and 25th minutes, although the first was saved on a full-extension stop by Whitecaps FC 2 goalkeeper Spencer Richey and the latter attempt barely missed the net on a swerving volley.
Vancouver began the scoring against the run of play from a set piece in the 64th minute. Kianz Froese whipped in a low, driven corner kick to the six-yard box, which fell right to Kyle Greig. Greig's well placed header sailed past S2 goalkeeper Tyler Miller for the 1-0 lead. The Rave Green would equalize just three minutes later from a corner kick of their own. Attacking midfielder Zach Mathers curled the ball to the far post, where Parra leapt into the air and struck a side-volley into the far-post side netting for his first USL goal.
Each side had dangerous chances to take the lead, with Mathers' one-v-one shot being denied by Richey in the 71st minute. Miller added a strong save of his own when he pushed a shot attempt around the post. Although the fourth referee signaled for three minutes of second-half stoppage time, Baboucarr Jallow allowed S2 to play through one final possession as the game clock entered the fourth minute of stoppage.
Midfielder Mark O'Ojong gathered the ball near midfield and pushed up the pitch, where he sent a through-ball to Jones on the left flank. Jones, who entered as a reserve in the 65th minute, sprinted past the opposing back-line and sent a left-footed shot to the far post, where it deflected off the woodwork and into the far side-netting. The score extends Jones' team-lead to six tallies on the season. The win gave S2 its second victory over Whitecaps FC 2 in the 2016 league campaign. The two sides face each other again on Monday, September 5 at McLeod Athletic Park (3:00 p.m. PT / Live-streamed on SoundersFC.com).
