Tacoma Defiance (6-2-4, 25 points) drew with Whitecaps FC 2 (5-2-5, 22 points) 2-2 Sunday afternoon at Swangard Stadium. Valentin Sabella scored the late equalizer while Marlon Vargas bagged a goal in his fifth consecutive match as Defiance extended its unbeaten streak to eight games (5-0-3). Wade Webber’s side won the ensuing shooutout to take home the extra point.
Whitecaps FC 2 opened the scoring in the seventh minute, when the home side won a free kick just outside the area. The following shot was saved by Defiance goalkeeper Wallis Lapsley, but the rebound fell to the feet of Finn Linder, who scored from point-blank range. Tacoma answered back in the 26th minute when Cody Baker played a ball through to a speeding Vargas, who finished from a very tight angle to level the score at a goal apiece. It was Vargas’ fifth consecutive game with a goal.
Jay Joshua Herdman regained the lead for the home side in the 65th minute on the counterattack, shooting a low drive that beat Lapsley on the far post. After both sides were shown a red card in the fifth minute of stoppage time, it was Sabella who scored the equalizer at the death, getting his head on a cross by Travian Sousa.
Defiance are now riding an unbeaten streak of eight matches (5-0-3), and lead MLS NEXT Pro in both goals scored (31) and goal differential (+17).
Following today’s result, Tacoma returns home to Starfire Stadium to face Colorado Rapids 2 on Saturday, June 18 (7:00p.m. PT / mlsnextpro.com).
MATCH SUMMARY
Tacoma Defiance 2 – Whitecaps FC 2 2
Saturday, June 4, 2022
Venue: Swangard Stadium
Referee: Aubrey Kotelko
Weather: 64 degrees and partly cloudy
SCORING SUMMARY
VAN – Finn Linder 7’
TAC – Marlon Vargas (Cody Baker) 26’
VAN – Jay Joshua Herdman (Simon Becher) 65’
TAC – Valentin Sabella (Travian Sousa) 90+8’
SHOOTOUT SUMMARY
TAC – Marlon Vargas (scored)
VAN – Simon Becher (miss)
TAC – Cody Baker (saved)
VAN – Owen Antoniuk (saved)
TAC – Travian Sousa (scored)
VAN – Vasco Fry (scored)
TAC – Valentin Sabella (scored)
VAN – Jay Joshua Herdman (scored)
TAC – Achille Robin (scored)
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
TAC – Fito Ovalle (caution) 21’
VAN – Pedro Vite (caution) 28’
TAC – Achille Robin (caution) 45+2’
TAC – Hal Uderitz (caution) 45+2’
VAN – Elage Bah (caution) 56’
VAN – Vasco Fry (caution) 79’
VAN – Joseph Hanson (caution) 90+1’
VAN – Joseph Hanson (ejection) 90+5’
TAC – Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez (ejection) 90+5’
LINEUPS & STATS
Tacoma Defiance – Wallis Laspley, Cody Baker, Achille Robin, Hal Uderitz, Joe Hafferty, Fito Ovalle – captain (Travian Sousa 79’), Sota Kitahara, Georgi Minoungou (Valentin Sabella 60’), Marlon Vargas, Juan Alvarez, Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez
Substitutes not used: Wyatt Nelson, Eric Kinzner, Alfred Gombe-Fei, Antonio Herrera, Jack-Ryan Jeremiah
Total shots: 8
Shots on goal: 3
Fouls: 13
Offside: 4
Corner-kicks: 5
Saves: 4
Whitecaps FC 2 – Isaac Boehmer, Finn Linder, Cristian Campagna, Simone Masi, Elage Bah, Pedro Vite (Jay Joshua Herdman 61’), Owen Antoniuk, Vasco Fry, Filip Rakic (Christopher Lee 61’), Simon Becher, Emiliano Brienza (Joseph Hanson 77’)
Substitutes not used: Max Anchor, Theo Collomb, Pipe, Joshue Ndakala
Total shots: 10
Shots on goal: 7
Fouls: 10
Offside: 0
Corner-kicks: 2
Saves: 1
