TUKWILA, WASH. – Tacoma Defiance (15-5-9, 57 points) drew 3-3 with Whitecaps FC 2 (8-13-7, 34 points) 3-3 Sunday afternoon at Starfire Stadium, with Tacoma winning the following shootout. Defiance scored via Dylan Teves and an own goal in the second half before Paul Rothrock equalized in stoppage time in Tacoma’s final regular season match. The result gives Tacoma a second-place finish in the Western Conference and third overall in MLS NEXT Pro.
Whitecaps FC 2 opened the scoring in 46th minute, with Lowell Wright gathering a pass inside the area and finishing the close-range chance.
Teves answered for the home side in the 59th minute, receiving a pass from Snyder Brunell and dribbling inside before converting a long-range effort from outside the area. Tacoma gained the lead minutes later, with a cross right in front of goal deflecting off Whitecaps FC 2’s Simone Masi and into the back of the net.
Wright scored his second and third goals of the match in the 68th and 73rd minutes, respectively, converting two chances from outside the area.
Rothrock equalized at the death for Tacoma, smashing a free kick into the right side of the net to send the match to kicks from the penalty spot. Defiance won the ensuing shootout 5-4, with Rothrock converting the winning attempt.
Following today’s contest, Tacoma begins its postseason campaign in the Western Conference Quarterfinals on Sunday, October 1 at Starfire Stadium, with its opponent being determined next week (7:00 p.m. PT / Apple TV).
MATCH SUMMARY
Tacoma Defiance 3(5) – Whitecaps FC 2 3(4)
Sunday, September 24, 2023
Venue: Starfire Stadium
Referee: Alexis Da Silva
Assistants: Baboucarr Jallow, Loren Barnett
Fourth official: Christopher Calderon
Weather: 62 degrees and cloudy
SCORING SUMMARY
VAN – Lowell Wright (Kamron Habibullah) 46’
TAC – Dylan Teves (Snyder Brunell) 59’
TAC – Own Goal (Simone Masi) 63’
VAN – Lowell Wright (Kamron Habibullah) 68’
VAN – Lowell Wright 73’
TAC – Paul Rothrock 90+2’
SHOOTOUT SUMMARY
VAN – Giovanni Aguillar (score)
TAC – Abdoulaye Cissoko (score)
VAN – Kamron Habibullah (save)
TAC – Braudilio Rodrigues (save)
VAN – Antoine Coupland (score)
TAC – Hal Uderitz (score)
VAN – Mihail Gherasimencov (score)
TAC – Travian Sousa (score)
VAN – Christian Greco-Taylor (score)
TAC – Gio Miglietti (score)
VAN – Elage Bah (save)
TAC – Paul Rothrock (score)
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
TAC – Fito Ovalle (caution) 23’
VAN – Kamron Habibullah (caution) 76’
TAC – Hal Uderitz (caution) 90+2’
VAN – Christian Greco-Taylor (caution) 90+2’
LINEUPS & STATS
Tacoma Defiance – Jacob Castro; Stuart Hawkins, Fito Ovalle – captain (Juan Alvarez HT), Abdoulaye Cissoko; Ethan Dobbelaere (Blake Bowen 63’), Hal Uderitz, Snyder Brunell (Gio Miglietti 80’), Travian Sousa; Dylan Teves (Georgi Minoungou 61’), Paul Rothrock, Braudilio Rodrigues
Substitutes not used: Wallis Lapsley, Eythor Bjørgolfsson, Chris Aquino, Pedro, Antonio Herrera
Total Shots: 20
Shots on goal: 7
Fouls: 14
Offside: 2
Corner-kicks: 7
Saves: 1
Whitecaps FC 2 – Max Anchor; Lucas Dasovic, Simone Masi, Joshué Ndakala; Mihail Gherasimencov, Giovanni Aguillar, Malcolm Johnston (Christian Greco-Taylor 67’), Elage Bah; Kamron Habibullah, Lowell Wright (Joe Hanson, 89’), Antoine Coupland
Substitutes not used: Alexander Milosevic, Darko Ilic, Amoni Thomas, Mario Lefevre, Valter Sedin
Total shots: 10
Shots on goal: 4
Fouls: 15
Offside: 1
Corner-kicks: 1
Saves: 5
