TUKWILA, WASH. – Tacoma Defiance (9-4-6, 36 points) defeated Whitecaps FC 2 (8-8-4, 30 points) Sunday afternoon at Starfire Stadium. Gio Miglietti scored the game-winning goal in the second half to extend Tacoma’s lead to six points in the Pacific Division.
The two sides exchanged a pair of own goals to open the scoring in the first half. Vancouver got on the board in the fourth minute when a corner kick hit off the back of Tacoma goalkeeper Jacob Castro and bounced into the back of the net. The home side answered via a cross in the box that was deflected by Whitecaps FC 2’s Finn Linder into the top corner of the goal in the 37th minute.
Tacoma took the lead in the 70th minute courtesy of substitute Miglietti. Moments after coming onto the pitch, the University of Washington product received a cross from Travian Sousa right in front of goal, finishing the point-blank effort for the 2-1 lead. The goal was good for Miglietti’s fourth of the season and Sousa’s first assist of the 2023 campaign.
Following today’s contest, Wade Webber’s side hits the road to take on Portland Timbers2 on Friday, August 4 (7:00 p.m. PT / Apple TV).
MATCH SUMMARY
Tacoma Defiance 2 – Whitecaps FC 2 1
Sunday, July 30, 2023
Venue: Starfire Stadium
Referee: Karren Callado
Assistants: CJ Koll, Karsten Gillwald
Fourth official: Justin St. Pierre
Weather: 68 degrees and partly cloudy
SCORING SUMMARY
VAN – Own Goal (Jacob Castro) 4’
TAC – Own Goal (Finn Linder) 37’
TAC – Gio Miglietti (Travian Sousa) 70’
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
VAN – Giovanni Aguillar (caution) 9’
TAC – Sota Kitahara (caution) 57’
VAN – Mihail Gherasimencov (caution) 59’
VAN – Kamron Habibullah (caution) 90+4’
LINEUPS & STATS
Tacoma Defiance – Jacob Castro; Hal Uderitz – captain, Stuart Hawkins, Elias Katsaros; Blake Bowen, Sota Kitahara, Frank Daroma, Braudilio Rodrigues (Juan Alvarez 65’), Travian Sousa; Georgi Minoungou, Paul Rothrock (Gio Miglietti 69’)
Substitutes not used: Wallis Lapsley, Chris Aquino, Eythor Bjørgolfsson, Pedro
Total shots: 14
Shots on goal: 3
Fouls: 10
Offside: 3
Corner-kicks: 9
Saves: 9
Whitecaps FC 2 – Max Anchor; Joshué Ndkala, Finn Linder, Mihail Gherasimencov, Elage Bah (Darko Illic 85’), Kamron Habibullah, Christian Greco-Taylor, Giovanni Aguillar, Lowell Wright, Gloire Amanda (Joe Hanson 77’), Antoine Coupland
Substitutes not used: Maxwell Campeau, Malcolm Johnston, Simone Masi, Lucas Dasovic, Jeevan Badwal
Total shots: 19
Shots on goal: 9
Fouls: 11
Offside: 0
Corner-kicks: 6
Saves: 2
