The Vancouver Whitecaps put years of Canadian Championship pain behind them on Wednesday, nabbing a 2-0 win over Valour FC in the preliminary round of the tournament, sending them through to the quarter-finals of this competition, where a visit to take on Cavalry FC awaits them. 

Returning to this clash, however, it was clear that both teams came to play, and as a result, that would lead them to trade a pair of chances inside the first 10 minutes. 

At one end, the Whitecaps would come close through Lucas Cavallini, who had a strong shout for a handball off of a shot that struck the arm of Valour’s Stefan Cebara, but that would be waved away by the referee. Soon after, Valour’s William Akio would manage to snake into Vancouver’s box, where he’d unleash a solid strike on his left foot, but Cody Cropper would easily manage to save his shot. 

A few minutes later, Vancouver would craft a nice chance down the left-hand side, again through Cavallini, who would this time play provider to Deiber Caicedo, but the Whitecaps forward wouldn’t be able to turn home Cavallini’s cross, lofting his header over the goal. 

Doing well to maintain that pressure, however, that’d finally pay off for Vancouver in the 18th minute.

After some good possession down the left, they managed to unlock Valour’s defence with a couple of one-touch passes, crafting a shot for a wide-open Ryan Raposo, whose powerful shot would be denied by Valour’s Rayane-Yuba Yesli. But on the ensuing rebound, the Whitecaps would pounce nicely on the loose ball, which fell right to Russell Teibert, who would slide the chance home on his right foot. 

Vancouver wouldn’t be done there, either, as less than five minutes later, Caicedo managed to sneak behind the Valour backline, where he found himself all alone with Raposo, who he’d pass the ball over to for his team’s second. 

Continuing their strong first half, Ranko Veselinovic would come close to adding Vancouver’s third, if not for a great save from Yesli in the 26th, before Yesli managed to deny Raposo once again in the 29th minute, keeping his team in the game with the stops. 

Valour would then get the last chance of the half, as Sean Rea did well to line up a shot from a distance after some tricky footwork, and his shot would nearly cause trouble for Cropper, who eventually gathered the ball after palming away the original strike. 

On the other side of the half, Valour would continue to hunt for the goal that’d get them back in the game, as Diego Gutierrez stepped up to take a dangerous free-kick at the edge of the Whitecaps area in the 57th minute, but he’d just sent his curled strike wide of the mark. 

Soon after, though, Raposo would nearly grab his brace, as he got off a strong shot from just inside the box after a nice ball in, and he’d get full power behind it, only finding himself denied by Yesli. 

Continuing to keep a good pace in the game, both teams would trade chances once again around the 65th minute, as Moses Dyer first sent a strike from distance just wide on his left, before Ryan Gauld would be denied by Yesli in the box on a breakaway in the 70th. 

A few minutes later, Akio would nearly halve the score for Valour, getting everything behind an attempt from distance in the 76th minute, just skimming his shot over the goal. 

From there, however, that’d be all that both teams would have to offer in this game, leaving the Whitecaps to continue their Canadian Championship journey, and for Valour to head home empty-handed.

BOX SCORE

Goals

18′ — Russell Teibert  (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)

21′ — Ryan Raposo  (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)

Discipline

52′ — Yellow: Lucas Cavallini (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)

64′ — Yellow: Javain Brown (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)

73′ — Yellow: Daryl Fordyce (Valour FC)