VANCOUVER — Midfielder Kelyn Rowe took advantage of a defensive lapse to score in the 55th minute as the New England Revolution defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on Saturday in Major League Soccer action.
The Revolution took the lead on a play where the Whitecaps’ defence allowed too much space.
Forward Teal Bunbury took the ball into the corner, then sent a pass to the top of the box where Rowe was waiting unmarked. He banged a low, hard shot past Vancouver goalkeeper David Ousted for his third goal of the season.
Forward London Woodberry also scored for New England (4-4-7), which won on the road for the first time this season. After a slow start to the year, New England has won three of its last four games and are now 1-3-3 on the road.
Midfielder Nicolas Mezquida scored for Vancouver (6-7-3) in the 41st minute. The game was played before a sellout crowd of 22,120 at B.C. Place Stadium.
The Whitecaps are now 4-2-3 at home. After putting together a three-game win streak, the Whitecaps are 0-2-1 in their last three MLS games.
New England opened the scoring in the 31st minute after a foul by Vancouver defender Tim Parker set up a free kick by midfielder Lee Nguyen from near the far sideline.
Nguyen arched a ball into the box where Woodberry outmuscled two Vancouver defenders to head the ball past Ousted. It Woodberry’s first goal of the season.
Woodberry was shown a yellow card just 10 minutes later for a late tackle on Whitecaps midfielder Kekuta Manneh.
Mezquida took the free kick from just outside the box and his shot curled into the net between the near post and the outstretched fingers of New England keeper Brad Knighton. It was Mezquida’s first goal in nine games with Vancouver.
There was a few anxious moments in the 33rd minute when Vancouver defender Jordan Smith charged into Knighton while the two scrambled for a loose ball. The collision left Knighton laying on the ground in pain. He was attended to by the trainer before returning to action. Smith was given a yellow card on the play.
NOTES: There was a minute of silence prior to the match for the Orlando shooting victims. … Ousted was playing in his 100th MLS match, including playoffs. … Whitecaps forward Octavio Rivero, midfielder Pedro Morales and defender Kendall Waston all sat out the game due to suspensions. … It was just the second time New England has played in Vancouver and the first since a 4-3 loss in 2013.
