The Vancouver Whitecaps are going to the playoffs. Down a man from the seventh minute, the Whitecaps ground out a 1-1 draw with Los Angeles FC at BMO Stadium on Saturday night, and results elsewhere secured their postseason berth.
The night got off to a brutal start when defender Tristan Blackmon was shown a straight red card in the seventh minute for hauling down Jacob Shaffelburg from behind and denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. The former LAFC defender will miss Wednesday's trip to St. Louis. But Vancouver struck first anyway: Oliver Larraz hammered home the rebound in the 43rd minute after Hugo Lloris parried his initial header - Larraz's first goal since 2024.
LAFC's answer came immediately after the break. Denis Bouanga headed home a Sergi Palencia cross in the 46th minute for his 15th goal of the season - his third straight game scoring and his fourth consecutive 15-goal campaign. Bouanga thought he had a second seven minutes later, but it was chalked off for offside. Goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka made three saves to preserve the point.
The draw kept Vancouver (15-7-6, 51 points) atop the Western Conference and second overall in MLS, despite missing Thomas Muller through injury. They visit St. Louis on Wednesday.
