By Canadian Press

Emphatic 4-1 win for Whitecaps over RSL in first game under new interim coach

Aug 29, 2021 | 9:23 PM

VANCOUVER — Midfielder Ryan Gauld scored one goal and set up two others as the Vancouver Whitecaps defeated Real Salt Lake 4-1 Sunday night to win their first Major League Soccer game under interim coach Vanni Sartini.

Forward Brian White in the 53rd minute and defender Florian Jungwirth in the 69th also scored for the Whitecaps, who won their third consecutive game and extended their unbeaten streak to nine matches (4-0-5) before a crowd of 7,503 at BC Place.

Vancouver also took advantage of a Real Salt Lake own goal in the 33rd minute to improve their record to 6-7-8.

Anderson Julio score for Real Salt Lake in the 90th minute.

Real Salt Lake, also playing its first game under a new head coach, dropped to 7-8-6. It was RSL’s second consecutive loss and the fourth in six games.

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The Whitecaps fired head coach Marc Dos Santos Friday after an upset 4-3 loss to Pacific FC of the Canadian Premier League in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Championship. Phil Dos Santos, Marc’s brother and an assistant coach with the club, was also relieved of his duties.

Sartini, the team’s director of methodology, took over as acting head coach. Assistant coach Ricardo Clark and goalkeeper coach Youssef Dahha kept their jobs.

Former assistant Pablo Mastroeni took over the role of interim head coach for Real Salt Lake after it was announced Friday that Freddy Juarez and the club had parted ways.

The Whitecaps went ahead 1-0 midway through the opening half when Gauld sent the ball into the box on a corner kick. It hit RSL defender Marcelo Silva and deflected past the fingertips of goalkeeper Andrew Putna.

Early in the second half, Vancouver forward Cristian Dajome hammered a shot from a sharp angle. Putna made the save but White put in the rebound for his third goal in three MLS games.

Gauld scored in the 64th minute on a header off a cross from defender Javain Brown. Jungwirth made it 4-0 when he headed in a corner kick from Gauld.

RSL came close in the 42nd minute when Noah Powder’s rocket of a shot from distance hit the post then landed at the feet of forward Justin Meram. Facing nothing but open net Meram’s put his shot over the top of the goal.

Midfielder Russell Teibert came close to giving Vancouver the lead in the 18th minute. The Whitecaps captain attempted a cross into the box that deflected off the leg of RSL defender Justen Glad, forcing Putna to make a save.

NOTES: Capacity at BC Place Stadium for the game was around 13,000 with fans required to wear masks. …. Vancouver’s last loss was a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Salt Lake on July 7. … Vancouver has scored six first-half goals this season with Dajome leading the way with two. … The Whitecaps played without midfielders Caio Alexandre (left foot fracture) and Michael Baldisimo (right foot irritation), striker Lucas Cavallini (left knee sprain) and defenders Erik Godoy (left calf strain), Cristian Gutierrez (left quad strain) and Jake Nerwinski (right knee). … The Whitecaps played their first eight homes games at Real Salt Lake’s Rio Tinton Stadium in Sandy, Utah, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 29, 2021.

Jim Morris, The Canadian Press