LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL – The Vancouver Whitecaps defeated the Chicago Fire 2-0 in the MLS is Back Tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World this week.
Well, Mother Nature had a say in this one. She provided and nice and thunderous break in the match, totally changing the match.
The first half of the contest was pretty similar to those of the other mornings here in Orlando, Hot, sticky and not very productive as the day heated up by the minute. But then the Skies opened up at the beginning of the second half and put a hour and a half pause on the proceedings.
Coming out of the weather break, temperatures cooled and play was better.
In the 65th minute, the Whitecaps’ Ali Adnan put Yordy Reyna through on goal. He rounded goalkeeper Kenneth Kronholm and rolled he ball into the back of the net. It was Vancouver’s first shot on target of the match.
A few minutes later they doubled their lead, Reyna turned provider, slipping Cristian Dajome through on goal. Dajome calmly finished his chance past Kronholm.
That second goal was enough to move Vancouver to the Knockout round.
The Fire came close to cutting the goal differential and changing their destiny in the 84th minute when CJ Sapong had a shot on goal, but it was called back on video revue because of a hand ball on Sapong, and ending their tournament.
The Whitecaps will face off against Sporting KC on Sunday at 10:30pm ET in the Knockout Round of the MLS is Back Tournament.
