Sitting at fifth place in the Western Conference, The Town FC is on the brink of clinching a postseason bid with its win over Vancouver.
BURNABY, British Columbia — After suffering a loss to Real Monarchs, The Town FC transitioned north to face Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 on Sunday, and prevailed 1-0 in an intense match at Swangard Stadium for its 10th regulation win of the year.
The Town (10-7-8, 42 points) rode the momentum from midfielder Edwyn Mendoza’s 29th-minute goal, the first of his professional career. Mendoza was set up off a corner kick and sent a shot through traffic toward the right side of the net — stopping goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer in his tracks — to score the match’s lone goal.
Mendoza was busy in the game, tallying a team-leading five shots with two on target. TTFC’s defense held firm as the match progressed, shutting out Vancouver (9-10-6, 26 points) for the second consecutive head-to-head match.
Whitecaps FC 2 came out swinging to begin the second half, looking to capture the potential equalizer. Vancouver pushed until the end, applying pressure on goalkeeper Emmanuel Ochoa right up to the final minute. But The Town’s defense was the ultimate game-changer, as Ochoa only needed to make two saves to shut out the highly competitive Whitecaps 2 team.
The regulation shutout win was The Town FC’s seventh of the season, only adding to the team’s defensive success exerted all year.
TTFC’s offense also applied pressure throughout the match, nearly extending the lead on numerous occasions, including hitting the post and making cerebral plays in the attacking third. But as the final whistle sounded, Mendoza’s left-footed tally was all The Town FC needed to inch closer to the playoffs.
The win gives The Town FC the season edge over Vancouver, as TTFC took two of three bouts against its Canadian foe.
The Town had a clinching scenario in place, as a victory along with Portland Timbers 2 (6-9-10, 32 points) and Sporting Kansas City II (9-11-5, 36 points) losing would guarantee a spot for the Bay Area club in the postseason. But since SKCII won, TTFC will have to wait a bit longer to clinch a playoff bid.
Sitting at fifth in the Western Conference, The Town FC is the highest-placed team still yet to clinch a playoff spot. North Texas SC (14-4-7, 54 points), St. Louis CITY2 (15-6-4, 50 points), LAFC2 (12-7-6, 50 points) and Tacoma Defiance (12-8-5, 43 points) have all secured their spots to the postseason in the West.
With only three regular-season matches remaining, The Town FC will take on two opponents already in the playoffs. Next, TTFC will return home to face St. Louis, the team it narrowly lost to back on May 26. The match will kick off The Town’s final homestand, which will span two matches. The Town FC’s final home battle will be against LAFC2 the following week.
Eyeing the postseason, TTFC will face CITY2 next Sunday at Saint Mary’s Stadium in Moraga at 3 p.m. The match will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV as The Town FC will look to send fans home happy.
MEDIA ASSETS
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MATCH INFORMATION
2024 MLS NEXT Pro Season
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 0 – 1 The Town FC
Swangard Stadium
Sunday, September 15, 2024
Scoring Summary:
TTFC (0-1) — E. Mendoza 29’
Misconduct Summary:
TTFC — C. Medina (Caution) 33’
TTFC — J. Garcia (Caution) 52’
TTFC — A. Cano (Caution) 74’
VAN — D. Ilic (Caution) 90 + 4’
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2: I. Boehmer (GK), F. Linder, I. Mathe, B. Sjoberg (C), E. Goldthorp (A. Coupland – 62’), M. Mehri, J. Badwal, M. Simmons (C. Kachwele – 74’), G. Bovalina (M. Gherasimencov – 62’), L. Mackenzie (D. Ilic – 85’), N. Fleuriau (M. Morgan – 85’)
Substitutes not used: A. Milosevic, D. Saidykhan, J. Selemani, J. Ndakala
SHOTS: 11; SHOTS ON GOAL: 3; FOULS: 11; CORNER KICKS: 8; SAVES: 4
The Town FC: E. Ochoa (GK), J. Garcia (C. Cowell – 88’), A. Cano, W. Eisner, R. Ibarra, B. Leroux (R. Rajagopal – 84’), E. Mendoza, C. Medina (C) (J. Spivey – 76’), R. Lynch, E. Blancas (T. Allen – 88’), J. Donnery (S. Bilter – 76’)
Substitutes not used: M. Guerra, O. Hernandez, S. Chavira
SHOTS: 16; SHOTS ON GOAL: 5; FOULS: 12; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: 2