The Town FC defender Aaron Edwards (50) erupted for two first-half goals, helping his team take early momentum against Whitecaps FC 2, a team TTFC lost to earlier in the season. (Photo / Jose Rocha)
MORAGA, Calif. — Returning home after losing to Minnesota United FC 2 in a shootout 10 days prior, The Town FC bounced back and shut out Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 in a 2-0 finish on Sunday, a team The Town previously lost to back on June 2 north of the border.
Defender Aaron Edwards recorded his first career brace and helped The Town FC (8-6-7, 34 points) take the lead within the match’s first minute. From there, the Bay Area club never looked back and earned a crucial three points to become level with Vancouver (9-7-5, 34 points) in the table.
“Being able to score early and build momentum really helps us get the three points,” Edwards said. “Lucky to help my team win at the end of the day.”
Goalkeeper Emmanuel Ochoa made his first MLS NEXT Pro start since July 5 after spending time with Mexico’s Under-20 National Team and the first-team San Jose Earthquakes. Ochoa made two saves and registered a clean sheet.
“It was great to be back with the guys, we started off very strong,” Ochoa said. “We dictated the game well and I’m very happy with the shutout.”
It didn’t take long for The Town FC to celebrate. Just over half a minute after the opening whistle, midfielder Will Richmond — charging inside the 18-yard box and crossing the ball through a tight angle — found an open Edwards, who finished the play off his left foot to beat goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer’s reach.
Richmond’s assist was his second in seven games played this season. The goal established early momentum for The Town FC and forced Whitecaps 2 to play off its back foot.
In the 14th minute, TTFC appeared to have extended its lead as midfielder Eduardo Blancas found the back of the net, but the play was soon called offside, erasing the would-be insurance goal.
However, Edwards would supply The Town FC with its second goal of the match in the 31st minute, tallying his team-leading sixth and snapping his two-match scoring drought. The UCLA product scored in the teams’ first meeting and was the difference-maker on Sunday.
Richmond dished another well-timed pass to Edwards, who despite missing his first shot attempt, retrieved the ball and finished the play off strongly.
The Town FC had a chance to extend its advantage again in the 56th minute when forward Cruz Medina attempted a penalty kick, but Boehmer stopped it.
TTFC tallied 15 shots with a whopping nine on target, exerting its attacking-third prowess for the duration of the match. Against an offensive-savvy Vancouver club that has notched 38 goals this season, The Town FC shut its chances down and now co-leads MLS NEXT Pro with only 21 goals allowed.
“It’s always important to bounce back, as resiliency is one of our key values,” head coach Daniel DeGeer said. “The guys achieved that goal today.”
The positive result places The Town FC in seventh in the Western Conference and two points above Portland Timbers 2 (6-6-10, 32 points). With a tight playoff race in store for the remainder of the regular season, TTFC will aim to create separation from the handful of teams in contention for its highly coveted postseason spot.
The Town will cap off its two-match homestand against Tacoma Defiance (10-8-3, 35 points) next, a team TTFC has defeated and fallen to in 2024. Tacoma is coming off a shootout victory and will look to avoid falling behind The Town FC in the standings as it sits just one point above DeGeer’s club.
The upcoming rubber match will kick off on August 25 at PayPal Park in San Jose and will commence at 5 p.m. It will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
MEDIA ASSETS
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MATCH INFORMATION
2024 MLS NEXT Pro Season
The Town FC 2 – 0 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2
Saint Mary’s Stadium
Sunday, August 18, 2024
Scoring Summary:
TTFC (1-0) — A. Edwards 1’
TTFC (2-0) — A. Edwards 31’
Misconduct Summary:
VAN — I. Mathe (Caution) 17’
TTFC — B. Leroux (Caution) 28’
TTFC — R. Lynch (Caution) 76’
TTFC — A. Cano (Caution) 86’
VAN — M. Gherasimencov (Caution) 89’
VAN — J. Herdman (Caution) 90 + 2’
The Town FC: E. Ochoa (GK), R. Ibarra, C. Walls, A. Cano (R. Rajagopal – 90’), O. Verhoeven (W. Eisner – 80’), B. Leroux (J. Garcia – 70’), E. Mendoza, C. Medina (C) (J. Donnery – 70’), W. Richmond, E. Blancas, A. Edwards (R. Lynch – 70’)
Substitutes not used: J. Spivey, C. Cowell, S. Bilter, D. Sweeney
SHOTS: 15; SHOTS ON GOAL: 9; FOULS: 18; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: 2
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2: I. Boehmer (GK), F. Linder, I. Mathe (M. Mehri – 71’), J. Ndakala, G. Bovalina, J. Badwal, J Herdman (C), M. Simmons (C. Kachwele – 83’), M. Gherasimencov, L. Mackenzie (N. F. Chateau – 60’), M. Morgan (A. Coupland – 71’)
Substitutes not used: D. Ilic, A. Milosevic
SHOTS: 7; SHOTS ON GOAL: 2; FOULS: 11; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: 6