Vancouver advances to round of 16 with 2-0 win over Chicago

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This article was published 23/07/2020 (2263 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Yordy Reyna and Cristian Dájome scored six minutes apart in the second half, third-string goalkeeper Thomas Hasal had a clean sheet in his first Major League Soccer start and the Vancouver Whitecaps advanced to the MLS is Back Tournament’s knockout stage with a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Fire on Thursday.

The Whitecaps have clinched one of the four wild card spots while their opponent in the round of 16 has yet to be determined. Chicago also had three points in Group B but has been eliminated on goal differential.

The Whitecaps’ goals were similar as Vancouver split Chicago’s defence and found goalkeeper Kenneth Kronholm out of position. Reyna’s first score of the season, which came in the 65th minute, happened shortly after the game resumed following a 93-minute rain delay.

Dájome put home his second of the year in the 71st minute with a shot between Kronholm’s legs.

The Whitecaps were down to Hasal in goal after regular starter Maxime Crépeau broke his left thumb during the second half of Sunday’s loss to Seattle. Regular backup Bryan Meredith is not with the team following the death of his mother. Jonathan Sirois was loaned by Montreal to the Whitecaps as a backup goalkeeper.

Hasal made four saves but the 21-year old also got some lucky breaks.

CJ Sapong appeared to give the Fire some hope in the 84th minute when he headed in a goal after Álvaro Medrán’s shot hit the crossbar, but it was overturned by VAR. Przemyslaw Frankowski was open inside the 6-yard box in the 47th minute, but his header hit the near post.

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