Galaxy can’t subdue Whitecaps in 2-2 draw
VANCOUVER, Canada -- Second-half substitute Kekuta Manneh scored his second goal of the game in the 86th minute to give the Vancouver Whitecaps a 2-2 draw with the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday night.
Manneh scored on a shot from just outside the top of the 18-yard box after taking a pass from Darren Mattocks.
Mattocks scored in the 67th minute to pull the Whitecaps even at 1-1.
Stefan Ishizaki scored in the first half and Robbie Keane added a goal in the second for the Galaxy.
Vancouver improved to 2-2-3, earning a point after two straight losses. The Galaxy are 2-1-2.
It was the 10th all-time MLS meeting between the teams. The Whitecaps still have only one win against L.A.
Vancouver goalkeeper David Ousted made his 20th consecutive start a day after his wife gave birth to twin boys.
Striker Kenny Miller returned to the Whitecaps’ starting lineup after being used as a substitute in a 1-0 loss to L.A. last weekend. Midfielder Matias Laba started after sitting out a one-game suspension for receiving two yellow cards against Colorado two weeks ago.
The game got off to an eventful start with Whitecaps central defender Andy O’Brien receiving a yellow card in the first minute for a hard slide tackle on Keane.
L.A. applied early pressure, forcing Ousted to stop Landon Donovan’s drive in the fourth minute. Two minutes later, Ousted blocked Keane’s attempt to lob the ball over him. Keane shot wide of the far post in the 26th on a shot from the left flank that eluded Ousted.
Ishizaki put the Galaxy on the scoreboard in the 38th minute, jumping high to head in Baggo Husidic’s header into the center of the box from the left side of the area.
Whitecaps Coach Carl Robinson tried to jump-start his team at the start of the second half by substituting Manneh for midfielder Russell Teibert. Robinson also replaced O’Brien with Johnny Leveron in central defense.
In the 65th minute, Robinson tried to inject more speed by substituting Morales for Erik Hurtado and putting him on the right wing.
Two minutes later, Mattocks created a 1-1 tie as he ran onto Gershon Koffie’s long, curling pass along the right flank. Galaxy goalkeeper Jaime Penedo beat him to it, but could not control the ball and it bounced off the goalkeeper and a defender back to Mattocks.
Mattocks put in a right-footed spinner from a tough angle near the goal line.
Keane gave L.A. a 2-1 lead 10 minutes later when he collected a header from second-half substitute Rob Friend and volleyed a close-range shot past Ousted.
