PORTLAND, OR – Whitecaps FC 2 extended their unbeaten match streak to three matches on Monday afternoon with a scoreless draw, and a shootout win over Western Conference frontrunners Portland Timbers2 to secure the extra point.
WFC2 goalkeeper Sam Rogers was the hero of the hour. The 17-year-old successfully slid to each side of the woodwork to provide consecutive denials on Timbers2 defender Alex Bamford and midfielder Colin Griffith for a 4-3 final in penalties.
The Blue and White also looked impressive from the spot, as Carson Rassak, Yuma Tsuji, Valter Sedin, and Yeider Zuluaga smartly executed their attempts from 12 yards.
During the run of play in the first half, Rogers rose to the occasion with an airborne denial of a looping header from Timbers2 striker Daniel Cervantes in the middle of the area.
The goalkeeper's imperious presence inspired his teammates to push forward. Right winger Johnny Selemani, the reigning MLS NEXT Pro Player of the Matchweek, stopped at the edge of the box to assess his options. Selemani slotted a diagonal through ball for the oncoming Manav Badwal, who quickly laid off a pass for Yuma Tsuji at the back post, but his powerful drive was desperately blocked by scrambling Timbers2 right back Sawyer Jura.
Both sides gave no quarter in the attacking third, for nil-nil at the half.
Throughout the second half, Rogers and his backline stood tall.
WFC2 centre back Trevor Wright bravely blocked Timbers2 left winger Noah Santos’s low 10-yard strike, before Rogers recovered to snag a Colin Griffith follow-up.
Rogers also added to his highlight reel with a stop on the goal line, as he expertly reacted to punch an Alex Bamford drive out of danger before his shootout heroics.
Up next, WFC2 have two matches remaining in the 2026 campaign. First, the Blue and White will pay a visit to Minnesota United FC 2 on Saturday, September 12 in their final regular season away match. Kickoff from the National Sports Centre in Blaine, Minnesota is set for 5 p.m. PT. Cheer on the boys by watching on MLSNEXTPro.com or OneFootball.
Then, the young ’Caps host their regular season finale at Swangard Stadium against San Jose Earthquakes II on Sunday, September 20, with kickoff at 2 p.m. PT.
WFC2 tickets are only $10 each. Tickets can be purchased through Universe. Also, season ticket members can receive free admission. Access the complimentary WFC2 tickets by using your account number as the access key at checkout. Youth who are 18 and under get in free.
MATCH DETAILS
Referee: Iryna Petrunok
Scoring Summary
None
Shootout
VAN – Scored – Carson Rassak
POR – Scored – Nicklas Lund
VAN – Scored – Yuma Tsuji
POR – Scored – Lucas Fernandez-Kim
VAN – Scored – Valter Sedin
POR – Scored – Maximilian Kissel
VAN – Scored – Yeider Zuluaga
POR – Missed – Alex Bamford
VAN – Missed – Cristiano Bruletti
POR – Missed – Colin Griffith
Cautions
45’ – POR – Nicklas Lund
90' – POR – Sam Joseph
Statistics
Possession: POR 42% – VAN 58%
Shots: POR 18 – VAN 14
Shots on Goal: POR 4 – VAN 3
Saves: POR 3 – VAN 4
Fouls: POR 17 – VAN 12
Offsides: POR 2 – VAN 1
Corners: POR 7 – VAN 4
Portland Timbers2
91.Sam Joseph; 16.Sawyer Jura, 44.Alex Bamford, 61.Nicklas Lund, 81.Henry Mueller; 39.Colin Griffith; 35.Lucas Fernandez-Kim, 77.Benjamin Barjolo (53.Connor Ferguson 64’), 37.Noah Santos (63.Daniel Núñez 77’), 46.Victor Enriquez; 47.Daniel Cervantes (90.Maximilian Kissel 77’)
Substitutes not used
51.Maxton Nelson, 48.Noah Zendejas, 49.August Nystrom, 66.Cole Cruthers, 64.Jacob Izoita
Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2
60.Sam Rogers; 53.Immanuel Mathe, 46.Cristiano Bruletti, 43.Trevor Wright ©, 48.Micaah Garnette; 49.Valter Sedin, 71.Manav Badwal (66.Sahil Deo 80’); 63.Johnny Selemani, 61.Carson Rassak, 68.Yuma Tsuji; 45.Yeider Zuluaga
Substitutes not used
70.Timothy Lodder, 51.Kevin Podgorni, 56.Liam Campagna, 64.Tyler Brown
