VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Jayden Nelson and Tristan Blackmon each scored a goal for Vancouver on Saturday night in a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake and the Whitecaps continued the best start to a season in club history.
The Whitecaps (8-1-2) are unbeaten in six consecutive games and have allowed just three goals during that span. The points leaders in all of MLS, Vancouver is just the sixth team in league history with at least 26 through the first 11 games.
Nelson, on the counter-attack, faked left and the cut back right to split a pair of defenders before calmly beating goalkeeper Rafael Cabral, who had come off his line, with rolling in a shot from the center of the area that opened the scoring in the 20th minute.
Sebastian Berhalter played a low ball-in from the right side to Blackmon for a one-touch finish from the center of the area that slipped inside the near post and under the crossbar in the 70th to make it 2-0.
Yohei Takaoka stopped two shots for Vancouver.
Diego Luna converted from the spot for Real Salt Lake (4-7-0) in the sixth minute of stoppage time.
Cabral finished with seven saves, including a stop of a penalty kick by Daniel Ríos in the 68th minute.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
The Associated Press
