Mathias Laborda headed home in the 81st minute Saturday night to lift the Vancouver Whitecaps into a 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy in Carson, Calif. Sebastian Berhalter delivered the free kick from the center of the box, and Laborda beat JT Marcinkowski for his third goal of the season.
Joseph Paintsil had put the Galaxy ahead in the 46th minute after Lucas Sanabria set him up following a giveaway by Yohei Takaoka. Paintsil’s second goal also gave him his fifth goal contribution in seven matches, but Vancouver kept coming and finished with a 19-7 edge in shots, including five on frame to Los Angeles’ two on net.
The result fit the Whitecaps’ start to a long run on the road. Vancouver entered at 8-1-1 with 25 points and, even after the draw, still owned MLS’ best goal differential at plus-20. The team is beginning an eight-match road stretch because its stadium is being prepared for seven World Cup matches.
The Galaxy, meanwhile, entered at 3-4-4 with 13 points and needed more than Paintsil’s early second-half goal to hold on. Referee Alexis Da Silva booked each team five times, with four yellow cards in the second half alone, as the match tightened late and Vancouver’s pressure finally paid off.
In the end, the Whitecaps left with the kind of road point that can matter later: one that preserved their position at the top of the league’s goal-differential table and showed they can still get results while away from home for an extended stretch.