51ºÚÁÏ

51ºÚÁÏ City SC traveled to Vancouver for a game Saturday night, took a 2-1 lead in the 73rd minute, and, once again, couldn’t hold on. Vancouver tied the game just six minutes later, once again depriving City SC of a win. And then, as this season has gone, City SC got the worst luck possible, with VAR calling for a penalty kick on a trip in the box by Mykhi Joyner that wasn’t called by the ref and City SC fell 3-2 at BC Place.

A week after giving up two goals after the 67th minute to lose to Chicago, City SC added to its league lead in goals allowed after the 75th minute. This time it was a header by Daneil Rios off a close-in free kick by Sebastian Berhalter that tied it and then a penalty kick by German legend Thomas Muller, making his first MLS start and going the distance that won it in the 104th minute.

City SC missed out on a chance for a rare road win, and kept itself in contention for dropping to last place in the league. It was the ninth straight loss away from Energizer Park for City SC.

Joyner made the slightest of contact with Vancouver’s Mathias Laborda on the edge of the box with Laborda not running toward the goal. It wasn’t called on the field, but VAR Kevin Terry summoned referee Fotis Bazakos to the monitor and the PK was awarded.

Klauss had put City SC up 2-1 in the 73rd minute. Sangbin Jeong used his speed to get to an outlet pass from Henry Kessler. He got the ball to a streaking Klauss in the box, though he had to pull up to control it, but even with two defenders and the goalie between him and the net, he was able to spin and shoot back to his right and inside the post to give City SC a second-half lead. It was the ninth goal in MLS play for Klauss, one off his total in his first season. City SC has had leads in the second half in three of its past four games, and gotten just four points.

After Vancouver tied the game, it was the Whitecaps who had more of the chances for the game-winning goal, and City SC had to hang on. It couldn't.

City SC scored first for the third time in its past four games on Lowen’s fourth goal of the season. A pass into the Vancouver end caught a bunch of City SC players offside, but Marcel Hartel, one of the few who wasn’t, caught up with the ball and passed it to Conrad Wallem, coming forward from his right back position. He lobbed the ball into the box and Lowen leaned forward and drove it home to put City SC up 1-0 in the 14th minute.

It looked like City SC may be able to take a lead into the half again, but while Vancouver wasn’t getting many shots, it was getting a lot of corner kicks, which meant chances were never too far away. On its seventh corner kick of the first half, Devin Padelford grabbed the arm of Vancouver’s Tristan Blackmon in the box, he went down, and referee Fotis Bazakos signaled for a penalty kick. The play got a long look from the VAR, but was eventually confirmed, and Brian White stepped up and shot to his right while Roman Burki dove to his left and the game was tied four minutes into first half stoppage time.

City SC was without newly acquired center back Fallou Fall, who did not get his Canadian visa sent to him in time to get on the flight for Vancouver and so had to be left behind. City SC had only eight players on its bench for the game.