Ryan Gauld, Whitecaps come away with tie vs. Sounders

Updated: May 19, 2024, 12:22 pm

Ryan Gauld scored on a penalty kick in second-half stoppage time as the Vancouver Whitecaps rallied for a 1-1 draw with the host Seattle Sounders on Saturday night.

The penalty came after a video review determined Sounders defender Nouhou Tolo committed a foul while making a sliding block of a shot by Sebastian Berhalter just inside the top of the 18-yard box. Gauld put the ensuing PK into the upper right corner of the net, the first goal for the Whitecaps (5-4-4, 19 points) in four matches.

Tolo was issued a second yellow card and was sent off.

Jordan Morris scored in the ninth minute for the Sounders (3-6-5, 14 points).

Obed Vargas' cross from the right wing found Morris outside the far post, and Morris sent a header back to Raul Ruidiaz. The ball took a high bounce off the turf and went to Joao Paulo, whose shot from the top of the 18-yard box was deflected by a Vancouver defender.

The ball fell to Vargas, whose shot appeared headed for the lower left corner of the net before goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka made a brilliant diving save. The rebound found its way back to Morris outside the left post, and he finally converted for his second goal of the season.

The Whitecaps' best chance of the first half came just two minutes later, but goalie Stefan Frei made a diving stop at the left post on Brian White's header.

Frei also made a diving save to smother a shot by Berhalter in the 73rd minute.

Morris had a chance for a brace in the 80th minute, but his header was deflected out of bounds by Vancouver defender Javain Brown. The Sounders called for a hand ball and replays showed the ball appeared to go off Brown's elbow, but officials didn't review the play.

On the ensuing corner kick, Seattle's Pedro de la Vega, making his first appearance since March 2 because of a hamstring injury, flicked a header off the crossbar.

de la Vega also had a chance to score in the dying seconds of second-half stoppage time, but his sharp-angled shot from the right wing went off the near post.