Kimito Nono scored both of his first two Vancouver goals against his opponent as D.C. United and the Whitecaps played to a 3-3 draw at BC Place.
The Story
D.C. United and Vancouver Whitecaps FC played to a 3-3 draw on Saturday night at BC Place, with the Black-and-Red answering each Vancouver push to ensure a point after trailing 2-1 and 3-2 in the match.
D.C. United entered the game against Western Conference-leading Vancouver and controlled much of the action in chance creation, finishing with a 21-16 edge in total shots and winning four corners’ worth of set-piece pressure with 10 corner kicks compared with Vancouver’s lower total.
The match opened with a 16th-minute breakthrough for D.C. United on a set piece as Keisuke Kurokawa delivered a corner into the box and Kimito Nono pounced on the loose ball to score his first goal for the club.
Vancouver responded quickly, equalizing at 25 minutes when Bruno Caicedo sent a low cross to Brian White. White’s first attempt was saved by goalkeeper Sean Johnson, but White converted the rebound to level the game 1-1.
The Whitecaps then went ahead in first-half stoppage time as Caicedo combined on the left with Thomas Müller before firing into the far corner to make it 2-1 before the teams went into halftime.
After halftime, D.C. United equalized again in the 65th minute, with Kurokawa repeating the set-piece pattern that created its early lead. This time, he served a corner into the box and Lucas Bartlett rose above the Vancouver defense to head home his fourth goal of the season, tying the game 2-2.
Vancouver regained the lead at 72 minutes when Müller struck from outside the box and the shot went in off the post, putting the Whitecaps ahead 3-2.
D.C. United continued to press for a equalizer and found it in the 80th minute when Hosei Kijima’s cross found Nono in the right spot. Nono finished with a right-footed volley to level the score 3-3, completing a two-goal performance.
The final stretch was defined by late chances rather than further scoring, with Vancouver’s last opportunity in stoppage time sailing wide of the target as both sides pushed for a winner.
Nono paced D.C. United’s scoring charge with seven shots over 90 minutes and four ground-duel wins, while Bartlett’s all-around contribution included five recoveries and six ground-duel wins in addition to his goal.
Kurokawa’s deliveries were central to D.C. United’s offensive threat, setting up two of the Black-and-Red’s three goals, while Kijima—making his first MLS start since March 1—finished with eight defensive contributions and an assist.
Across Vancouver’s lineup, the match featured multiple substitutions: Oliver Larraz started and was replaced by John Selemani in the 85th minute, Emmanuel Sabbi was replaced by Ryan Gauld in the 67th minute, and Rui Modesto was swapped for Sam Adekugbe in the 85th minute. D.C. United used changes as well, with Silvan Hefti replaced by Brandon Servania in the 70th minute, Jackson Hopkins swapped for Nikola Markovic in the 46th minute, João Peglow replaced by Jared Stroud in the 70th minute, and further late substitutions involving Conner Antley and Sean Nealis.
With the result, D.C. United’s record moved to 6-8-12 for 30 points and it remains in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. The clubs also extend their long regular-season head-to-head history, with D.C. United holding a 5-3-4 all-time regular-season record against Vancouver, including a 2-2-4 mark on the road.
D.C. United return to action next Saturday, October 10, with a visit to Inter Miami at Nu Stadium, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. ET.
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