VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Whitecaps are enjoying their best Major League Soccer start ever but realize the real work is just beginning.
The Whitecaps scored a pair of second-half goals to defeat the L.A. Galaxy 2-0 Saturday night to move into first place in the overall MLS standings.
Head coach Carl Robinson is proud of what his young players have accomplished so early in the year, but believes they must become even better during the long season.
“It’s one game for us,” said the second-year coach. “I think they have got to feel good about themselves.
“What we have to do is be more consistent. If we are more consistent then we become a very good team. I don’t want to be a good team one week and a very poor team the next two or three weeks. It’s about consistency.”
Midfielder Kekuta Manneh, in the 56th minute, and forward Octavio Rivero, in the 66th, scored for Vancouver in front of a soldout crowd of 21,000 at B.C. Place Stadium.
It was just the second time the Whitecaps had beaten the Galaxy since joining MLS in 2011. Vancouver is also riding its first four-game MLS winning streak.
Goalkeeper David Ousted said other teams are taking notice of the Whitecaps.
READ MORE: Whitecaps hope to keep streak alive
“There is definitely confidence in the locker room but there is also the knowledge we need to be ever better every time,” said Ousted, who earned his third clean sheet of the season.
“Now, when people are going to play the Whitecaps, they are going to say ‘they are really good and we need to beat them.’ We need to work even harder if we want to keep ourselves up there.”
The Whitecaps improved their Western Conference record to 4-1-0. Their 12 points puts them two ahead of Dallas in the overall standings. Dallas lost 3-1 to Portland Saturday night.
The defending MLS champion Galaxy suffered their second-consecutive loss and saw their record drop to 1-2-2 for five points. Dating back to last season, L.A. is winless in nine road games (0-5-4).
The Whitecaps dominated play most of the game and limited the Galaxy to just one shot on goal.
L.A. coach Bruce Arena was frustrated with his team’s performance.
“They were the better team all night, they outplayed us the entire match,” said Arena.
“They out-competed us from the start. Personally every (L.A.) player can look at their performance and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Arena said time will tell if the Whitecaps can maintain their current pace.
“You don’t know anything this early in the season,” he said. “Ask me that question in August and I’d have hopefully an answer for you.
“Right now they have four wins in five games. That’s real positive.”
Whitecaps’ captain Pedro Morales made a pretty play to set up Manneh’s goal. Morales chipped the ball over to the speedy Manneh who beat L.A. goalkeeper Jaime Penedo for his first goal of the season in the 56th minute.
Rivero made it 2-0 just 10 minutes later. Midfielder Nicolas Mezquida fired a shot from a sharp angle that a diving Penedo stopped. Rivero kicked home the rebound for his fourth goal of the season.
NOTES: It was the third consecutive sellout of the season for the Whitecaps. … The Whitecaps announced they have acquired an international roster spot, through to December 31, 2016, from the New England Revolution in exchange for allocation money. Vancouver now has 11 international roster spots. … The Whitecaps host Columbus Wednesday night.
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