Chirinos' stoppage-time goal helps Whitecaps beat Galaxy 4-3
CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Michaell Chirinos scored in stoppage time and the Vancouver Whitecaps beat the Los Angeles Galaxy 4-3 on Sunday.
Hwang In-Beom, on the counterattack, patiently approached goalkeeper Matt Lampson before rolling a pass to Chirinos for an empty-netter in the third minute of injury time.
The Galaxy (16-14-3), who had their three-game win streak snapped, fell from second to fourth in the Western Conference standings. Los Angeles has a one-point lead, with one regular-season game to play, over Real Salt Lake for the final home match in the knock-out round of the playoffs.
Doneil Henry gave the Whitecaps (8-15-10) a 1-0 lead when he put away a corner kick by Hwang in the 20th minute . Cristian Pavón wrapped a left-footed cross around defender Jasser Khmiri to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who bounced a first-timer from near the spot into the net to tie it in the 23rd.
Theo Bair, a 20-year-old homegrown who signed with the Whitecaps on July 17, scored his second MLS goal to give Vancouver a 2-1 lead in the 41st minute. A shot by Chirinos deflected off Bair, who then side-netted a slow roller with the outside of his foot. Los Angeles tied it again when Uriel Antuna scored in the 58th. Jonathan dos Santos lofted a pass from near midfield to Antuna at the top of the box for the finish.
Tosaint Ricketts gave the Whitecaps the lead again in the 64th minute. Erik Godoy chipped a first-timer from the right side to the top of the 6-yard box where Ricketts put away a header but Chris Pontius made it 3-all in the 86th.
