Vancouver Whitecaps 4-1 San Diego: Match Report, Goals, Stats and Ratings
MLS · Thursday 29 October 2026 · Vancouver Stadium, Vancouver · referee J. Dickerson · full time
Full time: Vancouver Whitecaps 4-1 San Diego
Vancouver Whitecaps won 4-1 at home to San Diego in MLS on Thursday 29 October 2026. The goals: Aleksa Cvetković 24', Brian White 41', Ryan Gauld 66', Bruno Caicedo 76', Onni Valakari 83'. Moneyball's pre-match estimate had the result right.
How Vancouver Whitecaps won it
Vancouver Whitecaps struck first through Aleksa Cvetković in the 24th minute, set up by Mathías Laborda. Brian White made it 2-0 to Vancouver Whitecaps in the 41st minute, set up by Oliver Larraz. Ryan Gauld made it 3-0 to Vancouver Whitecaps in the 66th minute, set up by Rayan Elloumi. Bruno Caicedo made it 4-0 to Vancouver Whitecaps in the 76th minute, set up by Ralph Priso. Onni Valakari made it 4-1 to San Diego in the 83rd minute, set up by David Vazquez.
It was 2-0 at half-time.
Rayan Elloumi of Vancouver Whitecaps was sent off in the 90th minute (+4) for a second yellow card. The referee, J. Dickerson, showed 4 yellow cards: 2 to Vancouver Whitecaps and 2 to San Diego.
Vancouver Whitecaps: J. Sørensen, 4-4-2 · San Diego: M. Varas, 4-3-3.
Moneyball's prediction against the result
The prediction was right. Moneyball's pick on the Match Board was Vancouver Whitecaps Win, and on 4-1 it was right.
The estimate's most likely result was a Vancouver Whitecaps win at 60%, and that is what happened. Its single most likely score was 2-1 (9%).
The match had far more goals than expected: the estimate was about 3.7 goals and there were 5.
Over 2.5 goals had been put at 71%; with 5 goals the over came in, as the estimate leaned.
Both teams to score was 68%; both did, in line with the estimate.
The pre-match consensus had a Vancouver Whitecaps win at 64%, the same lean as Moneyball.
Computed before kick-off from both sides' season goals and expected goals as of 2026-10-28, through a Dixon-Coles score model, and left as it was.
Why it went this way
On the day the expected goals were 2.68 for Vancouver Whitecaps and 2.54 for San Diego.
Vancouver Whitecaps scored about 1.3 more than their chances were worth: clinical finishing, or a goalkeeper having a bad day.
San Diego left about 1.5 goals' worth of chances on the pitch.
Vancouver Whitecaps had 10 shots on target, San Diego 7.
San Diego's goalkeeper made 6 saves.
San Diego had 56% of the ball, but Vancouver Whitecaps took the points.
A red card changed the shape of the match, and no pre-match model can see one coming.
Where the two sides stood before this match
San Diego came into it with 34 MLS matches played, scoring 1.7 and conceding 1.9 a match, with 1.67 expected goals for and 1.67 against, and had won 26% of their matches.
Vancouver Whitecaps vs San Diego: the match in numbers
| Vancouver Whitecaps | Match statistics | San Diego |
|---|---|---|
| 44% | Ball possession | 56% |
| 2.68 | Expected goals (xG) | 2.54 |
| 16 | Total shots | 20 |
| 10 | Shots on target | 7 |
| 8 | Big chances | 6 |
| 443 | Total passes | 572 |
| 87% | Pass accuracy | 88% |
| 8 | Corners | 3 |
| 19 | Fouls | 8 |
| 1 | Offsides | 4 |
| 15 | Tackles | 11 |
| 5 | Saves | 6 |
| 3 | Yellow cards | 2 |
| 1 | Red cards | 0 |
Team statistics from Sportmonks.
Player ratings and man of the match
Man of the match: Mathías Laborda (Vancouver Whitecaps), rated 8.7 by Sportmonks, with 1 assist.
Vancouver Whitecaps
- Mathías Laborda 8.7 1 assist
- Ryan Gauld 8.4 1 goal
- Brian White 7.4 1 goal
- Yohei Takaoka 7.4
- Aleksa Cvetković 7.3 1 goal
San Diego
- Pablo Sisniega 7.6
- Onni Valakari 7.2 1 goal
- Cédric Bakambu 7.0
- Anders Dreyer 6.9
- Bryan Zamblé 6.9
The lowest-rated starter was Manu Duah at 6.1. Ratings run from 0 to 10; around 7.0 is a solid match.
What comes next
- Vancouver Whitecaps: Vancouver Whitecaps vs TBC Monday 23 November 2026 · MLS
Each preview has Moneyball's estimate for the next match, published before kick-off and marked against the result afterwards, as this one is.
Questions about Vancouver Whitecaps vs San Diego
What was the score in Vancouver Whitecaps vs San Diego?
Vancouver Whitecaps 4-1 San Diego (half-time 2-0), MLS, Thursday 29 October 2026.
Who scored in Vancouver Whitecaps vs San Diego?
Aleksa Cvetković 24', Brian White 41', Ryan Gauld 66', Bruno Caicedo 76', Onni Valakari 83'.
Did Moneyball predict Vancouver Whitecaps vs San Diego correctly?
The prediction was right. Moneyball's pick on the Match Board was Vancouver Whitecaps Win, and on 4-1 it was right.
Who was man of the match in Vancouver Whitecaps vs San Diego?
Mathías Laborda, rated 8.7 by Sportmonks.
Who refereed Vancouver Whitecaps vs San Diego?
J. Dickerson.
Every match, before and after
Moneyball writes a preview with its estimate before every match of Europe's top five leagues and the European cups, then marks it against the result, hits and misses alike.
Moneyball is a football statistics site. No model predicts football reliably: every figure is an estimate.