VANCOUVER — Jesper Sorensen has given the Vancouver Whitecaps room to make mistakes.
Now he needs the team to learn from them.
After a stunning start to the Major League Soccer season, the 'Caps (10-3-5) are mired in their first losing skid of the campaign after dropping a 5-3 decision to expansion side San Diego FC on Wednesday.
It was the squad's second loss in a row, coming after a 2-1 defeat to Columbus Crew back on June 14.
“It’s normal that you meet adversity through a season," Sorensen, who took over as head coach in January, said after Wednesday's loss. “We have to bounce back and remind ourselves why we are in the position we are in. And then stay above. That’s what it’s about — it’s not about falling, it’s about how you get up on your feet.”
With the loss, the Whitecaps slipped to the No. 2 spot in the league's Western Conference standings, one point behind San Diego.
“We are so fortunate that we have been having a very good season so far. So we have some freedom to play with," Sorensen said. "And that should release the energy for the players and not put upon pressure.
"We are not anywhere we have to protect anything. We have to chase everything. So that’s what we will be doing.”
San Diego controlled 51.3 per cent possession on Wednesday and held an 8-5 edge in on-target shots across the game.
It was a rare off-night for Vancouver's usually staunch defence, which came in having conceded a league-low 152 shots across the first half of the season.
The Whitecaps fell behind midway through the first half and couldn't battle back into the game.
Goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka stopped a blast from San Diego's Milan Iloski's in the 35th minute, but the rebound popped back out to the American striker and he fired it in before the netminder could get back in position.
Two minutes later, the visitors struck again.
Alejandro Alvarado appeared to shove Vancouver defender Ranko Veselinovic to the turf, then dished off to Iloski, who sprinted into the penalty area and put another ball past Takaoka for his second goal of the night.
Officials conducted a video review of the play before determining the goal would stand.
The 'Caps gained some momentum late in the half off a corner from Pedro Vite. The midfielder swung a ball in and it bounced around until Edier Ocampo collected it outside the six-yard box and fired a left-footed shot in for his first MLS goal.
San Diego wasted no time in retaliating.
Danish midfielder Anders Dreyer crossed a ball in to Iloski in the 44th minute and Iloski sent a header screaming in to give San Diego a 3-1 lead.
“I think that we were reacting very, very poorly on goals in this game," Sorensen said. "They scored one, boom, they scored again. We scored, boom, they scored. It’s a proactive team. They don’t care, they go jump on those occasions.”
Trouble continued early in the second half.
Dreyer passed off to Iloski, who steamed toward the net and fired another shot in, making it 4-1 with his fourth goal of the night.
The 25-year-old made his first-ever MLS start on Wednesday, and had five goals on the season heading into the game.
The Whitecaps cut into the deficit in the 66th minute.
After coming off the bench for Ralph Priso at halftime, Mathias Laborda collected a ball from Vite and chipped a sharp-angle shot up and over San Diego 'keeper CJ Dos Santos.
The goal followed a halftime talk from Sorensen, Laborda said.
“We’ve been doing really good. This game, the first half wasn’t the best," said the right back. "So he tried to push us to be more intense, more quality with the ball.”
San Diego's Tomas Angel, who came on for the injured Alvarado in the 79th minute, slipped a shot past Takaoka in the 90th minute to make it 5-2.
Whitecaps academy product Antoine Coupland sealed the scored at 5-3 in the sixth minute of stoppage time. The 21-year-old Canadian came on for Andres Cubas in the 87th minute, making his MLS debut.
There are lessons to be learned from the loss, Laborda said.
“Just to be focused. Don’t be crazy just for a bad game or two games," he said. "We miss a little bit some players (due to international duty and injuries), too. But it is what it is.”
Earlier on Wednesday, it was announced that four Whitecaps players have been picked for the MLS all-star game.
Takaoka, defender Tristan Blackmon, midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and striker Brian White will all make their all-star game debuts against LIGA MX all stars in Austin, Texas, on July 23.
The Whitecaps return to play Sunday when they visit Los Angeles FC. San Diego will face FC Dallas in Texas on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
