Just when everything seemed clear for the Vancouver Whitecaps, the wind in their sails broke.
The Whitecaps conceded three second-half goals in roughly 17 minutes as visiting Minnesota United rallied from a 1-0 deficit for a 3-1 victory in Major League Soccer on Friday.
Whitecaps forward Lucas Cavallini, a second-half substitute, gave Vancouver the lead in the 63rd minute.
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“I think we played well until we scored the goal,” Whitecaps manager Vanni Sartini said.
“After scoring, we didn’t press. We were throwing too much into our box and leaving them. They punished us.”
Minnesota defenseman Kemar Lawrence tied the game in the 71st minute when he received a looping pass from midfielder DJ Taylor and shot past Whitecaps goaltender Cody Cropper.
It was the first goal the Whitecaps allowed in 342 minutes of MLS play.
Forward Luis Amarilla gave Minnesota the lead in the 84th minute with a strong shot from outside the area.
Midfielder Franco Fragapane sent the crowd of 14,207 at BC Place Stadium to the exits with Minnesota’s third goal in the 88th minute.
Fragapane shot over Cropper after two Whitecaps collided in front of the net.
Vancouver has gotten used to late comebacks. Since May 8, the team has scored five goals in the 89th minute or later in home games.
Four resulted in victories while the fifth rescued a tie.
However, there were no last-minute heroics against Minnesota.
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“Tonight, we weren’t a 90-minute team,” Cropper said. “I think what’s important about this is that we have to keep playing our game for 90 minutes because what we do is very effective when we do it.
“Tonight, we were a 60-minute team. It is a learning opportunity for us as individuals and for us as a collective team.”
The Whitecaps (7-9-3) had their three-game unbeaten streak snapped (2-0-1). Minnesota United (8-8-3) won a third straight game.
“It was a big win for us,” Minnesota coach Adrian Heath said. “We know how well they have been playing. It is a difficult team to break.
“With one goal less, we thought the worst, but our boys showed great character and did not give up. I thought we deserved the win. Maybe not 3-1, but we deserved the win.”
The victory moved Minnesota into fifth place in the Western Conference with 27 points.
Vancouver remained ninth in the West with 24 points, three points behind Nashville, which is seventh and last in the playoffs.
Cavallini put Vancouver ahead when he headed in a pass from Pedro Vite past Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.
It was the team’s great striker’s sixth goal of the season.
The goal came just minutes after midfielder Ryan Gauld fired a shot that went off St. Clair’s fingers and off the post.
Whitecaps midfielder Andrew Cubas left the game with a sore groin at halftime when Leonard Owusu replaced him.
“When you don’t have Cubas on the field, you miss his defensive ability,” Cropper said. “He coming off the field changes the game.”
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GRADES: The Whitecaps announced before the game that forward Deiber Caicedo underwent successful surgery Thursday for a torn meniscus in his right knee and was placed on the season-ending disabled list. Caicedo suffered the injury in the first half of Vancouver’s 0-0 home draw against the New England Revolution on June 26… The last time the Whitecaps recorded a goal in the first half was June 18 when Cavallini scored on the second minute of a 2-0 win over FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. … After a four-game stay at home, the Whitecaps head out on the road to play Cincinnati on July 13 and Portland on July 17 before returning home on July 23 to host Chicago.
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