Whitecaps get emphatic win over RSL in 1st game under new interim coach
Ryan Gauld, Brian White, Florian Jungwirth score for Vancouver
Midfielder Ryan Gauld scored one goal and set up two others as the Vancouver Whitecaps defeated Real Salt Lake 4-1 Sunday night to win their first Major League Soccer game under interim coach Vanni Sartini.
Vancouver also took advantage of a Real Salt Lake own goal in the 33rd minute to improve their record to 6-7-8.
Anderson Julio score for Real Salt Lake in the 90th minute.
Real Salt Lake, also playing its first game under a new head coach, dropped to 7-8-6. It was RSL's second consecutive loss and the fourth in six games.
The Whitecaps fired head coach Marc Dos Santos Friday after an upset 4-3 loss to Pacific FC of the Canadian Premier League in the quarterfinals of the Canadian Championship. Phil Dos Santos, Marc's brother and an assistant coach with the club, was also relieved of his duties.
WATCH l Whitecaps explode in 2nd half for victory over Real Salt Lake:
Sartini, the team's director of methodology, took over as acting head coach. Assistant coach Ricardo Clark and goalkeeper coach Youssef Dahha kept their jobs.
Former assistant Pablo Mastroeni took over the role of interim head coach for Real Salt Lake after it was announced Friday that Freddy Juarez and the club had parted ways.
The Whitecaps went ahead 1-0 midway through the opening half when Gauld sent the ball into the box on a corner kick. It hit RSL defender Marcelo Silva and deflected past the fingertips of goalkeeper Andrew Putna.
Gauld scored in the 64th minute on a header off a cross from defender Javain Brown. Jungwirth made it 4-0 when he headed in a corner kick from Gauld.
RSL came close in the 42nd minute when Noah Powder's rocket of a shot from distance hit the post then landed at the feet of forward Justin Meram. Facing nothing but open net Meram's put his shot over the top of the goal.
Midfielder Russell Teibert came close to giving Vancouver the lead in the 18th minute. The Whitecaps captain attempted a cross into the box that deflected off the leg of RSL defender Justen Glad, forcing Putna to make a save.
