Vancouver FC defeat York United FC 2-1 to Earn First Win in Club History

Vancouver FC managed to hold on to their lead as they defeated York United FC 2-1 to win their first match in club history. The win earned them three points on the road and avenged their midweek loss to The Nine Stripes in the opening round of the Canadian Championship. 

It took Vancouver 6 minutes to get on the scoresheet as they took advantage of a giveaway by York goalkeeper Niko Giantsopoulos, who had miscommunication with his backline, leading to Shaan Hundal retrieving the ball and striking it in the back of the net to give his club the early lead. It was a milestone moment for Hundal as it was his first goal of the season and first in the club's history.

On Wednesday, York scored an early penalty, so the roles were now reversed and they were forced to play with a sense of urgency early in the game. The goal was scored early in the match, which resulted in an uphill battle. 

It went from bad to worse for York as Giantsopoulos mistimed a challlenge that resulted in a penalty kick being awarded to Vancouver. Gael Sandoval stepped up to the spot and struck a perfectly placed penalty following a stutter step to give the visitors the 2-0 lead less than 20 minutes into the match.

Markiyan Voytsekhovskyy, who subbed into the match for York due to an injury, struck a wonderful shot in the back of the net in the 35th minute to get his club back in the game and within one goal. He made an immediate impact as his first CPL goal helped shift the momentum in The Nine Stripes' favour as they began pressuring Vancouver and dictated the pace of the game.

Despite a much better effort in the final 15 minutes of the first half, York still needed a goal if they wanted to secure a point. 

York head coach Martin Nash made a few adjustments to his lineup as he subbed on Kevin Santos and Austin Ricci to add another look in the attack in hopes of the club scoring an equalizer. The final 10 minutes of the game were chippy as York continued pressing up the field, while Vancouver remained aggressive defensively. 

Photo Credit: York United FC (@YorkUnitedFC - Twitter)