vancouver –

Thomas Hasal made four saves for the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday, earning the team a 0-0 draw against New York City FC.

A draw means the ‘Caps (0-1-1) picked up their first points of a Major League Soccer season.

NYCFC goalkeeper Sean Johnson made one save.

New York, the reigning MLS Cup champions, beat Vancouver during the long game, beating the hosts 19-11 and 4-1 on shots on target.

However, after a tumultuous start, Vancouver began to adapt and began to limit the visitors’ chances, blocking seven shots throughout the game.

Both sides came from losses, with the ‘Caps suffering a 4-0 loss to Columbus Crew SC on the opening day. New York dropped a 1-0 decision to the LA Galaxy in the first outing of the MLS campaign.

Hasal’s best save of the night came in the 89th minute when Santiago Rodriguez sent the ball into the Vancouver box, where Thiago Andrade steered it into the ‘Caps’ goal. The Canadian goalkeeper jumps off the goal line, directs a shot over and over the crossbar.

Hasal took over as Whitecaps No. 1 earlier this year when star goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau was signed to Los Angeles FC in a blockbuster deal due to unspecified personal circumstances.

The Whitecaps put several offensive weapons on the pitch in the 64th minute Saturday, replacing American striker Brian White for midfielder Deiber Caicedo.

It was White’s first appearance of the season after missing the season opener against Columbus with a bruised leg.

New York was the dominant team in the first half, dictating the pace and controlling 68.6 percent of possession. The visitors also beat the ‘Caps 12-5 and 3-1 in shots on target.

Vancouver’s first shot on target came when attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld sent a sharp cross to Lucas Cavallini in the box. The Canadian striker flicked a header into the net but Johnson made a diving stop.

It was the Caps’ first shot on target of the season after failing to get a single ball into the net against Columbus.

New York forces the Whitecaps into desperate mode several times early in the game.

The home side got lucky in the 15th minute when a corner earned a scramble in the penalty area and NYCFC’s Alexander Callens headed in, only to see him glance over the crossbar.

Another corner in the eighth minute saw Andrade fire a powerful shot from the top of the box, with Hasal making the stop.

A minute earlier, Talles Magno sent the ball high into the Vancouver goal but the young keeper leapt to save a fingertip, sending the ball wide of the far post.

The Whitecaps will visit the Houston Dynamo next Saturday.

NOTE: The Whitecaps are without defender Jake Nerwinski (red card suspension), defender Erik Godoy (calf injury) and midfielder Caio Alexandre (recovering from foot surgery). Defender Anton Tinnerholm (Achilles tendon) is out for NYC. … Fans holding Ukrainian flags and the Ukrainian national anthem were sung before kickoff to show support for the country amid the Russian invasion. … Vancouver midfielder Ryan Raposo turns 23 on Saturday.

This Canadian Press report was first published on March 5, 2022.