By IVES GALARCEP

When Vancouver Whitecaps playmaker Daigo Kobayashi was forced to leave Saturday’s match vs. the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 14th minute, the Whitecaps looked like their quest to snap a seven-match winless streak was going to be that much tougher.

Little did the Whitecaps or Galaxy know that the player who came on to replace Kobayashi would steal the show and lead the Whitecaps to victory.

Young Canadian midfielder Russell Teibert scored a pair of second-half goals just 13 minutes apart to give the Whitecaps a lead they never relinquished on their way to a 3-1 victory over the Galaxy at BC Place.

Teibert delivered a left-footed blast from 20 yards out to open the scoring in the 63rd minute, then added an equally impressive goal just seven minutes later. He passed to Koffie in the penalty area, then raced into the box, where Koffie delivered a return pass that Teibert converted in the 76th minute.

Galaxy rookie Gyasi Zardes made things interesting with an 86th-minute header, but the MLS champions couldn’t find an equalizer before Darren Mattocks finished LA off with a stoppage-time insurance goal.

The loss is the Galaxy’s second in a row, dropping them to fifth in the West, while the Whitecaps climbed to within two points of a playoff spot.

Here are the match highlights:

What did you think of the match? Impressed with the Whitecaps? See Teibert being a CMNT star one day? Think the Galaxy will continue to struggle without Robbie Keane?

Share your thoughts below.