Photo by Anne-Marie Sorvin/USA Today Sports

By RYAN TOLMICH

Octavio Rivero and the Vancouver Whitecaps have proven that they are fully equipped to go toe-to-toe with the best MLS has to offer.

The Whitecaps did one better on Saturday, handing the reigning MLS Cup champions LA Galaxy a 2-0 loss at BC Place behind goals from Rivero and Ketkuta Manneh.

Rivero got himself on the board in the 66th minute, poking away at a rebound opportunity to double the Whitecaps’ advantage.

The young Uruguayan kickstarted the sequence with a bit of dribbling down the left side, weaving into the box before his touch banked off of a Galaxy defender into the path of Nicholas Mezquida. Mezquida proceeded to dribble toward the end line before sending a cross in that banked off Jaime Penedo straight into the path of Rivero, who tapped a shot home to give the Whitecaps a commanding 2-0 lead.

With the finish, Rivero picks up his third goal in as many games, bringing his season total to four, good for tops in MLS.

The Whitecaps proved to be the dominant side from the start, out-possessing and out-pressing the Galaxy from the opening whistle. However, despite having a few looks at goal, the Whitecaps never produced anything substantial in the opening half, with both sides heading into halftime scoreless.

That scoreline did not last long into the game’s second stanza, as the Whitecaps finally got their initial breakthrough from Manneh, who took full advantage of a counter down the left side to give the Whitecaps the lead in the 56th minute.

The Whitecaps winger tracked all the way back to help on the defensive end before being sprung on the counter. One-on-one with Galaxy defender Tommy Meyer, Manneh cut in onto his right foot and pushed a shot to the far post and past a diving Jaime Penedo to give the Whitecaps the one-goal lead.

That lead proved to be more than enough for the Whitecaps, who picked up their fourth straight win after dropping the team’s opening game against Toronto FC. Meanwhile, the LA Galaxy’s early season struggles continue, as the reigning champions have now dropped back-to-back contests following a pair of lackluster draws.

The Galaxy will look to rebound April 12 in a marquee matchup with the Seattle Sounders, while the Whitecaps have a chance to extend the team’s winning streak to five with a visit to the San Jose Earthquakes the day prior.