Goalkeeper gets hit with instant karma after ridiculous dive against Vancouver Whitecaps
Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sørensen is quickly becoming a popular guy in this city.
The Danish manager is well-liked not just because the Whitecaps are winning but also increasingly because of his humour and personality, which fans are starting to see more of.
Sørensen had reporters laughing after last night’s 1-1 draw against Mexican side Pumas UNAM in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
In the second half, Pumas goalkeeper Alex Padilla blatantly dove, rolling around on the ground after Whitecaps winger Jayden Nelson got close to him. Nelson was given a yellow card, but Padilla got hit with a quick dose of karma as the Whitecaps opened the scoring on the ensuing corner kick just seconds later.
The dive didn’t go unnoticed by the Whitecaps manager, who brought it up with reporters after the final whistle.
“We also saw today what’s going to meet us, they will try and pull every trick out of their sleeve.
“We saw the goalie today. I hope that he survives. I think that he will. Maybe. We’ll see,” Sørensen said with a big smile after the game.
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The match ended in a 1-1 draw. The second leg takes place next Wednesday, April 9. If the Whitecaps win, they’ll face the winner of Inter Miami and LAFC in the next round, which could result in a visit to BC Place by Lionel Messi.
The Whitecaps sit in first place in the MLS Western Conference with four wins and one draw in six matches so far this season.
BC Place experiences lighting troubles
Whitecaps and Pumas players had to play in the dark multiple times Wednesday night as the BC Place lights kept going out. It happened multiple times in the second half, plunging the pitch into darkness.
The lights have turned off again in Vancouver during Whitecaps vs Pumas in Concacaf Champions Cup pic.twitter.com/PjNQPswNBn
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) April 3, 2025
BC Place is slated to host some major soccer events over the next few years, including seven games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Organizers will want to make sure there are no malfunctions like this before showing off the arena and city on the world stage.