Leroux, Daniel lead Earthquakes to 1-0 victory, handing Whitecaps first loss of season

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VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Beau Leroux scored in first-half stoppage time and Daniel De Sousa Britto made it stand as the San Jose Earthquakes cooled off Vancouver with a 1-0 victory on Saturday night, ruining the start of a five-match homestand for the Whitecaps.

Leroux scored unassisted in the second minute of stoppage time to give the Earthquakes (4-1-0) the lead for good. Leroux's first goal this season comes after scoring five times in 33 matches as a rookie last year.

Daniel finished with six saves in posting his fourth clean sheet in five starts this season and his 15th in 68 career starts — all with the Earthquakes. He's never had more than five in one season.

Yohei Takaoka saved one shot on goal for the Whitecaps (4-1-0), who outscored their opponents 14-1 in winning their first four matches.

Vancouver falls into a second-place tie with San Jose, one point behind Los Angeles FC in a hotly-contested Western Conference that boasts seven teams with at least three victories through the first five weeks.

The Earthquakes also evened the series at 13-13-12.

Vancouver entered the match with a 20-4-7 all-time record at BC Place under head coach Jesper Sørensen.

St. Louis City was the last team to open with five straight victories — doing so in its 2023 expansion. season.

San Jose: Hosts San Diego FC on April 4.

Vancouver: Hosts the Portland Timbers on April 4.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer