Vancouver Whitecaps settle for draw with Orlando City

The Vancouver Whitecaps and Orlando City SC played to a 2-2 draw on Saturday night at BC Place stadium.

Masato Kudo and Nicolas Mezquida scored for the Whitecaps (8-8-5), who improved to fifth in the Western Conference.

Canadian national team member Cyle Larin and Julio Baptista scored for Orlando City SC (4-5-10) in its first ever visit to BC Place.

Mezquida was inches away from putting the Whitecaps ahead minutes into the game, as Kudo made a nice through ball pass that was just slightly out of reach for the striking Mezquida.

Orlando, which came into the game with zero goals in its last three games, played aggressively early and was rewarded. Defender Luke Boden found an unguarded Baptista atop the 18-yard box. Baptista's shot bounced off goalkeeper David Ousted's legs and into the net.

Mezquida got his goal at the 35th minute to even the game 1-1. Kudo's deflected shot off Orlando 'keeper Joseph Bendik bounced right to Mezquida six yards out for a clear header.

It was Kudo's turn to head in a goal in the 43rd minute. Pedro Morales sent a bending free kick right to Kudo, who nodded the ball just out of reach of Bendik and into the top corner of the net.

Saturday was only Kudo's second game back with Vancouver after suffering a gruesome head injury on May 11 against Chicago.

Ousted preserved the Whitecaps' 2-1 lead going into the half when he made an impressive save off Larin's strike in added time.

That lead, however, didn't last long into the second. Orlando evened the game 2-2 in the 50th minute when Larin jumped high to head in a Kevin Molino cross and quiet the crowd.

Baptista had a chance to put Orlando ahead with a penalty kick in the 59th, but his unsightly attempt went wide much to Vancouver's relief.

Moments later at the other end, Bendik made a spectacular save off another Kudo header coming from a long pass by Mezquida.

Vancouver substituted recently signed 15-year-old Alphonso Davies in the 77th for his MLS debut. Davies, the youngest active player in the league, took a right-footed shot minutes later that went wide left.

Ousted was fantastic in the final minutes and saved a potential game-winning header from David Mateos to keep the game knotted 2-2.