VANCOUVER - Pedro Morales scored two goals a minute apart as the Vancouver Whitecaps beat the San Jose Earthquakes 3-2 in MLS action Saturday.

Morales scored on a penalty-kick in the 19th minute and fired home a shot from about 20 yards out in the 20th minute.

Kekuta Manneh also scored a goal, which proved to be the winner, and furnished an assist for Vancouver.

Chris Wondolowski scored both San Jose goal, in the 45th minute and in second-half stoppage time.

The Whitecaps (3-2-4) earned their first win in five games while the Earthquakes fell to 1-3-3. The game commemorated the first ever contest between Vancouver and San Jose, which was played May 5, 1974 when both teams were part of the original North American Soccer League.

Many fans wore 1970s-era clothing, including colourful bell-bottom pants that would make Norwegian curler Thomas Ulsrud's crew envious, and donned long-haired wigs, fake handlebar moustaches and sunglasses. The attire was part of the Whitecaps' tribute to the days of disco music, but seemed more like Beatlemania.

The Whitecaps fulfilled their quest for a strong start by scoring three goals in the first 20 minutes.

Whitecaps captain Jay DeMerit started after being kept home from the previous weekend's road game against San Jose for rest purposes. Meanwhile, Vancouver striker Kenny Miller began the game on the bench before coming on in the second half, as coach Carl Robinson used a 4-2-3-1 alignment with Darren Mattocks deployed as the lone forward.

As a result, Manneh, who has been used mostly as a substitute, started in midfield in a move that paid early dividends. Manneh gave the Whitecaps a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute as he fired a first shot off the near post and then put his own rebound in off the far post.

The goal came after DeMerit checked the ball away from charging San Jose forward Yannick Djalo and sent the ball up the left flank. With Djalo injured in the process and kneeling on the turf, the Whitecaps were able to capitalize on an odd-man situation.

Djalo was replaced by Alan Gordon in the 14th minute.

Morales put the Whitecaps ahead 2-0 on a penalty-kick nine minutes later after Mattocks was deemed to have been taken down while deking with the ball in the San Jose box. With the sellout crowd of 21,000 standing in anticipation, he rolled a shot into the left corner after San Jose goalkeeper Jon Busch guessed right.

A minute later, Morales notched his second goal as he put a shot into the same corner from just outside the top of the San Jose box.

After scoring the goal, Morales unwittingly doffed his jersey, waved it over his head, and excitedly ran bare-chested to the bench — only to get an automatic caution for excessive celebration. Morales put his shirt back on and referee Drew Fischer pulled out his yellow card.

Vancouver lost Mattocks in the 30th minute after he pulled up lame while chasing a loose ball down the left flank. He was replaced by Erik Hurtado.

DeMerit made another strong defensive play in the 38th minute as he booted the ball from near the Vancouver goal-line after Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted got his hand on Wondolowski's header. However, DeMerit's foul on Gordon in the Vancouver box, while both went up for a header, resulted in a San Jose penalty-kick. Wondolowski made no mistake as he scored to reduce San Jose's deficit to 3-1 heading into the second half.

Vancouver was credited with 13 shots in the first half, with seven on target, five wide or high and one blocked. San Jose only managed three — with none on target.

The Whitecaps had a goal disallowed in the 81st minute as Gershon Koffie was found guilty of getting his hand on the ball just before he scored.

Wondolowski' second goal, on a shot off DeMerit, sparked a frantic San Jose rally that came up short.

Notes: Whitecaps president Bobby Lenarduzzi became the first inductee into the club's new ring of honour. During a pre-game ceremony, Los Angeles Lakers star Steve Nash, a Whitecaps minority owner, presented Lenarduzzi with a ring in conjunction with the honour. Nash jokingly dropped to one knee, like a hopeful groom proposing. … Lenarduzzi played on the original Whitecaps team, which was also honoured in the pre-game festivities, with many members taking part. … Gordon was cautioned in the 70th minute after he knocked Matias Laba in the back while the Cap played a header. … Former Whitecap Atiba Harris subbed in for San Jose during the second half.

News from © The Canadian Press, 2014