VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Thomas Müller scored on a penalty kick late in the second half as the Vancouver Whitecaps battled back for a 1-1 draw with Los Angeles FC on Saturday night.
The Whitecaps (10-3-4) and LAFC (10-5-4) remain tied in the Western Conference with 34 points apiece.
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Los Angeles FC's Son Heung-min celebrates his goal during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps, in Vancouver, Saturday, August 1, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Whitecaps' Thomas Muller (13) celebrates his penalty kick goal during the second half of an MLS soccer match against Los Angeles FC, in Vancouver, on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles FC's Son Heung-min, right, is helped up by teammate Timothy Tillman after a collision with Vancouver Whitecaps' Mathias Laborda, not seen, during the first half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, on Saturday, August 1, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Whitecaps' Thomas Muller scores on a penalty kick during the second half of an MLS soccer match against Los Angeles FC, in Vancouver, on Saturday, August 1, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
The Whitecaps controlled most of the opening half, but Son Heung-min’s goal gave LAFC the lead at halftime.
Müller’s goal came in the 76th minute after he was hauled down in the box by defender Yevhen Cheberko. Müller calmly struck the ball into an open side of the net.
Son spun and sent a shot into the short side of the net past the outstretched fingers of goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka to open the scoring. Son celebrated with a large Korean contingent in the crowd.
A crowd of 40,086 watched the Whitecaps play their first game at BC Place Stadium since April 25th. The Whitecaps were forced on the road while the stadium hosted seven FIFA World Cup matches.
Los Angeles: Hosts San Diego on Aug. 15.
Whitecaps: Play at Seattle on Aug. 16.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer
Los Angeles FC's Son Heung-min celebrates his goal during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps, in Vancouver, Saturday, August 1, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Whitecaps' Thomas Muller (13) celebrates his penalty kick goal during the second half of an MLS soccer match against Los Angeles FC, in Vancouver, on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles FC's Son Heung-min, right, is helped up by teammate Timothy Tillman after a collision with Vancouver Whitecaps' Mathias Laborda, not seen, during the first half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, on Saturday, August 1, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
Vancouver Whitecaps' Thomas Muller scores on a penalty kick during the second half of an MLS soccer match against Los Angeles FC, in Vancouver, on Saturday, August 1, 2026. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Renowned British-Nepali climber Nirmal Purja and nine other climbers swept away by an avalanche in Pakistan are confirmed to have died, and search teams are trying to recover their bodies, Purja's expedition company said Saturday.
“The world has lost one of mountaineering's greatest climbers,” the company, Elite Exped, said in a statement. It stressed that it mourned all the lives lost, adding: “No words can ease the pain of this unimaginable loss."
The 10-member expedition was swept away by an avalanche Thursday on Pakistan’s Broad Peak.
Rescuers found four bodies and recovered three of them Friday in harsh weather that hampered flights by search and rescue helicopters. Rescuers backed by military helicopters had resumed a search earlier on Saturday for the others.
“The loss of these courageous climbers, who came from different nations united by their passion for the mountains, is an immeasurable loss to the global mountaineering fraternity,” said Irfan Arshad Khan, the president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan.
Khan paid tribute to the military and civilian rescuers and sherpas who took part in the search mission. “The mountains inspire us with their beauty, but they also remind us of the immense risks faced by those who venture into the high Himalaya and Karakoram,” he said.
Earlier on Saturday, a local police official, Tahir Khan, said the remains of Omani climber Nathira Ahmed were being flown to the capital, Islamabad, while the bodies of American climber Mallory Geis and Nepalese climber Bahadur Gurung remained at a hospital in Skardu, the main city in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan region.
A statement from Geis’ family said “Mallory was a bright light who was loved deeply by her family and friends. She will be profoundly missed.”
The expedition was led by Purja, the Nepal-born former British Army soldier widely known as Nims Dai. He climbed the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days in 2019, an achievement featured in the Netflix documentary “14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.” His record was broken in 2023.
Purja's company described him as “a leader who inspired millions through his courage, humility and unwavering belief that human potential is far greater than we often imagine.”
The expedition was Geis’ first try at an 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan, while it was expected to be the final one for Sakhi, who is a guide for the company, as well as a geographer and high-altitude photographer who has climbed some of the world’s major peaks, according to the Moving Mountains website.
Accidents are common on climbing expeditions in northern Pakistan because of avalanches, falling ice and rock, high altitude and rapidly changing weather.
Khan reported from Peshawar, Pakistan. Associated Press writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed.
This version corrects the name of the expedition company to Elite Exped, which is the company's formal name.
In this photo released by the Alpine Club of Pakistan on Friday, July 31, 2026, members of a mountaineers rescue team pose for photo with honorary general secretary of Alpine Club of Pakistan Ayaz Ahmed Shigri, center, before departing from an airbase on a search operation for climbers missing after an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak, in Skardu, in Gilgit-Baltistan's region, in northern Pakistan. (Alpine Club of Pakistan via AP)
In this photo released by the Alpine Club of Pakistan on Friday, July 31, 2026, members of a mountaineers rescue team prepare to depart from an airbase on a search operation for climbers missing after an avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak, in Skardu, in Gilgit-Baltistan's region, in northern Pakistan. (Alpine Club of Pakistan via AP)
