MLS game sees the smallest pitch invader stop the game to upstage Vancouver Whitecaps striker Brian White in Vancouver.
MLS game between Vancouver Whitecaps and Austin seen a surprise pitch invader.
The world’s tiniest pitch invader overtook Vancouver Whitecaps star Brian White, who scored four goals in Saturday’s 5-1 MLS triumph over rivals Austin.
Play at BC Place in Vancouver was halted while players and staff tried to capture a mouse that made an unexpected appearance.
In the seventh minute, just as Austin was about to take a corner, it darted beyond the halfway line, causing the referee to stop play.
Eventually, Austin goalie Brad Stuver took on the duty of part-time pest control, scooping up the tiny visitor with his gloves and guiding it off the pitch with gentleness.
Supporters gave Stuver a hearty round of applause, but as the Whitecaps strengthened their hold on the top spot in the Western Conference, he spent the majority of the remaining game pulling the ball out of his own net.
They have advanced to the Concacaf Champions Cup semi-finals, where they will face Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami on April 30, four points ahead of Minnesota United.