Whitecaps get rare taste of life at the top

The Vancouver Whitecaps have traditionally been climbers, but now they hope to avoid a fall.
The Whitecaps (13-9-5) sit first in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference heading into Saturday’s home game against the Columbus Crew (13-12-4) at B.C. Stadium. The Caps usually find themselves battling for a playoff spot at this time of year, with the end of the regular season approaching, but they have avoided their seemingly annual summer swoon – and displayed more consistency than expected.
However, Vancouver coach Carl Robinson and his players are not making a big deal of their success.
 “We’ve just got to keep ticking along,” said Robinson.
The Whitecaps are coming off a 3-0 thrashing of expansion side Minnesota United on Wednesday at home, where they made amends for squandering a 2-0 lead earlier this season in the Twin Cities and settling for a tie.
They have climbed up the standings by going 7-2-2 in their past 11 games
“It feels good, but we want to be there at the end of the season,” said Caps rookie defender Jake Nerwinski. “It’s good to be in first now, but we’ve got seven games left.”  
Saturday’s tilt is likely to be much more difficult for the Whitecaps. The Crew is 3-0-2 in its last five games and arrived early to watch Wednesday’s game at B.C. Place. After the game, many Whitecaps renewed acquaintances with former popular teammate Kekuta Manneh. The popular Gambia native, who has played both striker and midfielder, was traded to Columbus early in the season for Tony Tchani, who has performed well albeit with less flair.
“I hope he does well against us, but I hope we get the win,” said Whitecaps striker Erik Hurtado.
On Wednesday, Hurtado scored in a starting role against Minnesota after rarely seeing the pitch for most of the season as Robinson elected to go with other players. Hurtado could finding himself watching again Saturday. The Caps will likely draw heavily again on Yordy Reyna, a player who has provided the consistency that was often lacking with Manneh, who struggled with injuries in Vancouver and never quite lived up to expectations after his play hinted that he could earn a large transfer fee from a European club.
Reyna, a Peurvian international who missed much of the season with a broken foot suffered in the preseason, has three goals and an assist in his past five games. He scored a brilliant goal against Minnesota on a long lead ball from Canadian midfielder Marcel de Jong and also provided a helper.
“He’s such an exciting player,” said Nerwinski. “He’s explosive, he’s quick, he’s skillful and he makes things happen.”
And, if he continue to make more things happen on a regular basis, the Whitecaps may just avoid a fall from first place.

 

Whitecaps hope different lineup spells same resolve

The Vancouver Whitecaps will not look the same when they take on Orlando City in Florida today.

“We’ll have different players playing in different positions on the weekend,” said Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson.

Robinson only made one lineup change for the Whitecaps’ last game – an adversity-filled 1-1 comeback draw with Seattle – as he looked at a busy schedule and the season's "big picture." But this time he has no choice but to make a number of moves. The Caps lost midfielder Tony Tchani to a suspension after he took two yellow cards and an automatic red against the Sounders.

Robinson will also try to manage fatigue as his team plays its third game in eight days after making a cross-continent flight.

The lengthy trip means that players, like midfielder Brek Shea, who watched from the bench Wednesday will see action. Shea will likely replace Tchani, while Jake Nerwinski appears likely to return to his right back post after Sheanon Williams committed the foul that led to Seattle’s goal on a penalty-kick.

It will be interesting to see how Robinson adjusts his attackers. It would not be a surprise to see midfielder Yordy Reyna get a rest for at least part of the game. Robinson will likely want to keep going with striker Fredy Montero, who might be in need of a break but has five goals in five games after scoring Vancouver’s lone goal against his former Sounders side on Wednesday.

“It’s about concentration levels,” said Robinson. “When balls come into the box, he becomes alive.”

Alphonso Davies, 16, who suffered an injury while with the Canadian squad at the Gold Cup, could see more action after he came on as a substitute and made a brilliant move to assist on Montero’s goal Wednesday. But Robinson, who has limited Davies’ playing time, given his youth, recent injury and inconsistency, was coy about the youngster’s status.

“I still don’t think that he’s 100 per cent,” said Robinson. “Maybe we’ll get to see on Saturday whether he is. He needed a break – a mental break, a physical break – and you’ve gotta remember how old the boy is. There’s lots of things going on, but we support him. You’ll respect my decisions and listen, because I know what’s going on with the boy.”

While Robinson uses a different lineup, the Whitecaps will try to play with similar resolve that they displayed after Tchani was sent off against Seattle.

“Forget the point, forget the game,” said Robinson. “The mentality and character shown in this group (were) phenomenal (against Seattle), and they deserve a lot of credit.”

“It is like a win,” added Montero. “We were playing one of the best teams in the MLS with one man down. It was very tough for us. But at the end of the day that (ejection) sparked us. We got that goal. We got one point.”

Montero said the Whitecaps, who held the sixth and final Western Conference playoff berth heading into the weekend, will try to make up for losing two points against Seattle. However, it will be difficult to earn points against an Orlando squad that has lost only one game at home while going 6-1-0.

The Whitecaps will need to hold off Canadian international Cyle Larin and some other offensively gifted players, including Brazilian legend Kaka.

“They’re very good at home, especially their front four,” said Vancouver  goalkeeper David Ousted. “It’s (a) fantastic (group of) players, and we know the offensive threat they pose. They’re gonna put us under a lot of pressure, but that if we approach that game correctly, we can go in there and get points.”

But, naturally, Ousted, who was outstanding against Seattle, is confident that the Whitecaps, who sport a 4-6-2 road record, can prevail far from their B.C. Place Stadium den.

“We’re going in there to win. I’ll say it straight out,” said Ousted. “We’ve been good at going away from home and taking those games head-on.”

Reyna coming into his own with Caps

Yordy Reyna continues to make up for lost time.
After missing most of the season with a broken foot, the Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder has two goals in just eight appearances heading into Wednesday night’s game against the Seattle Sounders at B.C. Place Stadium.
“He’s like a rash,” said Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson. “He’s all over the place.”
Robinson and Caps fans will be hoping that Reyna follows up well on a strong effort in a 2-1 win over Houston on Saturday, when he figured in both of Vancouver’s goals. Fredy Montero scored on a penalty-kick in the 17th minute after Reyna was fouled by Boniek Garcia.
Then, 15 minutes later, Reyna took a pass from Montero and scored on a well-placed shot from distance that fooled Houston goalkeeper Tyler Deric. The goal, which gave the Whitecaps a 2-0 lead, proved to be the winner before Romell Quioto scored in the second half.
“I think (Montero) and Yordy have a nice little bit of chemistry,” said Robinson.
The coach is starting to see what he envisioned from the duo when he acquired them in the off-season. Reyna, a 23-year-old Peruvian international, joined the Whitecaps as a free agent from Austria’s FC Red Bull Salzburg, while Montero, a 30-year-old Colombian, was brought in as a designated player on a one-year loan from a Chinese squad.
"If I can hold the ball long enough for (Reyna) to come support me, then that's good for the team," said Montero, who now has 10 goals on the season. "We have different kinds of players that can go one-on-one, who can shoot on goal."
Reyna’s return to action on July 1 has helped the Whitecaps (10-9-4) move into Major League Soccer’s sixth and final Western Conference playoff spot.
"We had (Reyna) in pre-season so we got a little glimpse of (his talent),” said Whitecaps midfielder Andrew Jacobson. "We got to see it and then it got taken away. Now, he's really starting to come into his own."
Reyna’s presence also appears to have revitalized Montero, who has four goals in as many games. Six of Montero’s 10 goals this season have come since July 5. Before then, he produced only one goal in nine games – a span of more than two months.
With both Reyna and Montero in good form, the Whitecaps now have a good chance to move up the table, considering that six of the club’s next seven games are at home.
“What we do at home is going to be very important to us,” said Jacobsosn. “We see the stretch we have in front of us, we know we’ve gotta start picking up points.”
Montero, a former Sounder, is looking to have another strong outing against Seattle after scoring two goals in a Vancouver win in April.
“It’s going to be another neat opportunity for me to try to play against my old friends, but it’s going to be (just) another game for me as well as the team,” said Montero. “All of our focus is on the victory.”

Whitecaps' frustrated by loss to shorthanded Timbers

David Ousted had no problem agreeing with the description of his team’s performance.

The Vancouver goalkeeper was deeply puzzled after the  Whitecaps bowed 2-1 to a shorthanded Portland Timbers squad on Sunday at B.C. Place Stadium.

“Frustrating is a good word for it,” said Ousted . “We weren’t good enough. Simple as that.”

On this particular Sunday, the Whitecaps should have been the better team just based on numbers. The Timbers were missing 12 players due to injuries, suspensions and Gold Cup duties.

Portland only dressed 16 players instead of the usual 18 and called up two from its USL affiliate. But the Timbers never trailed as rookie Jeremy Ebobisse scored his first Major League Soccer goal and assisted on the winner in his inaugural start.

Before Sunday, the Timbers (8-8-6) had gone six games without a win 0-3-3. The Whitecaps (8-8-3) had won two straight, including a 1-0 win over the Galaxy in Los Angeles last Wednesday.
Ousted was at a loss to explain why the Caps did not display the same desire that they did in L.A. – a placed where they rarely win – especially on the defensive side of the ball.
“We lacked energy,” said Ousted. “We lacked a little bit of spark – which I don’t understand, especially in a Cascadia Cup (match). It’s frustrating, especially in front of our fans, not to perform better in a period where I think we’ve been playing well.”
(The Cascadia Cup is a fan-created, in-season competition involving Vancouver, Portland and Seattle.)
Sebastian Blanco scored the winner in the 49th minute as he fired home a heel-pass from Ebobisse after originally giving him the ball. The scoring play resulted from a counter-attack that originated in Portland’s zone after Vancouver striker Fredy Montero was shoved down but no call was made – and some angry Whitecaps were slow to get back.
The goal spoiled Vancouver’s comeback hopes after Andrew Jacobson had created a 1-1 tie moments before half-time as he footed in Tim Parker’s header off a corner-kick. Ebobisse, drafted fourth overall by Portland this year, nudged in Dairon Asprilla’s shot 14 minutes into the game as the Whitecaps failed to clear a Timbers’ corner-kick properly.

“First half, we played very well, exceptionally well, got the equalizer just before half-time and I think, probably, it was a fair reflection of the first half,” said Robinson. “I thought we were the better team. Second half, it was always going to come down to a mistake, a wonder goal or something like that. When you give a good team like Portland the lead five minutes into the second half, it’s very difficult. So I will give them credit today, because they managed to hang on.

“Their ’keeper (Jake Gleeson) came up with one or two big saves as well. But it hurts.”

Gleeson robbed second-half substitute Brek Shea as he one-timed a volley from close range in the 80th minute and then made a sensational diving save on a Parker header five minutes later. But for most of the game, Vancouver’s passing was off as attempts inexplicably went to Portland players after they applied little pressure. As a result, the Whitecaps generated little offensively.

The loss spoiled a strong effort by Jacobson who, in addition to scoring, made several strong defensive plays. He filled in admirably at central defender while captain Kendall Waston was rested after playing for Costa Rica at the Gold Cup. While Robinson liked Jacobson’s effort, he was not pleased with the overall defensive showing by any means.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed defensively all around for the two goals (against), because I think they are very avoidable,” said Robinson.

And, like Ousted, the coach was puzzled.

“You play on Wednesday and you do every little duty correctly – individually and collectively – and then you play four days later and it seems it’s not your day,” said Robinson.

Five yellow cards – three to Portland and a pair to the Whitecaps – were handed out, but the game lacked the emotion and intensity often witnessed when these teams meet. Until after the game, that is.

Timbers coach Caleb Porter thrust his fist in the air and hugged his assistant coaches, ecstatic with the Timbers’ first win since June 10. After shaking hands with Robinson, Porter also took exception to something that he claimed the Whitecaps coach had said, and the two had to be separated.

Robinson was not about to reveal what he said as he couched his comments with praise for Portland’s coaching crew. It was obvious that Porter’s frustration had ended – at least for now.

But with next Saturday’s contest in Dallas serving as the first of three straight difficult road games, Robinson’s obvious frustration could last a while longer.

Whitecaps looking for more magic in "Mission Impossible"

The Vancouver Whitecaps found magic in one game.

The question now is: Can they do it again Wednesday night?

As they take on Mexico’s Tigres UANL in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions League semifinal at B.C. Place stadium, the Whitecaps hope to deliver the same masterful display that they showed in a 4-2 comeback victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday.

The Caps scored three second-half goals to overcome a 2-1 defiicit. For most of the night, Vancouver defenders, midfielders and forwards moved in unison – something they rarely did when the team missed the 2016 MLS playoffs.

Win provides nice setup

“That (win) sets us up nicely for Wednesday – for Mission Impossible,” said Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson.

His two-word description sums up Vancouver’s task effectively. The Caps trail 2-0 in the aggregate-goals competition and need to score at least three times to have the slightest hope for a win. If Tigres scores one goal, the Caps will need to net at least. A tie on aggregate will be determined by which team has more away goals, but the Caps do not have any.

Saturday’s win – Vancouver’s first of the Major League Soccer season – hinted what the Whitecaps are capable of – and suggested that they might be able to pull off a miracle against Tigres. Holding midfielder Matias Laba led the Caps with two goals – one on a superb shot at the top of the L.A. box and the other on a header of teammate Fredy Montero’s rebound.

Rare offensive showing from Laba

How rare was Laba’s showing?

A defensive specialist, he had only managed to score two goals in 112 previous MLS games – a span of three-plus seasons. Montero also scored after coming off the bench after half-time in place of injured striker Erik Hurtado (foot), while Cristian (the Bug) Techera also scored while showing some of the speed that he had displayed last season.

The Whitecaps also received outstanding efforts from central defenders Kendall Waston and Tim Parker, who clogged the middle as the Galaxy tried a series of through balls as well as long lobs.

“You’ve got two centre backs that, I think, were outstanding; you’ve got a holding midfield player that scores two goals; and, obviously, Fredy (Montero) makes a difference when he comes on,” said Robinson. “The Bug was electric as well.”

Some players and Robinson, as well as certain media types, have contended that Saturday’s win was a positive after-effect of star winger Kekuta Manneh’s trade to the Columbus Crew on Thursday. (Tony Tchani, the player acquired from Columbus, provided glimpses of offensive flair in a substitute role.)

“We’re all professional sportsmen,” said Robinson. “So I said to the group: Listen, you’re fighting for your places. We all are.”

Manneh's trade likely a business decision

That was a nice bit of spin or, perhaps, insight into how players are affected psychologically by a standout player’s trade. But the reality is that the offensively gifted Manneh’s trade was quite likely based on business factors, even if – as some have claimed – management grew tired of his inability to finish his scoring chances.

Manneh’s contract is due to expire at the end of this season and he has previously indicated a desire to play in Europe. Hence, it was evident that he did not want to re-sign with Vancouver. Otherwise, the Whitecaps would have signed him even if they still wanted to move him. The Caps decided to get something while they could, in the form of Tchani, a decent player with MLS experience who was in the New York Red Bulls and Toronto organizations when Robinson toiled as a player and assistant coach with those clubs.

The Whitecaps also secured a guaranteed $300,000 in allocation money, a 2018 first-round Super Draft pick if Manneh signs a contract extension with Columbus, or a share of the transfer fee if he is sold internationally. In other words, the Whitecaps made sure they got something for him now instead of losing him for nothing later.

Consistency the real challenge

Any motivation to the rest of the team will likely be temporary at best.  The Whitecaps’ real challenge will be to duplicate Saturday’s performance on a regular basis – and Robinson is extremely aware of that point.

As the coach sat behind the microphone after Saturday’s game, he sounded like a scientist who wished he could preserve the ingredients of that in a test tube for future use – because he knows that the club’s previous success has been fleeting.

“Belief, energy, passion – that group in there has got it,” said Robinson. “We just need to do it more consistently.”

Starting Wednesday.

Good start critical 

Laba suggested it will be “super-important” for the Whitecaps to bring a good effort against Tigres if they are going to overcome the 2-0 deficit.

“We’re not worried about: What are they going to do?” he said. “We know that they are a top-level team in Central America and North America. We need to score the first goal as soon as possible and then have that belief that we can keep going and score the second one.”

The winner of the series will advance to the CONCACAF Champions League final, which will determine the North American, Central American and Caribbean zone’s representative in the next FIFA Club World Cup. Mexico’s top league is widely considered to be of a higher caliber than MLS, but Laba, naturally, contended that  his team is capable of pulling off Mission Impossible.

“We can do it,” said Laba.