Whitecaps seeking more firepower after draw with TFC

Now, the decisions begin for Marc Dos Santos.
The Vancouver Whitecaps coach has begun a search for more firepower in advance of the international transfer window that opens July 7. Vancouver's need for more offensive talent was evident in Vancouver's 1-1 tie Friday with Toronto FC.
"The run they've made (in May) has been fantastic," said Dos Santos, noting the Caps (4-6-6) have earned 17 points in their last 11 games. "There's a lot of positives. But, now, it's obvious that you need to reinforce what's here already."
Toronto FC (5-6-3) rallied to tie the game in the 90th minute as second-half substitute Nick DeLeon's attempted cross deflected in off a Vancouver defender. The goal came after Fredy Montero had given the Whitecaps a 1-0 lead on a penalty-kick in the 84th minute.
He suggested the Whitecaps were fortunate to earn a point .
"We have to admit that the tie is fair," he said. "That's a fair result for both teams. If we don't admit that, then we're delusional and we don't progress as a team."

Vancouver's offence was disjointed most o the night, even though the Caps held an edge in ball possession (approximately 52 per cent to 48 per cent) in the first half. Toronto enjoyed a 63-per-cent to 37 per cent edge in the second half.

"I have to rewatch the game, but looking at it and thinking about it quickly, I think that once we got possession in their half (of the pitch), especially in the first half, it was sloppy, bad decision-making on the ball, missed passes," said Dos Santos. "It wasn't good, in my opinion. I think it was probably our worst first half this year, and that made it obvious that it was difficult for us then to create chances."
Whitecaps goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau prevented Toronto from turning the game into a rout as he made three difficult saves in a three-minute span in the second half before any scoring occurred. DeLeon's goal came at a time when Dos Santos was looking to sub off midfielder Hwang In-Beom, who had been hurt in the first half and was cramping and very fatig

Dos Santos said he wanted to sub off Hwang In-Beom because he "was cramping a lot and was very fatigued" before Toronto scored, but he was not able to because the ball did not go out of play.

"And then there's a lack of pressure on our left side, their right side," said Dos Santos. "From there, the play comes in. I didn't see the goal yet. I think it got deflected, and it's unfortunate because we wanted to make the sub. ... I felt they got in easy there and got the cross in that deflected in."

"We're solid defending crosses and I don't have no words for this play when the ball is on DeLeon's foot coming in, Ali (Adnan) is doing his job trying to block the cross and then it's going past me (and) kisses the post really close," said Crepeau. "It's difficult to end up the game like that. It's heartbreaking."

Vancouver received a chance to steal a win as Montero converted his penalty-kick after second half substitute Yordy Reyna was taken down in the Toronto box on a breakaway by Reds defender Drew Moor. But the Whitecaps let up in the five minutes after the goal as the Reds became much more desperate, and DeLeon emerged as the hero.

“A loss really would have deflated a lot of guys," said DeLeon.  'Just to fight back with how much time was on the clock, I think, was big for us.” 

He said the Reds, who have struggled for much of the season while star striker Jozy Altidore battled injury, can build off the comeback tie heading into the three-week international break.. In the meantime, the Whitecaps were left to ponder what might have been on a night when they feted their 1979 Soccer Bowl championship team.

Many of the 1979 team's stars, including Willie Johnston and former coach Tony Waiters, were honoured before the game.

"It was a special night," said Dos Santos. "Unfortunately, we didn't give them the win."  .

 

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 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.