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 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.

 

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.”