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.

 

Shea's ejection hurts Whitecaps

Brek Shea picked a bad time to have a brain cramp Saturday.
With the Whitecaps and Toronto FC locked in a scoreless battle, the Vancouver midfielder was sent off in the 70th minute for protesting his foul for putting Nick Hagglund down. Shea got a yellow card for the infraction and a second one for continuing to mouth off.
Forced to play a man down, the Whitecaps were never the same and the Reds won 2-0 on goals four minutes apart by Victor Vazquez and Jozy Altidor in a Major League Soccer game at B.C. Place Stadium.

Turning point

“It was a turning point, because the game was pretty even,” said Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson of the ejection. “It played out exactly as I thought it would – not much action in the first half and then, the second half, we tried to get into the troops a little bit to have an impact and play on our front foot. We did.
“For 20-plus minutes, we were trying to engineer the game and trying to get that goal, and then, obviously, Brek’s sending off out of nowhere, totally affects you.”
Robinson claimed that such comments by Shea are commonly heard throughout ever game. It was also implied that Toronto captain Michael Bradley, who was cautioned later for his role in a scrum involving several players in midfield, routinely gets away with more indiscretions. But those points were moot.
Shea needed to zip his lip, but he didn’t, and the Whitecaps suffered the consequences soon afterward. Second-half substitute Vazquez headed in a header from Altidore after another substitute, Raheem Edwards, made a sublime cross from the left flank – where Shea would have been covering him if he were still in the game.
Reds coach Greg Vanney deliberately put in Edwards, who is more comfortable with his left foot than defender Nick Hagglund, who was subbed out for him.
“Sometimes, you make moves and you look smart,” said Vanney. “Sometimes, you make moves and you don’t. It worked out for us today.”

Reds take advantage of situation

Four minutes later, Altidore closed out the scoring as he took a pass from Jonathan Osorio, turned with the ball while Kendall Waston tried to mark him, and scored from about 12 yards out.
“Obviously, it was difficult for them (with) the man down,” said Vanney. “What’s nice for us is, last year, we were a man up on a number of occasions and didn’t score a goal, so I’m happy for the guys that we took advantage of the situation. It was an unfortunate situation, but we took advantage of it and took the points.”
As a result, TFC, who stole the CONCACAF Canadian championship from the Whitecaps last season on a last-minute away goal, improved to 1-0-2 in league play with all games occurring on the road. Meanwhile, the Whitecaps (0-2-1) remained winless.
"First half wasn't that good. (We needed) more energy, more enthusiasm," said Whitecaps striker Fredy Montero. "Second half, we came and we tried to play more with the ball. We got more space and, unfortunately, the red card changed the game for us."
The official cause of Shea’s ejection was listed as dissent. Robinson vowed to confirm exactly why referee Ismail Elfath decided to send him off, but the coach’s effort will likely not shed much light on the matter. And, really, what difference will it make?
The point, as Vancouver goalkeeper Spencer Richey indicated, was not to put yourself is such situations in the first place.
 “We’ve had two sending-offs,” said Richey. “Finish the game with 11 guys. Whether it’s poor choice of the referee or on us, we’ve gotta find ways to not put ourselves in jeopardy of the decisions which are being made to change the number of guys on the pitch.”

Spoiled debut

Richey, a 24-year-old Seattle native, made his first MLS start. He got the call after No. 1 goalkeeper David Ousted was red-carded last weekend, and automatically suspended, for colliding with a San Jose player outside of his box as both were going after a loose ball. A red card and, subsequent suspension, are is automatic; however, Ousted's infraction, was perhaps forgivable, because he sought to prevent a goal.
Shea’s ejection was simply unacceptable, especially after Robinson called for the team to be more disciplined at the outset of the season..
The temperamental midfielder deprived the Caps of a chance to beat a Canadian rival and make up for the league loss to San Jose and a setback in Mexico to Tigres UANL in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League series.
 "It's kind of a funny one because, obviously, I wanted to get my debut," said Richey. "I felt like halfway through the second half we were pushing it, the match was going our way and then that sending off obviously changes things. It's disappointing to not get one point at least."
The first half was a tight yawner as TFC managed only one shot on target and the Whitecaps did not have any. But the flow of play became more interesting in the second half as both coaches went to their benches and made substitutions.Shea’s lack of discipline aside, the Whitecaps continued to struggle to get scoring chances. Their best chance came in the 60th minute – on the club’s first on-target shot of the game – as Russell Teimbert’s one-timer was collared by Toronto goalkeeper Alex Bono.
Later, Teibert put another good chance over the net and substitute Erik Hurtado shot wide on a break along right wing. Robinson, who is thinking about bringing in more offensive talent, called for his club to connect on more scoring chances.
“We need to hit the target more to have those chances,” said Robinson.

Dean overcomes adversity in season opener

Christian Dean is making up for lost time.
Dean made his first Major League Soccer start since August 2015 as the Caps played to a 0-0 draw with the Philadelphia Union in the 2017 regular-season opener for both teams Sunday at B.C. Place Stadium.
With the start at centreback, Dean capped a comeback from two injuries and family tragedy. In March 2016, he suffered a left foot injury; in May, he hurt his right knee; and he also had to cope with the unexpected death of his adoptive father.
“It felt really good to be back out there,” said Dean. "Before the game, I had  butterflies for sure. But that’s a good thing. My dad always said: If you don't feel (them), you don't care."
Dean showed he cared Sunday by playing tall in the centre of Vancouver’s box, making it virtually impenetrable most of the night. While clearing balls away out of danger, he also made some smooth passes up the field, helping to launch Vancouver attacks that suffered from a lack of finish.
It was a rare night to shine for Dean, a 23-year-old East Palo Alto, Calif., native who was selected third overall by the Whitecaps in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. He has spent most of his pro tenure developing with Vancouver’s USL affiliate and made only three starts in five appearances with the first team in 2015.
He called his injury-plagued 2016 campaign “a brutal year” and credited Whitecaps coaches and players with helping him through it – along with his adoptive mother.
"She's been there for me," he said. "I've been in dark places. Just having people to support (me) has kept me going."
Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson was pleased for Dean, a former University of California-Berkeley star who was the Vancouver skipper’s first draft acquisition after he took over the team’s helm in 2014.
"He (came) in and he looked very mature – very polished – and he got stronger as the game went on,” said Robinson. “He worked with Timmy (Parker, the other centreback) and he should be proud of himself today."
Meanwhile, Whitecaps 16-year-old sensation Alphonso Davies also had reason to be proud as he made several runs with the ball and posed an almost constant threat while often working in tandem with Kekuta Manneh. While the Whitecaps continued to minimize Davies’ media afterward, he received plenty of attention from the Union during the contest.
“He’s incredible,” said Philadelphia coach Jim Curtin. “Basically, the vast majority of my weeks leading up to this (game) were spent on how to shut down a 16-year old kid. That’s a compliment. He’s a heck of a player. To see him run in person, how effortless it is, how powerful he is, and then to have the feet that he does … I don’t want to get carried away but he does

Changes loom for Whitecaps after strong finish

Giles Barnes did what he was supposed to do – several weeks too late.

Barnes scored two goals, including the winner, as the Vancouver Whitecaps concluded their disappointing 2016 Major League Soccer season on Sunday with a resounding 4-1 victory over the surprisingly inept Portland Timbers.

The goals, which came before more than 24,000 fans at B.C. Place Stadium, were Barnes’ first for the Whitecaps.

“It’s important to stay away from the goals but (focus on) how well the team performed in general,” said Barnes. “It’s great to end the season with the Caps fans (having) something to shout about. It’s been a very up-and-down season. But it gives them a bit of excitement for next year and something to really look forward to.”

As Barnes suggested, the Whitecaps offered fans some hope for 2017 after missing the playoffs this season. The striker’s goals offered a taste of what could have been if Vancouver had a dangerous scorer throughout the season – and clearly showed what they need.

A dependable striker.

It remains to be seen whether Barnes can provide the offensive consistency that the Caps need. The 28-year-old London native arrived in a trade from Houston with impressive credentials, but he failed to make up for the departure of former designated player Octavio Rivero, who was transferred to Chile’s Colo-Colo.

Barnes’ showing was not what Caps management or fans expected of someone who had scored 31 goals and added 14 assists in 113 MLS regular-season appearances and had also produced in the English Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, and CONCACAF Champions League. In addition, Barnes helped two English Championship clubs earn promotion to the EPL and saw extensive action with the Jamaican national team after debuting in March 2015.

Barnes said it took him a while to adjust to playing in Vancouver.

“Obviously, I knew that I was being (crossed) out of Houston,” he said. “I hadn’t played for a while. I was in a (Vancouver) hotel for weeks. It was pretty unsettling, and then flying away to Jamaica and trying to find my rhythm. And then when you don’t score a goal after a few games, the confidence is a little bit low, but I know what I’m capable of, and the coach (Carl Robinson) and everyone can see what I’m capable of. I’ve produced the last five years I’ve been here (in MLS).

“It’s one of those things: Once I knew I’d got one (goal), I could add to it from there.”

Barnes scored Vancouver’s first two goals, in the 13th and 32nd minutes, following Portland giveaways. First, he fired home a Fraser Aird cross from the right flank that deflected off a Timbers defender. Then Barnes took the ball from a Portland player on the left wing, coasted into the Timbers’ box and beat goalkeeper Tim Gleeson with a low shot to the far post.

Barnes helped the Whitecaps claim the Cascadia Cup, a fan-created trophy based on in-season games between Portland, Seattle and Vancouver. He also helped the Caps deny Portland a playoff berth after the Timbers ousted the Caps from the 2015 post-season en route to winning the MLS Cup.

But Barnes and the rest of Vancouver’s effort must be viewed realistically. As Portland coach Caleb Porter indicated, the Timbers were terrible. A defender passed the ball right to Pedro Morales for Vancouver's third goal in the 54th minute and Nicolas Mezquida easily steered the ball around a Portland player before scoring Vancouver’s final goal a minute later.
While Portland’s showing was stunningly bad, the Timbers struggled on the road all season. In fact, they never won a game away from Providence Park, finishing 0-11-6 outside of their confines.

And, for a rare occasion, the Whitecaps made the most of their chances, leaving one reporter to ask: Where was that performance all year?

“Good question,” replied Robinson. “If you could give me an answer, then please do.”
Robinson later added: "This performance absolutely drives me mad, because I know we've got the players to do it, but we haven't done it on a consistent basis." 

The reality is that the Whitecaps will make some key changes in the off-season. Morales, the club’s captain, is not expected to stay after a sub-par season in which he still led the team with nine goals. Some other older veteran members of the team’s core also appear likely to depart.

Robinson did not want to contemplate changes just yet. Instead, he and players pointed to successes. The Caps finished first in their CONCACAF Champions League pool, advancing beyond the group stage for the first time. They also came within seconds of winning the Canadian championship before losing on the away-goals rule to Toronto.

But defender Jordan Harvey put Sunday’s win in the proper perspective.

“This was our best performance of the year,” he said. “Unfortunately, it happened at the end of the season and not at the beginning.”

The Whitecaps can use the showing to build on next year. But it remains to be seen who will still be around to do the building.

Timbers tumble out of MLS playoffs

What a difference a year made for the Portland Timbers.

In the fall of 2015, the Timbers made a habit of winning games late in the season. They then snuck into the playoffs and won the Major League Soccer championship in rousing fashion.

But on Sunday’s final game of the game 2016 regular-season, they crashed out of the playoffs. Desperately in need of a win to capture a post-season berth like they did last, the Timbers delivered a terrible effort and fell 4-1 to the Vancouver Whitecaps, who had nothing to play for but pride.

Timbers coach Caleb Porter only needed one word to describe his team’s showing.

“Disappointing,” he said. “Obviously, the performance was not good enough. Defensively, we leaked goals. Obviously, without [Liam] Ridgewell and [Diego] Chara, you can see we were missing some quality. But that’s where your depth needs to step up. They didn’t. We had some guys who really had poor performances. You can’t win when you get that – and we got that across the board.”

Porter went on at length about how a lack of depth, especially on the wings, hurt his team at key times during the season and again on Sunday. Giveaways on the wings led to Vancouver’s first two goals, both by Giles Barnes. Now, Porter and the rest of the team’s management will spend part of the off-season evaluating fringe players who were on the verge of becoming starters and bench personnel to determine whether they should stay with the club.

If Sunday’s performance was an accurate indication, they should not.

 “Obviously, there were some turning points that maybe could’ve changed the game. … So those are factors of the game. But when I look at the overall performance, I didn’t think we were good. When I look at the overall performance, I didn’t think we were good. I didn’t think we defended well. I thought we got some surprisingly poor performances out of some of our key guys and some of the depth pieces that we have to plug in with some of the absences that we had. When you look at the last two games – our Champions League game on Wednesday and this game, we had two key guys out in both of those games. I think that sums up our season. On Wednesday, [Fanendo] Adi and [Diego] Valeri were out. When we needed our depth to step up and get the job done, they didn’t. And this game, (Diego) Chara and (Liam) Ridgewell were out. We needed our depth to step up and get the job done. They didn’t.”

Porter thought the situation was exacerbated on the road. The Timbers racked up 12 home wins – the second-highest total in the league – this season. But as a result of Sunday’s loss, they went winless (0-11-6) in 17 games away from Providence Park.

“What do you blame it on?” he asked of the inconsistent season. “You blame it on injuries (or) you blame it on depth. I blame it on depth because, ultimately, you have to have a good enough bench to get the job done regardless of injuries. And, I think Wednesday and (Sunday are) a bit of the story of the season.”

Whitecaps respond to coach's challenge

Vancouver Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson has found it hard to praise his team this season, but he had little difficulty Tuesday night.

The Whitecaps blanked Sporting Kansas City 3-0 in CONCACAF Champions League play at B.C. Place Stadium in a performance that could be fairly described as dominant. The effort was a strong contrast from Saturday's 2-0 in Kansas City in Major League Soccer play.

"We haven’t been doing well enough, but I challenged them, especially after Saturday’s game," said Robinson. "I challenged them – because they’re all good players, they’re good people – to have a go. And we certainly had a go tonight."

Cristian Techera led the Whitecaps with two goals, while Erik Hurtado supplied a goal and an assist. In addition to singling out Techera and Hurtado, Robinson praised the showing of rookie Fraser Aird, who played strong defensively in midfield.

The Whitecaps improved to 2-0 in CCL competition this season and lead Group C with two games left in the pool level.

"We got outfought on Saturday, and we didn’t get outfought today," said Robinson. "In any walk of life, you put the hard work in and you get your rewards, and today we got our rewards. So I’m pleased today. It’s one game. Hopefully it will build confidence. We had some players that played very well. ... It’s a start for us.”

In other words, it's a start at a possible MLS playoff run as the Whitecaps, who have been inconsistent most of the season, attempt to secure a berth in the top six in the Western Conference. The Whitecaps played like a different team than Saturday because they were literally a different squad.

Robinson and K.C. coach Peter Vermes rested several regulars to manage fatigue during a week in which both teams play three games. The MLS playoffs are the first priority for Robinson, and he expects several players who saw action Tuesday night to press for more playing time -- particularly Hurtado, who was loaned to a Norwegian team last season.

“I sent him on loan because I understand there’s a lot of people, a lot of young players, who think the grass is green, and I’m one of a number of coaches in this league that (have) been there and done it," said Robinson. "I know what works and what doesn’t. I keep saying: Hard work. That’s all it is, and you've got to deal with disappointment. Erik had to deal with disappointment last year by going on loan and realized it’s very hard. So he’s come back this year with a bit between his teeth, and he gets his goal tonight. I think everyone in the stadium was delighted for him, because the amount of work he puts in, not just in games but on a daily basis, is phenomenal.”

Midfielder Russell Teibert, who has seen his playing time reduced this season, also made a case for more time in the starting 11 as he took on more of a playmaking role in a 4-4-2 formation while captain Pedro Morales was rested. Teibert set up Hurtado for Vancouver's second goal, in only the 12th minute, with a long, high lead ball that the striker ran on to and then lobbed over charging K.C. goalkeeper Jon Kempin.

"It means a lot to get the three points, not only for ourselves, but for the fans," said Teibert. "It’s nice to get a win for them in our own place, where we’ve been fairly good in the past – to get back to winning ways. Hopefully, we can carry this over to the MLS season.”

Teibert said the win should help the Whitecaps deal with a lack of confidence, which "has become an issue on the field recently."

“We weren’t playing with the same swagger as we did tonight," he said. "You could tell by the way the players were strutting that we played like that tonight. We stood up. We were a team tonight that wasn’t going to get scored on. We were a team that scores goals. We were dangerous on the counter, we were strong in defence and we had communication all over the field. We stuck to our game plan and we did the simple things very well.” 

Techera closed out the scoring in the 64th minute as he took a lead pass from Matias Laba and slid a shot by Kempin. Sporting coach Vermes said the Whitecaps were the better, and more aggressive team, and he would not have received much of an argument. K.C. rarely showed much offensively, although Connor Hallisey was foiled by Vancouver goalkeeper Paolo Tornaghi on a shot from close range in the 48th minute, and Diego Rubio bounced a header just wide of the Whitecaps net 10 minutes later. 

Tornaghi was happy to earn the shutout after being deployed in CCL last season, when the Whitecaps did not advance beyond the group stage.

“For me, I was a little bit disappointed from last year (with) how I did," said Tornaghi, who was credited with five mostly routine saves. "So I was really looking forward to (getting) revenge and doing very good in this competition.”

The Whitecaps hope to advance beyond the group stage in CCL for the first tme. The CCL competition will ultimately determine the North American, Central American and Caribbean zone's representative in the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup.

Tornaghi saw his first action after Spencer Richey was called up from Vancouver's United Soccer League farm team for the first CCL game, a 1-0 win over Central F.C. of Trinidad and Tobago. But, after watching his team struggle for much of the season, Robinson was not ready to get too excited aboutVancouver's unblemished CCL record.

“It’s far from over,”  he said of the group stage. “We’ve got two more difficult games to go. But if we apply ourselves with the same mindset and the same mentality as we did today, then hopefully we can achieve another first for the club.”