Whitecaps look to make most of away goal

VANCOUVER (CP) — The Vancouver Whitecaps know they hold an advantage when they host the New York Red Bulls in tonight’s second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final.

The Whitecaps collected an important away goal when they earned a 1-1 draw in the opening match of the two-game aggregate series last Wednesday in Harrison, N.J.

The decision facing Vancouver now is how to use that edge in the deciding game at B.C. Place Stadium. Do the Whitecaps sit back and try to defend against their Major League Soccer rival, or do they go looking for an early goal?

Head coach Carl Robinson wasn’t about to give away any game plans.

“We have the away goal, which is always nice,” said Robinson. “I know our preparation will be spot on. We’ll have a game plan like we did in New York prepared. Then it will be down to the players to go and play that.”

Red Bulls’ coach Jesse Marsch said allowing the away goal doesn’t change how his team will play in Vancouver.

“Whichever way it goes, it’s going to be tight,” Marsch said on the Red Bulls’ website. “We have to go there and score goals. We were prepared to do that anyway. Our group has trained really well this week.”

The CONCACAF Champions League features the top teams from North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Tonight’s winner advances to the semifinal against a team from Mexico.

“It’s very important for us as an institution and we want to make history here,” said Vancouver defender Kendall Waston.

“All the other pre-season games we weren’t fighting for any points. Now we are fighting with the mentality this is an intense match. That helps us to be very prepared for the first match of the season.”

The Whitecaps open their MLS season Sunday at home against the Philadelphia Union.