CAPS WIPED IN BLOWOUT
THE PHILADELPHIA UNION POUNCED ON VANCOUVER SATURDAY AS THE VISITORS CAME UP FLAT AND FRUSTRATED
If the Vancouver Whitecaps needed a reminder that their World Cup break was over, the Philadelphia Union provided it Saturday.
The Eastern Conference squad snapped a two-game skid with a 4-0 stomping of the visiting Caps at Talen Energy Stadium in Chester, Pa., where they hadn’t lost in four Major League Soccer games.
The Whitecaps’ six-game unbeaten streak came to an abrupt end, as did the twogame win streak that began before the team broke for the World Cup on June 9. A team that had generated the most chances and goals in MLS since the start of May looked toothless against Philly, getting out-shot 25-2, without one attempt on target.
It was the fourth time Vancouver (6-6-5) has been blanked this season, but the first time in six games they failed to score a goal. Jose Aja and Yordy Reyna were both sent off for the Caps, leaving them with nine men for the second time this season.
It’s a result that is certain to inject some fire into the town hall meeting the team is holding with its supporters’ groups on Tuesday night at the Blarney Stone in downtown Vancouver. Here’s what else we learned Saturday:
SLUGGISH START, SLOWER FINISH
The first-half numbers were ugly. Shots 15-0 for Philly, four on target, and seven other attempts blocked. Corners, 8-3; duels, 32-21, all in favour of the home side. The Union (6-7-3) had nearly 80 per cent of possession at one point, as the Caps couldn’t string together any kind of passes, spending most of their touches clearing balls from their zone.
The Caps were under siege the entire half, and the walls fell in the 24th minute when a deep cross fell to Brek Shea, whose clearing header only travelled as far as the edge of the box. When Alphonso Davies couldn’t get to the ball, Borek Dockal gathered it in and curled it through traffic to the far corner for a 1-0 lead.
It took until the 54th minute for Vancouver to register their first shot, as Nico Mezquida — who came off at halftime for Cristian Techera — broke down the left with Yordy Reyna in tow. They combined for a give-and-go to produce the Caps’ best chance of the game, with Mezquida’s shot from eight yards out being deflected just wide.
Dockal made it 2-0 in the 71st minute, sidestepping lunging tackles from Shea and Aja before rifling a shot into the top corner. Vancouver’s defence looked flat and tired, without any aggression apart from Doneil Henry at centreback.
“Disappointing,” said coach Carl Robinson.
“I thought we got what we deserved, which was nothing. I thought we were way off, from the first minute. We were leggy, we looked tired, we weren’t sharp ... and then, obviously we let ourselves down with some unacceptable behaviour. We were undisciplined. Philadelphia was the better team from the first to the last minute.”
CENTRAL PROBLEM
The Whitecaps went down to 10-men just 60 seconds after Philly’s second goal, as Aja was sent off for impeding an obvious goal-scoring opportunity when he grabbed the shoulder of Cory Burke, causing the Union forward to fall. While the penalty was a soft one, it was in accordance of the rules.
Brazilian Ilsinho converted the PK for a 3-0 lead, and the game was effectively sealed.
Aja automatically misses the next game, but starting centreback Kendall Waston should be back from World Cup duty in Russia with Costa Rica’s final game coming on Wednesday with the Ticos failing to advance to the next round.
Should he return, he’ll partner with Henry, who was one of the few positives the Caps could take from the game. The Canadian international had game-highs in interceptions (4) and clearances (8) and came into the game leading the team in passing accuracy in the three straight games he’s started, completing 54 of 60.
SEEING RED
Reyna was in the middle of a fracas against Sporting Kansas City in April that saw the Caps lose 6-0 after going down nine men.
The Peruvian midfielder lost his head again Saturday, needlessly shoulder-checking the head of Fabrice-Jean Picault inside the area with a minute left in stoppage time. It was his second yellow of the day.
Nerwinski had eluded Picault and was turning upfield when Reyna arrowed in to deliver his frustration-laden shot. He didn’t get to see the Union’s midfielder bury the second PK of the day to round out the scoring.
LET’S GET IN FORMATION
The Caps stuck with Carl Robinson’s now-favoured 4-4-2 for the eighth straight game, but the starting XI was the same in back-to-back games for the first time this year, as Vancouver had started 24 different players this season, with 23 of them starting at least three games.
Shea and Jake Nerwinski both started at the fullback positions. Nerwinski, a New Jersey native, had 100 friends and family take in his third straight start.
Davies and Techera were replaced by Mezquida and Jordon Mutch at the half, a rare move for Robinson, who usually hoards his substitutions for later in the second frame.
“We needed energy, which I thought lacked in the first half, which is why I made those subs with the two wide guys. It was an example there of Alphonso Davies with the amount of travel he’s done over the last 10 days, and obviously you’re judged on the football field,” said Robinson, referring to Davies’ trip to Russia for a speech in support of Canada’s World Cup bid.
“Nico came in, Mutchy came in, and brought a little calmness to our play, but then we concede a bad goal and two penalties, and the game was done.”