TRYING TO REIGN SANS REYNA
Peru calls upon first-place Caps’ star
Fans of the Vancouver Whitecaps might get a better gauge this weekend of how valuable Yordy Reyna is to the club, but not in a way they will cherish.
The 24-year-old midfielder, who makes it feel like something electric is going to happen every time he touches the ball when things are going right for him, will miss the Whitecaps’ visit to the New York Red Bulls on Saturday after being added to the Peru squad for their World Cup qualifier against Argentina on Thursday in Buenos Aires.
The news came down Tuesday. The Caps already knew they would be missing centre back Kendall Waston and midfielder Christian Bolanos to World Cup qualifying duty with Costa Rica against visiting Honduras on Friday, along with goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic, who will play for New Zealand in a Friday friendly against host Japan.
“He’s going to play for me ... no, he’s not. The rumblings are true,” quipped Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson, trying to have a little fun with the media after practice. “He deserves his call-up. I’m delighted for him but disappointed that I don’t get to use him.
“It’s a credit to Yordy. It’s a credit to the group — the team that he’s played with — that he’s managed to put himself in a window where the national team comes calling.”
Robinson had tagged Reyna as one of Vancouver’s key off-season additions, but he broke his left foot in a pre-season game and it required surgery. Reyna debuted in July, and in 16 appearances he has five goals, all of which have been game winners.
He’s been one of the key parts of Vancouver’s surge at the Western Conference title, evidenced by the fact that Vancouver is 5-1-3 in games Reyna has started.
The Whitecaps have said that Reyna will be home and available for selection for an Oct. 15 visit from the San Jose Earthquakes.
Robinson explained: “He creates, he scores, he works hard, and he’s a little rascal. There’s talk about him being arguably the best player the club’s had and if he keeps going the way he is, I won’t disagree.”
With three games left in their regular season, the Whitecaps (1510-6) have already clinched a playoff spot and sit atop the Western Conference, four points up on the Portland Timbers (13-11-8), Sporting Kansas City (12-7-11) and the Seattle Sounders (12-9-11). They have a game in hand on both Portland and Seattle, while Kansas City has a game in hand on them.
A Vancouver win over the Red Bulls (12-12-7) would clinch the Whitecaps one of the top two spots in the West, meaning they would receive a first-round bye.
“Now it’s the fun part,” said Robinson. “It’s three key games against really good teams. There’s lots to play for. We’ve got one foot in the door, but we want to finish as high as we can with as many points as we can.”
The Red Bulls currently hold down the sixth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They’re 8-2-5 at home.