Whitecaps blanked FC Edmonton, sweep series
Red card after unintentional collision changes game
The evil spirits that seem to have afflicted Darren Mattocks’ game continue to linger.
Fortunately for the Vancouver Whitecaps, it doesn’t appear the Jamaican-born striker, who just can’t buy a goal of late, needs to be isolated from his teammates.
Young Corey Hertzog, who came on to start the second half for the snake-bit Mattocks scored on a brilliant 35-yard strike and a Russell Teibert corner was headed accidentally, but perfectly, into the FC Edmonton net by Eddies’ forward Shaun Saiko for an own goal as the ’Caps had little trouble earning a 2-0 win Wednesday at B.C. Place.
Vancouver, playing in front of a crowd announced at 14,892 although it looked a few thousand smaller, won the two-leg Amway Canadian championship semifinal 5-2 on aggregate to set up a home-and-home series later this month against the Montreal Impact for a title for the Whitecaps have never won.
The Impact throttled Toronto FC 6-0 in Montreal earlier Wednesday to win that semifinal 6-2 on aggregate.
“We owe it to this city and to this club to win a title,” said Teibert, who was winning balls over the field for the ’Caps.
“We’ve come close in the past and, this year, I think we have a great shot. Montreal has a good squad. It won’t be easy.”
After a scoreless first half against a game Edmonton club missing some key players, the ’Caps got a big break in the 51st minute when Edmonton centre back Adrian Leroy was handed a red card for tripping up Herzog.
A long, searching ball from Teibert had taken a big bounce on the artificial turf and got behind the Edmonton defence. With Hertzog about to race onto it, a hard-charging Leroy accidentally clipped the Vancouver player’s heels. Referee Geoff Gamble had no choice but to pull out the red card.
“Having seen the incident twice now, I think at some point there has to be something in the spirit of the game,” said Edmonton head coach Colin Miller. “When you get two players staring at the ball and there’s a collision, totally unintentional, I don’t see that as a red card. I see it as a free kick, possibly, but I see two players going directly for the ball and there’s a tangle of legs.
“That decision changed the game.”
Seven minutes after Leroy was sent off, Hertzog, in his first game since missing three games with a concussion, got onto a little knock forward header from Teibert and volleyed from long range, cleanly beating Edmonton goalkeeper Lance Parker.
“All week, me and the goalie coach have just been working on some of the finishing and all that, working on some volleys,” said Hertzog. “Tonight was a good one.”
In the 67th minute, Saiko, stationed at the near post, tried to clear Teibert’s corner, only to see it go just inside the far post, leaving Parker no chance.
“I was trying to score, what are you talking about,” said Teibert when asked what he thought when he saw the ball go in off Saiko.
“No, I was really happy to see the ball go in the net and I thank God for that one.”
The Whitecaps had the early pressure in the first half, but no threatening chances until Camilo curled a free kick from the far left side right into Parker. He bobbled the shot as he backed almost into his own net, but quickly fell on the ball before any Vancouver player could get a foot on it.
Teibert was creating chances with his hustle plays. But Mattocks, the ’Caps leading scorer last season but stuck on just one goal this year, had his touch let him down a couple of times to spoil good build ups.