Whitecaps FC2 leaves it late to beat OKC
Haber scores tiebreaking goal with just minutes to go, sending Vancouver into USL final next weekend
With extra time looming and the season on the line, Daniel Haber’s composed finish lifted Whitecaps FC 2 into the USL Western Conference final Saturday.
Haber, a 24-year-old forward from Toronto, took a touch in the box, then slotted the 3-2 winner through two sets of legs and past OKC Energy goalkeeper Cody Laurendi in the 89th minute at Thunderbird Stadium.
It was a sweet finish for Haber, who hadn’t scored in nine games, and for the Caps, who had been up 2-0 early in the second half before the visitors stormed back to equalize.
“We thought we were in control,” Caps coach Alan Koch said. “But you’re never in control against a team like that, that relies on set pieces.
“Give them (OKC) credit. They took their chances. But we’ve said this about our group for a long time now: football is about characters and having character, and in our group we have (both).”
The Caps await the winner of No. 8 Orange County Blues and No. 4 Swope Park Rangers, the Sporting Kansas City affiliate. Those teams play Sunday in Kansas City.
If Orange County pulls off the upset, the sixth-seeded Caps play host to the Western Conference final Saturday. If not, Vancouver will head to K.C., where Marc Dos Santos, the ex-Montreal Impact coach, manages Swope Park.
Either way, the Caps were thrilled to advance after a dramatic second half during which they were under constant pressure.
The Caps’ players poured onto the turf at the final whistle in front of around 1,300 fans, including MLS captain Pedro Morales and some of his teammates.
“I’m just so proud of the guys for continuing to push,” said Haber, who has played in Israel and Cyprus and has played games in the UEFA Europa League.
“It would have been easy to throw in the towel there (at 2-2). But you could see it on our faces: we didn’t want the season to end here.”
A lively and determined Kianz Froese opened the scoring in the first half. His free kick from the left eluded Laurendi, who was rooted to his line, anticipating a redirect off the head of Haber or Kyle Greig.
Greig, the captain and oldest player on this Caps team at 26, made it 2-0 in the 48th minute with a tidy finish to the far post.
Kadin Chung — one of three local 18-year-olds in the starting lineup, with Thomas Gardner and Matthew Baldisimo — set up the goal with a neat run and smart pass.
All three played well. Gardner helped create the winner while Baldisimo’s work in central midfield alongside Will Seymore was key. The Caps centre back partnership of Sem de Wit and Cole Seiler was solid, too.
At 2-0, though, OKC’s size, experience and physicality took over. They scored twice after corners, the tying goal a beauty by Timo Pitter, who gathered in a partial clearance and curled his shot into the top corner from the top of the box.
Pitter is on loan from FC Dallas, who drafted the German 33rd overall in January.
The Caps third-round pick from 2015, goalkeeper Spencer Richey of Seattle, did his part to limit the damage to two and set the stage for Haber’s heroics.
“He gives you a chance to win,” Koch said of Richey, who has played well in CONCACAF Champions League games for the MLS team and should battle for the Caps No. 2 spot behind David Ousted next season.
Haber could also be among those invited to MLS camp. He’s smart and a good finisher, and the Caps aren’t deep at forward. The goal was Haber’s eighth of the season and the fourth time he helped win a game in the dying minutes.
He struck late winners against Tulsa and Portland earlier this season, and also had a game-winning assist.
“I don’t think there’s any feeling like winning a game at the end, in the playoffs,” he said.
For Greig — who shook off a rough challenge from one of his best friends, Michael Thomas, in the first half — next weekend will be his second straight western final. He played for OKC last season, losing to L.A. Galaxy II at that stage.
“It shows a lot of character to be able to come back and avoid going into extra-time,” he said. “We’re going to enjoy it today, but start looking forward.”