Caps, Reds play for bragging rights
Canadian Championship features two teams coming off surprising draws in MLS action
The questions began in mid-July when, after fielding a team of second-stringers against the Montreal Impact, of just how important the Canadian Championship was to the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Coach Carl Robinson made a statement by fielding a fullstrength team for the second leg at home — and then, in case you missed his intention, rested his big-name players and rolled out a B-team to take on New York City FC on Saturday, five days out from Wednesday’s Canadian Championship final showdown with Toronto FC at B.C. Place.
Robinson rested starters Kei Kamara and Doneil Henry for Saturday’s game — which, considering the quality of opponent and degree of difficulty — shockingly ended in a 2-2 draw. Kamara and Henry remained in Vancouver along with Jake Nerwinski, Jose Aja and Kendall Waston, while regular starters Alphonso Davies, Yordy Reyna, Cristian Techera and Marcel De Jong headed to the bench.
“(Squad depth is) very important,” said Robinson. “Two centrebacks, I changed both fullbacks … there was always rotation going to be done in this game because we’re up against Toronto (in upcoming Canadian Championship).”
Nicolás Mezquida and Anthony Blondell stood in for Kamara and Reyna.
Jose Aja and Doneil were exchanged for Aly Ghazal and Aaron Maund.
Instead of Davies and Techera, it was Brek Shea and Bernie Ibini.
The lack of firepower in the starting XI against New York had the feeling of a concession, considering the Blues hadn’t lost all season at home (10-0-1) while shutting out seven teams and never conceding more than a single goal.
But the Caps overcame the odds with their most impressive away result of the season.
“I mean, we had 18 players, so we had all the players we needed,” said Hurtado, whose 87th-minute goal earned Vancouver a valuable point in the tightly-packed Western Conference standings.
Mezquida and Hurtado might have had the goals for Vancouver (8-9-6), but it was the injection of Davies and Reyna into the game midway through the second half that boosted the Caps offence. Up to that point, they had two shots total. After Davies was brought on, they had six, including a curling 22-yard blast from their MLS All-Star that forced NYCFC keeper Brad Stuver into a diving fingertip save.
“They made three key subs. They brought on Alphonso Davies, Yordy Reyna and (Erik) Hurtado,” said Stuver. “All three of them brought in some quality and pace at that stage of the game. It’s very difficult for us to change because they weren’t really pressing in the first half, then all of a sudden they put in the three speedsters and everything changes. They’re pressing every ball, they’re going after everything. It kind of looked like we were shell-shocked by the speed for a second.
“MLS is crazy. Anyone can win on any given day and we know that. You have to prepare as if it’s the MLS Cup Final every game.”
The Caps need no motivation for Wednesday’s game. TFC are the defending MLS champs and six-time winners of the Voyageurs Cup.
And while they’re sitting in ninth place in the East, six points adrift of the final playoff berth, the Reds (6-11-5) are on a three-game unbeaten streak that includes a 2-2 tie at Atlanta, the runaway league leaders.
“Of course,” TFC forward Tosaint Ricketts replied when asked if his team’s impressive draw with the Red Stripes Saturday sends a message to the league that they’re back.
“Everyone is back to 100 per cent health and (we’re) getting the team going,” added Ricketts, who scored his third of the season in the game.
“The last few matches have been good, and I think we’re turning in the right direction.”
“It’s about momentum, and we now we’ve got a Canadian Championship game midweek to deal with and then another tough team (in NYCFC) coming in to our place next week,” added Toronto coach Greg Vanney.