Russell sprouts to sniper stardom
Budding Canadian star scores twice as Vancouver topples Galaxy for first time
Russell Teibert had plenty of time to decompress after the game.
He was the last guy off the BC Place turf and into the lockerroom Saturday. And now the hero had finally showered and slipped into a pair of teamissued shorts and a jacket to stand in front of a phalanx of television cameras and microphones.
It was some 40 minutes after the final whistle, but the diminutive midfielder with the jetblack Mohawk couldn’t stop beaming.
And why not? He had scored his first two Major League Soccer goals in a desperately needed 3- 1 Vancouver Whitecaps’ win over the reigning champion Los Angeles Galaxy — on Mother’s Day eve, no less, with his mom Gina and other family members watching in the stands.
“They’ve supported my dream to become a professional soccer player since I was young, so it’s a little gift for them,” said Teibert, whose well- placed, leftfooted strikes in the 63rd and 76th minutes gave Vancouver a 2- 0 lead in a victory that snapped a seven- game MLS winless streak. “I was overwhelmed to score the first goal and then the second one came, the feeling’s extraordinary. It’s just a blur. I hadn’t scored an MLS goal, it’s something else.”
For the 20- year- old Niagara Falls, Ont., native, a product of the Whitecaps’ residency program, the goals come just four days before Vancouver plays in Montreal in the first leg of the Amway Canadian Championship final.
The Caps, who host the second leg on May 29, have never won the Voyageur’s Cup, with the big prize being a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League.
“It is a very big game, Canadian championship, and we do want to be the best team in Canada, so we need to take this forward and build off it,” said Teibert.
“Everybody on this team wants to dedicate ( a Canadian title) to our club and to our fans. We do owe it to them. Everybody’s going to be pumped up and ready to play in Montreal.”
The 5- 7, 150- pounder is one of 24 Canadians listed on MLS rosters this season, though less than a dozen play regularly. His two goals leave him just one behind Portland’s Will Johnson for the lead among Canadians in MLS. Teibert, who had four starts earlier this season, actually began Saturday’s match on the bench, but entered in the 14th minute when Daigo Kobayashi couldn’t continue after rolling over on his ankle.
Despite being called out a week earlier by head coach Martin Rennie following a 2- 0 loss in Salt Lake City for lacking desire and for being soft ( by interim captain Nigel ReoCoker), the Caps were tentative in a dull, scoreless first half.
They didn’t concede much given that Los Angeles owned much of the possession, but played way too many hopeful long balls and seemed devoid of ideas when they did get in the attacking third.
Teibert, a kind of Energizer bunny when he’s on the field, finally provided the spark just over an hour in when ReoCoker found him open wide right. From just outside the box, Teibert cut into the middle onto his favoured left foot and blasted a shot from 20 yards to the far corner past goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini.
An excited Teibert avoided teammates wanting to celebrate and raced to the bench to embrace assistant coaches Carl Robinson and Paul Ritchie. Both have spent considerable time before and after practice working with the youngster.
“They’ve always given me confidence and I definitely owe something to them.”
Reo- Coker, the English League veteran who has also something of a mentor to Teibert, said he was proud of the kid.
“I’ve seen how hard he works ... and I’ve seen the potential of what he can do and achieve,” he said.
Thirteen minutes after his first goal, Teibert led Gershon Koffie into the box with a terrific ball.
Koffie turned on standout Los Angeles centre back Omar Gonzalez near the touch line and laid a perfect ball back to the penalty spot that Teibert ran onto and drilled past Cudicini.
This time, Teibert whipped his shirt over his head and ran toward the far touch line, the proud crowd of 21,000 roaring its approval for the good Canadian kid.
Los Angeles cut the margin to 2- 1 in the 86th minute when Gyasi Zardes outjumped Andy O’Brien and headed the ball past a helpless Joe Cannon. But Darren Mattocks scored a couple of minutes into stoppage time — just his second goal of the season and his first since March 23 — to clinch the win.
Rennie said Teibert’s two- goal game should boost the Canadian’s confidence.
“Adding goals to his performances is something we’ve talked about and want to see from him. He took his goals very well.
“He’s worked a very long, hard road from last season to become a first- team player, coming all the way through our youth system.”
The victory, a franchise first over the Galaxy and the first this season since March 9, improved Vancouver’s record to 3- 4- 3, including 3- 0- 2 at home. Given the seven- game winless streak, with five of those games on the road, and questions about Rennie’s lineup choices, it was an important win.
“A win like today gives an extra belief and a spring to everybody’s step,” said Rennie. “I do believe it was a very significant win for us.”