‘CRUSHING’ DEFEAT
Whitecaps must bounce back
Six days ago, the Whitecaps were talking about their comeback win in Philadelphia as a turning point in the season. But after Wednesday’s brutal last-second loss to Toronto in the Canadian final at B.C. Place, you have to wonder how long these feelings might linger.
“That’s probably the worst way I’ve ever lost a game in my entire career, starting from when I was maybe six years old,” said fullback Jordan Harvey. “(I’m) devastated, man, really. I can’t really put it into any other words than that. It’s definitely crushing.”
Crushing. Devastating. These were the words everyone was using to describe how it felt to see a 2-1 aggregate lead turn into a series loss on away goals on what should have been a routine play. Goalkeeper David Ousted collided with centreback Kendall Waston, spilled the ball and Will Johnson pounced for the visitors — the champions. Inside the Dome, with 19,000 guests, a wedding turned into a funeral.
“I don’t know how to feel right now,” said Tim Parker, who had played right-back and scored the 2-0 goal midway through the second half. “I thought it was going to be enough. It just goes to show you’ve got to play every second of every match out.”
We’ll get our first glimpse of how this team can bounce back Monday. The Caps (7-7-3 in MLS) are at the L.A. Galaxy (5-3-8) for a July 4 game.
L.A.’s unbeaten at the StubHub Center (4-0-4) and coming off a 1-0 win at Portland in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 on Wednesday.
None o fL. A.’ s big attacking names played Wednesday, but coach Bruce Arena will have all his internationals back and available ahead of the Vancouver game. There’s no more star-studded lineup in MLS: Giovani dos Santos, Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard, Gyasi Zardes, Nigel de Jong and Ashley Cole.
“There’s two ways to go,” said Harvey, who repeated his claim that this team can reach the MLS Cup. “We’ve got a tough game in L.A. We’ve got to pick our heads up. It’s going to hurt tonight (Wednesday), but coming in tomorrow we’ve got to pick our heads up and use this as motivation.” If they don’t, they’ll have lost more than a Voyageurs Cup.
OUSTED TAKES BLAME
Ousted took the blame for his team’s shocking, last-second loss in Wednesday’s Amway final.
But should he? Coming for the long, lofted ball, Ousted collided with his defender, a back-peddling Kendall Waston, on the play. We had ex-World Cup keeper Paul Dolan talk us through the disaster as he watched on replay.
“I’m surprised at how much of the blame he (Ousted) took,” said Dolan. “I don’t know if he’s just being a standup guy or if he feels he completely flubbed it. There’s no question Waston’s presence not only throws him off, but impedes his ability to catch it. But if there was any doubt about making a clean catch, then he (Ousted) should have put his fists through it.
“Waston has a perfect track on it and he can head it away easily, so ... the only way you can blame Waston is if he heard the shout. It’s a ball you’d head away in any circumstance — it’s at the penalty spot, not the six.”
Ex-professional defenders Mark Rogers and Jason de Vos agreed on the major points.
“If Waston hears that call, he absolutely must clear space and give his keeper a clean take,” Rogers wrote on Twitter. “If no call? On Ousted.”
ESQUEDA ON THE WAY?
The rumoured replacement for the Caps’ Chile-bound striker Octavio Rivero is Mexican forward Enrique Esqueda. Mostly, it’s just been Esqueda fuelling the chatter by retweeting everything the Whitecaps send out.
But the 28-year-old on-loan Veracruz striker does have a strong desire to come to Vancouver, where he has friends, and the Caps could have an interest if the price is right.
A loan deal that would have sent Esqueda to FC Juarez has reportedly fallen through. Esqueda signed with Pachuca in 2011 and has been loaned out the past three seasons.
He has nine caps for Mexico, the last coming in a 2015 friendly against Peru.