Whitecaps looking to play with extra snarl after rivals for Florida tourney revealed
Like the saying goes, you miss 100 per cent of the shots you don’t take.
And the Vancouver Whitecaps intend on coming out guns-a-blazing when the squad travels to Florida for next month’s Major League Soccer return-to-play tournament.
“About three, four days ago, I read a quote from (Formula One legend) Ayrton Senna. And Senna said, ‘If you no longer go for that gap that is open, you’re no longer a racing driver,” said Vancouver Whitecaps coach Marc Dos Santos.
“We have a choice as human beings, and as a team, as a club. We can go with the attitude of, ‘Oh, we’re the smaller club (we don’t have a chance)’ … but I don’t believe in that in a tournament like this.
“We’re not going (to Orlando) with a feeling of inferiority. We’re going to have to play every game that means three points, that brings us closer to a dream called CONCACAF Champions League. That’s our goal. That’s my focus.
“We’re not allowing excuses. We’re not allowing, ‘It’s too hot,’ ‘We don’t have enough preparation,’ ‘We don’t have exhibition games’ ... these are all things that hold us back. If you’re going to look at those excuses, you might as well not get on the plane.”
The winner of the World Cupstyle tournament will earn a coveted
CCL berth and the chance to compete against the best teams in the region.
Every team in MLS will descend on the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando for a 26-team knockout stage tournament, with the three round robin games counting in the regular-season standings.
The Whitecaps were drawn into Group B along with FC Dallas, San Jose and Cascadia rival Seattle. The schedule has yet to be released, though play will begin July 8.
“We’re very glad we ended up in a group that is incredibly balanced. I think any of the four teams could qualify. It’s good for our fans that we ended up in a group with Seattle or Portland. We wanted that,” said Dos Santos.
“If you’re going to have a competition like this, it’s important to have games that are also important for our fans.”
The Whitecaps’ last game was March 7, when they beat the host LAFC 1-0. They managed to get only two games under their belts
before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down sports.
Now, they will enter what is essentially another training camp for the next three weeks before playing their first game in Orlando. The difference is, instead of players coming into camp a little soft from having a few too many pina coladas on a beach, the Whitecaps have been hard at work keeping their fitness levels up.
“To start with the pre-season … I feel that’s the only thing we’ve been doing this year. We are pre-season here, pre-season there,” said Dos Santos. “Our last game was three months ago. Our first game after three months without playing is a group stage game. I’m going to be honest … it’s new for me.
“I don’t know what the response will be, but I know the mindset of our guys is really good right now. If you go play a tournament like this
afraid of every opponent, you’ll have a tough time. Our mindset has to be not being afraid and going there to win.”
Getting off to a quick start is important in a tournament, and while couching it by saying teams can have success after dropping their opener, Dos Santos said he plans to have the Whitecaps come out with a degree of energy and snarl.
“Since Day 1 that I arrived here, I had a dream for this team to be known for a certain way … (A) very aggressive style of soccer, with players who are dynamic, very energetic, pushing the opponent, trying to grab the opponent by the neck,” he said. “We don’t want to change. We want to make sure that we get out in the first game in the first 15, 20 minutes and people see what we want to be about.”