*Heavy, world-weary sigh.*
Well, here we go again. The clock has ticked over to August 26th, and the Vancouver Whitecaps will play the Montreal Impact tonight at BC Place in the final match of the Canadian Championship. The forums, message boards and social media outlets have all filled up with the prognostications of the supporters. Most are dire, a Pavlovian response to the words “Voyageurs Cup Final” borne of 13 years of failure. Yet there is a feeling of hope, too. A dangerous feeling, that. The hope exists because — for at least the fifth consecutive year — the Whitecaps have their best-ever chance to finally capture this trophy.
In 2011, we were the newly-upgraded MLS team with only the woeful TFC for competition. Our sophomore year was the Rennie-ssance, and we were off to a fantastic start with only the woeful TFC for competition. In 2013, we finally had home-field advantage in the second leg. Robbo took over for 2014, upgraded the squad and was going to lead us to victory. Now it’s 2015, and we’ve finally gotten into the Champions League, but the damn trophy still eludes us.
The Whitecaps enter this final game with the advantage. That is something that has not happened since 2009, when anything but a complete Montreal collapse against Toronto in the final match would have given the trophy to Vancouver. The result – predictably when you consider Vancouver’s history in this competition – was a complete Montreal collapse.
Tonight, the score stands at 2-2 after the first leg, with the Whitecaps having the advantage on away goals. The task for Vancouver’s back seven is simple, then: keep a clean sheet, as you have done 10 times already this season, and the Cup is yours. For the team as a whole, just win. A win by any margin and the Cup is yours. If you’re unable to win, a draw may do. Draw 0-0 or 1-1, and many of your supporters may suffer heart attacks, but the Cup will be yours. If you allow three or more goals (for only the third time this season), then a draw no longer suffices. Let us not contemplate the open weeping — and even more heart attacks — that will surely ensue should the match finish 2-2 and go into extra time.
In terms of what to expect on the field, both coaches have kept their cards reasonably close to their vest. We know that Ignacio Piatti, the heart of Montreal’s offence, did not travel with the team. People hoping for a glimpse of Montreal’s new star striker Didier Drogba will be similarly disappointed. Having said that, I still suspect trickery. Maybe they took a separate flight and stayed in a separate hotel, and will show up in the starting eleven at the last minute to dash Vancouver’s hopes. We’ll find out around 6:00pm. With the Impact in the middle of a playoff race, though, and having just lost to the lowly Philadelphia Union, it’s not unreasonable to expect Frank Klopas to save some of his horses for the big game against the no-longer woeful TFC on Saturday.
On Vancouver’s side, the picture is even murkier. Vancouver has an ‘A’ team that has the Whitecaps in the thick of the Supporters Shield race, and a ‘B’ team that has looked unable to generate any offence from the run of play. Which will we see?
The ‘Caps have said that they’re all-in to win this tournament this year, but I don’t take that to mean we’ll see the full ‘A’ squad. My best guess is that we’ll see the three top Canadians in the squad, Sam Adekugbe, Russell Teibert and Kianz Froese, probably in place of Jordan Harvey, Gershon Koffie and Cristian Techera. Pedro Morales started Saturday, so I expect to see Nicolas Mezquida tonight. After that? No idea. I hope that we’ll see Matias Laba, David Ousted and Kendall Waston, but wouldn’t be terribly surprised if none of them make an appearance. Newcomer Jordan Smith has also been added to the Canadian Championship roster, and given his impressive first week of training, it’s entirely possible he starts at right back. Here’s my projected eleven so you can all laugh at me later:
Keeper: Tornaghi.
Defense: Adekugbe, Parker, Kah, Smith.
Defensive Midfield: Laba, Teibert.
Attacking Midfield: Manneh, Mezquida, Froese.
Forward: Mattocks.
I have this weird mixture of trepidation, hope and “can we just get this damn game over with” anxiety churning around in my stomach already.
BC Place Stadium.
7pm.
Come suffer a heart attack with me.