The Vancouver Whitecaps had never gotten this far in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
The further the path, the tougher the tests are. This time, it was Pumas UNAM, another Liga MX powerhouse. Despite their poor run of form, the Whitecaps knew they couldn’t take Pumas lightly.
In a game which saw a lot of CONCACAF antics and even the lights going out, Vancouver battled hard but couldn’t keep Pumas down.
First Half: Lots to like but needed more bite
Early on, it was clear that the Whitecaps wanted to take Pumas out of the game as early as possible. In the first 10 minutes, Vancouver had the vast majority of possession. Sebastian Berhalter and Ali Ahmed had some good looks but both ended up getting blocked.
It also looked like Pumas was starting out with a defensive game plan and slowly grew into it as the half went on. Their centrebacks were making sure the Whitecaps did not get much space in the box and Adalberto Carrasquilla and Peiro Quispe held down the fort in the midfield for the visitors.
Vancouver looked organized and more threatening. Ali Ahmed and Pedro Vite looked like vultures on the wing and so did Edier Ocampo on the right flank.
It was a tactical battle between Whitecaps head coach Jesper Sørensen and Pumas head coach (and former Whitecap) Efraín Juárez.
But the main ingredients were missing: goals. They needed to get on the crosses from Ocampo and Vite and Berhalter’s corner kicks were off. It wasn’t a bad half for the Whitecaps, it was actually a good half. But they obviously weren’t happy with that, they wanted more.
Second Half: A set-piece goal for and against
Early in the second half the lights at BC Place went on and off for some reason. Maybe someone decided to pull a prank or the BC Hydro bill wasn’t paid. Who knows? Not every day you see a disco show at a soccer match.
Back on the pitch, the Whitecaps were trying to light up the place with goals. Even Ocampo tried taking a shot from a beautiful pass from Vite but he skied it over the bar.
The breakthrough finally came in the most CONCACAF sequence of events ever. Let’s break it down. First, Padilla professed his love for the turf by going down. Yet, Jayden Nelson got a yellow. Why? Who knows?
Then after a big hockey-style scrum, off the ensuing corner, the players are all fighting for custody of the ball and somehow Brian White poked it in. A goal is a goal, CONCACAF is chaos.
Pumas was getting agitated and the Whitecaps were doing a good job of getting under their skin.
But one little slip-up changed things. In sports, things can change as quick as a movie flopping at the box office these days. Substitute Jeevan Badwal lost track of Carrasquilla and it was free real estate for the former Houston Dynamo midfielder. Tough to give up an away goal late. Like the BC Place lights, the Whitecaps shut off.
Despite Pumas trying their dark arts, the Whitecaps wanted to use the art of scoring. Ocampo found Emmanuel Sabbi, who also had free real estate of his own but Padilla’s hands and the post denied him.
In the end, it was a peak CONCACAF game. There was a bizarre goal, diving and antics from Pumas, a good atmosphere and…the lights having technical difficulties. For the Whitecaps, they were kicking themselves for not just giving up the late away goal but for not being sharp enough in the final third. But Vancouver has been in this situation before and next week, they’ll look to replicate that famous Monterrey win in Mexico City.
Stat of the match
Both teams managed just two shots on target each and they both scored on half of their shots on target.
What was said
We also knew what we were up against, the team that came here to defend well,” said Sørensen. “We didn’t really have the quality in the crossings, but we got the opportunities to get under them as we wanted. Then we got the opener, and I think we didn’t give much away.”
“There’s nothing to fear. We are playing against a good team, and now they will be at home. We also saw today what’s going to meet us. They will try and pull every trick out of the sleeve. We saw the goalie today, I hope that he survives.”
White spoke about how to keep emotions in check in games like this one.
“It’s difficult…you want to win,” said the striker. “It’s important to keep a cool head because they’re going to try to trick you. They have to get you off your game to make it more than just a soccer game. So it’s obviously difficult, but we have to keep cool heads and that’s the most important thing.”
White was asked about the bizarre goal that was credited to him.
“I took the ball, dribbled three guys, couple step-overs, put it top corner,” he joked.
Tweet of the match
This image goes hard, hang it in the Louvre.
Wrap-up
The Whitecaps return to MLS action as Colorado Rapids come to town on Saturday. They are just two points behind Vancouver. Kickoff is at 6:30 pm Pacific.
The second leg against Pumas in the CCC from Mexico City takes place on Wednesday. Kickoff is at 7:40 pm Pacific.
