It was the same old story for the Vancouver Whitecaps as they edged Tigres UNAL in possession, shots and passing, but ultimately fell in a penalty shootout in the final match of Phase One in the Leagues Cup.
Tigres’ Rodrigo Aguirre and the Whitecaps’ Emmanuel Sabbi scored for their respective clubs in a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes. Tigres won the penalty shootout, but Isaac Boehmer forced it to go to seven rounds with two strong saves.
The opening 15 minutes looked positive for the Whitecaps. They were finding entry points into Tigres’ box and working into space. In contrast, Tigres looked lethargic and unprepared for the match.
But as has been the story of the past month, Whitecaps’ possession and opportunity numbers were for naught, as the home side scored first in the 18th minute.
Aguirre ran off the shoulder of Mathías Laborda and received an excellent pass into the space in front of him. The centre-back tried to get back to defend, but Aguirre kept the ball wide, moved into the box, and shot past Boehmer.
It was Tigres’ first shot attempt of the night.
Ryan Gauld had a chance midway through the half as Rayan Elloumi played in his captain in a central position. Gauld’s shot forced a quick low save from Nahuel Guzmán.
Laborda believed he had redeemed himself in the 37th minute as he put the ball behind Tigres’ keeper Guzmán. However, the referee ruled the centre-back offside, and the replay showed the same.
The Whitecaps took a while to warm up to the second half. Changes to bring on Sabbi and Johnny Selemani were meant to improve their attacking efficiency.
The move did seem to have moderate success. Sabbi and Elloumi both played high, often switching who was central, giving the Whitecaps a more 4-4-2 shape.
Sabbi proved Sorensen the tactical master as he scored in the 80th minute. The American striker controlled a long cross with his chest, bringing the ball down to his feet. His shot went over everything and off the underside of the crossbar, equalizing the match late on.
With the match tied, Tigres lost their head. Diego Lainez was given a straight red card in the 88th minute after speaking to the referee. The card was shown without hesitation for whatever was said.
A few minutes later, Tigres’ keeper, Guzmán, was given a straight red card after shoving the referee during a free kick. The Mexican side was in shambles as the two clubs headed to take penalties.
Boehmer made big saves against Aguirre and Jesús Garza in the shootout, pushing it to seven rounds and giving the Whitecaps ample opportunity to take the win. But saves against Laborda and Ralph Priso and a miss from Elloumi could not match their keeper’s effort.
The Whitecaps were awarded a point in the table for the shootout loss. It was their only point in this year’s Leagues Cup as their run ends.
Up next
It’s back to MLS action as the Whitecaps take on Seattle Sounders on Aug. 16 on the road. Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.
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