|
Posted by
,
October 31, 2017 |
|
Twitter
@HarJournalist
|
|
Read this on your iPhone/iPad or Android device
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
VANCOUVER, B.C - It's not how you start, but how you finish. Whitecaps FC didn't exactly bring out champagne football on Sunday night vs Seattle Sounders FC. Neither side was able to get a leg up in the conference semifinal first leg. The teams combined for one shot on target, and showed next to nothing offensively.
The all Cascadia semifinal is begging for a goal, at least something to open the match up and allow creativity, flow, and some sort of offensive display. We all know that defence wins championships, but at some point, you need to score a goal or two.
"Football's about fine lines, I say this to you all the time guys, and ladies," Carl Robinson said, following training on Monday. "It's what players do when they step across that white line. The boys put in a tremendous effort three days after an unbelievable game against San Jose, and I made them aware of that. Yeah, we're disappointed we didn't get more shots on goal, more chances. You have to accept it."
Vancouver and Seattle were both happy with a nil-nil outcome in the first leg. The 27,837 fans in attendance at B.C. Place, maybe not so much. Heading to CenturyLink Field on Thursday night, will Vancouver change strategies or revert back to playing chess?
"Yeah, that's a real good question," Robinson told Red Nation Online. "It will depend on personnel. If I get players fit, which is important. The players that come in, I asked they do specific roles, and they done it to what their strengths are. Obviously Yordy, and The Bug who are different types of players, bring us something different. If I had to hazard a guess at the moment, I would say they probably won't play, because they're not fit."
Whitecaps FC looked like a completely different team going forward without Reyna and Techera in the starting eleven. Fredy Montero was on an island, and nobody had the GPS coordinates to find him. When they are healthy, Montero, Reyna and Techera are Vancouver's offensive bread, and butter. They make plays, and get the offence on track.
"We're expecting a good soccer game, hopefully it will be a little more open," admitted Montero. "We know they are going to come prepared and give everything they have. There are no excuses, and no players left behind. It's going to be a really interesting match for us."
Sounders FC can expect to receive a boost with the inclusion of Clint Dempsey, and a healthy Osvaldo Alonso. Vancouver will have to find another way to stop Dempsey, Nicolás Lodeiro, and Cristian Roldan. The trio had their way with Whitecaps FC in a 3-0 win in Seattle on September 27.
Vancouver centre-back, Tim Parker hasn't forgotten that match. While Vancouver will want a different result this time around, Parker admits that they won't necessarily be looking to make a slew of defensive adjustments because of that particular loss.
"Nah, I don't think so," Parker said. "I think if we play the way we did last night, defending wise, I think we'll be alright. We should be okay dealing with crosses, we've got some big bodies in the box that should be able to deal with that. It's just finding the fine lines between them all."
Whitecaps FC score the majority of their goals off of set piece plays. The Caps ability to draw fouls, and corners could make all the difference. Especially with skipper Kendall Waston towering over Seattle defenders in the box. Waston did not speak to reporters on Monday as he was nursing a swollen left eye-lid that he picked up in the first leg.
"He looks like Floyd Mayweather, brilliant," said Robinson. "Have I got any concerns about him...? No, not at all, because he's a tough cookie."
Despite having to travel to Seattle, and facing the prospects of 4 matches in 12 days, Vancouver Whitecaps FC have to be loving the position they are in. They've got the defending MLS Cup champions in a second leg with the conference finals in sight.
If Vancouver can do what Seattle didn't do, and score an away goal, Sounders FC will have to win outright. Another nil-nil draw, will bring extra time, and the real possibility of penalties. Vancouver faces an interesting scenario... do Reyna and Techera come on late in the match if extra time, and penalties are looming.
"Yeah it does," said Robinson, "But we've got to make sure in the first sixty or seventy minutes we're still in the game. We believe we have to score a goal. We want to score a goal in the early part of the game, but without making sure we don't get caught at the back."
Now roles are reversed. Now we'll go to their place, we don't want to give too much away, but we want to go after that away goal."
It's the second leg, second chances, and a second opportunity for both teams to find the back of the net, nic a goal, and find a way to advance to the conference finals vs Portland or Houston. You might just say, it comes down to fine lines, and maybe a hero.
"It's all setup nicely, there will be one winner, and one loser, unfortunately. There will be one team that's happy, and one disappointed team. We'll give it our very best. We'll be organized, determined, and hopefully someone will step up and become a hero," Robinson said.
Vancouver and Seattle know each other like a book. It's going to be another exciting, and intense battle at CenturyLink Field with one team advancing to the conference finals.
|