VANCOUVER, B.C. - The Amway Canadian Championship Final will kickoff off tonight at BMO Field in Toronto as the Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC will look to gain the upper hand in the first leg. Both teams played closely contested matches on Saturday in MLS. Drew Moor helped Toronto defeat the LA Galaxy 1-0 at home and the Whitecaps fell 2-1 to the New England Revolution at BC Place. It will be a quick turnaround as Carl Robinson and Grey Vanney will look for some fresh legs in the starting eleven.
Vancouver Whitecaps Assistant Coach Gordon Forrest is expecting a tough match.
"It's a great occasion for the club and the players as well. Obviously playing against Toronto with the first game away will be difficult game, (against) a very good team, good players. We'll try to prepare our best to put the eleven out there. It's an exciting time for the players."
The Whitecaps are 2015 defending Voyageurs Cup Champions and will host the second leg in Vancouver on Wednesday, June 29. Caps goalkeeper Paolo Tornaghi is expected to start this evening as he will be hoping to celebrate his 28th birthday in style with a win against Toronto.
"I'm seeing the cup in front of us, we want to get the trophy. The past is the past, of course we are defending champions so the other teams want to beat us, but the cup is there and we want to take it."
Tornaghi and his team-mates will be facing strong opposition and a former foe from the old country that the Caps goalkeeper is very familiar with. Toronto FC's Sebastian Giovinco and Tornaghi previously played against each other over a decade ago at the Italian Primavera level. With the depth Toronto has, Tornaghi won't be able to solely focus on the former Juventus man.
"Yeah, he's a good player," said Tornaghi. "Now everyone also knows him here in North America. I knew it a few years before you guys, he's a great player. They have other good players, but we have too. It's going to be a very good level match."
The Whitecaps will get some help on the defensive side of the ball as Kendall Waston is expected to make his first start since returning from Copa America duty with Costa Rica. Waston is in the middle of serving an MLS two match suspension and did not play on Saturday vs the Revolution.
Toronto will be looking at a fresh, hungry, and motivated Waston. Fans shouldn't expect to be surprised if Toronto FC attempts to get under the skin of the towering-tico. Waston is starting to earn himself a reputation for losing his cool and picking up red cards like candy on Halloween.
If you think the 28 year-old centre-back is worried about his reputation among referees... well, not quite.
"My reputation?," asked a surprised Waston. "I don't care what they're going to think about me, to be sincere. I just have to do my job in the field. What they think about me, I don't care. I just have to be smarter because I know now, I'm in the sniper with some referees. Now I just think I have to do my things calmly and keep playing strong."
Vancouver will try to score an all important away goal and at the same time, earn a clean-sheet. The off the pitch focus regarding suspensions, cards, and scoring droughts doesn't matter if the Whitecaps earn a result. Waston is looking to the future and that means making history for all the right reasons.
"This final is very important for the club to try and win it again, to try and bring more history for the club. Obviously winning that would bring us automatically for the champions league so hopefully we can win that tournament."
Carl Robinson and the Whitecaps will feature in 2016 CONCACAF Champions League action later this summer, and they will look to do so next season as well. The pressure is clearly on Toronto FC, the home side was run off the pitch in a shock 4-3 loss to Vancouver on Saturday, May 13. The Voyageurs Cup is there for the taking and Vancouver and Toronto should provide an entertaining series.
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