Alright, buckle up. This one won’t be pretty.
The Vancouver Whitecaps suffered a humiliating defeat in the Concacaf Champions Cup Final on Sunday night in Mexico City by a score of 5-0. In a match where the Whitecaps were second-best for the full 90 minutes, it will be hard to find many silver linings or positive player ratings, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.
Yohei Takaoka – 4.5
Usually in a match where five goals are conceded, the goalkeeper is to blame for one or two of them. I’m not sure that was the case in this match though, as the Whitecaps were so thoroughly outplayed it’s hard to nitpick Takaoka’s showing. I guess a crazy save would have helped?
Sam Adekugbe – 4.0
I think Jesper Sørensen’s decision to go with two possession-minded fullbacks was too aggressive, and perhaps a bit naive. The Whitecaps got exposed in wide spaces, yet they also needed their fullbacks to push forward to help the midfield on the ball, and it ended up being a lose-lose.
Tristan Blackmon – 4.5
It’s obviously not a good night when the backline concedes five, but I didn’t think the CB duo was notably poor. They were left with a lot to do after some terrible turnovers, and ultimately, were not able to slow down a dynamic Cruz Azul attack in those moments.
Ranko Veselinovic – 5.0
Same thoughts as Tristan above, but I thought Ranko also made a couple of really nice tackles, probably MOTM if I had to pick one.
Edier Ocampo – 3.0
The young Colombian got torched by Rotondi, but I think some of that blame should fall on Sørensen, who should have seen that coming after lesser wide players put him under stress.
Andres Cubas – 1.0
It’s really unfortunate that Cubas had the night he did, because he’s been so crucial to the team’s success up to this point. That said, it’s hard to deny that three poor moments led to goals against, and crucially, the first two goals for Cruz Azul. You’re just not going to win when that happens.
JC Ngando – 3.0
I’m still a bit flummoxed that Ralph Priso did not start. Ngando does not have the physical traits to grind it out against a top Mexican team, and with Vancouver playing so much without the ball, he was invisible.
Pedro Vite – 4.5
Vite won 5 fouls and was at least trying, but it felt like he was constantly swarmed when he got on the ball. Vancouver needed Pedro to step up without Seb Berhalter available, but it wasn’t enough.
Jayden Nelson – 4.0
Nelson had just 10 touches and looked pretty out of sync with Adekugbe, who normally plays with Ahmed in front of him. Hard to say anything too profound.
Brian White – 4.5
Truly the forgotten man, White tried his best in hold-up play a couple of times, but simply never got a touch in the area.
Ali Ahmed – 3.5
As mentioned with Nelson, swapping sides on the wing was a strange choice from Sørensen. I guess you could say it was to provide support for Ocampo, but clearly, that was not effective. Speaking of which, Ahmed’s touch was simply off all night, as he seemed to be falling to the turf constantly.
Substitutes – 4.5
The minutes off the bench were about as low leverage as it comes, with the match well out of reach. Laborda was caught napping a bit on Cruz Azul’s fifth, but honestly, who cares? I thought Ralph Priso looked notably less rattled than the rest of the midfield group, though that’s not saying much.
Alright, with that, we can start to look forward to the upcoming MLS schedule and hopefully towards some performances that will put this Cup Final well and truly in the rear-view mirror.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments, as always.
BREAKINGNEWS…..
Significant number’ of Whitecaps players, staff ill after game in Mexico
………GLAD TO KNOW IT WAS NOT JUST ME!………
The Vancouver Whitecaps say “a significant number” of players and staff are dealing with a gastrointestinal illness after visiting Mexico for the Concacaf Champions Cup final.
The Major League Soccer team cancelled a planned training session on Wednesday and held a modified individual session for players who had been cleared by medical staff on Thursday. The session was closed to media.
The club says in a statement that each player has been given an “individualized program” by medical and performance staff to support their continued preparation and recovery.
The Whitecaps flew to Mexico City on Friday to face LIGA MX side Cruz Azul in the final Saturday. Cruz Azul trounced the ‘Caps 5-0 to hoist the Champions Cup, snapping Vancouver’s 15-game (7-0-8) unbeaten streak across all competitions.
It’s unclear whether the Whitecaps will still host their regional rivals, the Seattle Sounders, as scheduled on Sunday.
Nine ‘Caps players were already scheduled to miss Sunday’s game after being called up to their national teams, including Ali Ahmed, Sam Adekugbe and Jayden Nelson, who are all training with the Canadian men’s team ahead of the inaugural Canadian Shield tournament.
MORE FROM SPORTSNET
I DO ADMIRE YOUR PASSION!…but just what team turns out on Sunday? …..Whitecaps should have offered free admission to up to 10,000 on Sunday?…….Do they Owners care? or are they still awaiting a buyer?… Tough to belief they all wanted to sell rather that a couple just sell there shares?
Cruz Azul’s finishing was absolutely lethal. Four shots, four goals.
Yea I could finish better on Ali Ahmed’s tongue than the whitecaps did in the finals
Have to agree. I was saying that the next day to my uber driver on the way to the airport. It was slip up/turnover, one pass, bang it’s in. Turnover, no pass, no touch, one timer finish, kissed off the post.
Even just on our presses. They’d press us and we turned it over time and again. We pressed them and it was 2 passes and into the final third.
Their payroll and quality is higher, missing Berhalter and Gauld is huge too. But the level can’t be THAT big of a difference can it? This game looked like San Marino playing Italy it was so lopsided.
I wasn’t stunned to lose, but I was surprised we got run off the pitch and so quickly.
If you check on mlssoccer.com you can see that every single team will be missing multiple players, not just Vancouver. I think we should give our guys more credit than they’re getting.
Here’s a thought – the players are unionized. Maybe it will take a concerted effort by the players, not the owners, to effect a rules change. I imagine they don’t like the situation any more than anyone else.
Here’s an even crazier thought – put Blackmon at forward to replace White, Utvik in the back to replace Blackmon, and mix and match the rest. The talent is there. Jesper just needs to think outside the box.
Mexico was not the rule, it was the exception. There are ways to keep winning in league play. It may take a little imagination, but it’s certainly doable.
Have faith.
i like the idea of placing Blackmon as Brian White’s replacement- either Utvik or Halbouni or Laborda can be the CB replacement
Only Atlanta is missing more players than Vancouver – most teams have at most 3-4 players – it is now confirmed that we will be without five until at least the end of June now that we have the final goal cup rosters. I’m not concerned about one potentially terrible game against Seattle with 10 starters out but I am concerned about multiple games against teams like San Diego and LAFC. I think I’d rather see Ocampo up top since he is not a very good defender. If Rios can’t step up we are going to fall in the standings.
Spot on with those marks Samuel.
It was Jesper’s first selection and tactical mistakes since he was hired. He will learn from it I’m sure.
Ngando ahead of Priso was a mistake, as was switching wings for Ahmed and Nelson, which put extra pressure on Ocampo and Adekugbe behind them. Something Adekugbe, with his experience, should have been able to handle – but couldn’t.
Yes, we were awful all over the park. But the line-up and tactics didn’t help at all.
We need to find a way to bounce back this weekend, even with the ridiculous MLS guidelines that don’t allow postponements during an international week. – just about the only league in the world that doesn’t. We will have 8 players missing and still have to play. Crazy!
FROM THE DARK SHADOWS OF DISAPPOINTMENT:
1. Takaoka- i coulnt find fault with him on the 5 goals- he almost did a classic dribbling blunder for a 6th– i thought he was the Whitecaps POTM– 5.5
2. Ocampo and Adekugbe- pre-game, i thought that Laborda and Johnson should have started — i was right on this one- 3.5
3. Our 2 CBs, Blackmon and veselinovic- simply overwhelmed because of the very weak MFs performances — 5.0
4. Cubas- i am sure he would agree with your rating- because Cruz Azul had 2 weeks to prepare, they were able to see Andres’ habit of dribbling inside and poached him over and over again
5. Vite- Cruz knew that if they could shut down Pedro’s creativity, they had a great chance of winning– 4.5
6. Nelson and Ahmed- simply very disappointing and neither put the Cruz on their back heels- 3.5
7. Ngando- he is a solid looking player, but plays too mild for his physical build- he has to play with more controlled anger in games- 3.0
8. Brian White- hardly noticeable because the MF and Wingers did nothing to help him get the ball – 4.5
9. Jesper Sorensen- even the gaffer must know he got the line-up wrong- his choices of Ocampo and Adekugbe and possibly Ngando were major flaws – he will learn from this – 3.0
things to solve:
1. did the Caps peak 4 weeks ago and now its hold onto your seat and expect more of what we have seen in the last 5 games- 1W, 2L, 2T- i guess the first 2.5 months seemed like over-achieving… but it was fun while it lasted – and i am not bailing !
2. with 3-4 major players missing for up to a month, how does this Team function with any potential to win ? the slide might be in the offing because does anyone think Rios can replace White or Ngando for Ahmed ? still without the leaving of key players, i think the Caps would have bounced back- now i am not so sure
3. will Axel see the need for some reinforcements come July’s transfer window ? perhaps an older free agent ? will the Owners do anything until new Owners are announced (which depends on the IFFY plans for a SSS at Hastings Park)
4. will we see the return of Ryan Gauld in July or August… or beyond ? he isnt even kicking the ball after 3 months !!!
vs Seattle on Sunday will tell us a lot about this Team- i think they will come out storming
Salty
WHAT TEAM SALTY?…..”vs Seattle on Sunday will tell us a lot about this Team- i think they will come out storming out”
Sunday’s team shall not tell us anything other than MLS is Disneyland?
THINK IS IA TOTAL FARCE?……Other contries just shake their heads
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: The Sounders will be without forward Osaze De Rosario (Guyana), Stuart Hawkins (U.S. U-19) and Reed Baker-Whiting (U.S. U-20) for this weekend’s match while they are away on international duty.
The Whitecaps were hit hard with international call-ups and will notably be missing forward Brian White (U.S.), midfielder Sebastian Berhalter (U.S.), midfielder Andrés Cubas (Paraguay), midfielder Pedro Vite (Ecuador), midfielder Jayden Nelson (Canada), midfielder Ali Ahmed (Canada) and defender Sam Adekugbe (Canada)..and Gauld?..hopefully en route to Europe for proper treatment?
And johnson
Anonymous…..best bring your boots and come early on Sunday!
why dont you ?? back up your talk with actual ideas, not attacking others who have ideas
Actual ideas?……… Easy one! club Owners respect your paying fans and work together as a group to change dumb rules that make MLS ..”THE MICKEY MOUSE LEAGUE!”….No credibility in the soccer / football world world wide! …. being ordered by “MLS paid employees” {that Owners pay for!}….to play during International Break is a f—— joke!
of course i am not happy about all the missing players- nor should fans across the MLS spectrum
sunday’s game will tell us a few things- like a competitive attitude to overcome the Cruz game; like the depth of the squad and if Axel needs to rethink bringing in a couple of upgrades; like Jesper re-thinking his starting line-up with Laborda and Johnson back in
its about responding to the crushing last Sunday – will the Team respond ?