For a third straight edition, the Vancouver Whitecaps have advanced to the final of the Canadian Championship, as they defeated Pacific FC 1-0 in the second leg of their semi-final tie at BC Place, which they won 2-0 on aggregate.
From there, despite some dangerous chances from both teams, the score would stay that way the rest of the way, allowing the Whitecaps to secure their spot in a third straight final, in which they’ll play Toronto FC after they defeated Forge in the other semi-final earlier in the day.
Heading into this game, the first goal was always going to be crucial, helping determine the direction of the tie.
Certainly, that always is the case in games, especially one of this magnitude, but it felt like it was doubly the case in this one given how it was set up.
With the score sitting 1-0 in the Whitecaps favour after the first leg, Pacific needed to score in order to have a shot at winning, meaning they had to find a way to pounce as early as possible. On the flipside, the Whitecaps had to be careful when knowing that a Pacific goal would’ve also given them a key advantage the rest of the game thanks to the away goals rule, putting pressure on the Whitecaps to find the first goal and nullify that threat.
First, they took control of the game and slowed things down in possession, as they used a patient approach on the ball. Instead of rushing things in the chase of another goal, they looked to find the perfect moment in attack, hoping that Pacific might leave some gaps as they started to push up and press.
Then, as Pacific opened up the game in the second half, the Whitecaps did well to launch some dangerous counter-attacks the other way, slightly tweaking their formation to play more directly.
Those two approaches didn’t come without risk – Pacific ended up capitalizing on some Whitecaps mistakes in the first half that nearly led to some goals, and then got into some dangerous areas in the Whitecaps box in the second half, and could’ve scored if not for some of their decisions on their final actions in attack.
If not for some missed chances in front of goal, it was a near-perfect outcome for the Whitecaps, allowing them to reach the final without too much drama.
“We were really good at creating chances and not giving them the possibility to build out of the back when we lost the ball,” Whitecaps head coach, Vanni Sartini, said afterwards. “Even the goal we scored it was because we were attacking and they won the ball back, but then we won the ball back with our press. Our first half was really good, it was only short of a really good (overall) performance because of the first 15-20 minutes of the second half.”
As for Pacific, however, this game was not without positives to build off of going forward. In particular, they’ll be pleased that they kept a dangerous Whitecaps side to just two goals across both legs, both coming from the dangerous Ryan Gauld. Given the options available to the Whitecaps, who put out two strong sides across both legs, that’s a tip in the cap to Pacific’s defence, which has been solid all season.
Then, from an individual standpoint, they saw several of their players step up and make the most of this opportunity to test themselves against a strong side, doing well to use this match as a confidence-building opportunity.
Even if they weren’t able to turn this into a victory, perhaps that can create a spark they can carry over to CPL play, where they’re without a win in their last six league games, something they’ll need to change soon if they want to get back in the playoff race.
“It’s a learning (lesson) for us,” Pacific’s head coach, James Merriman, said afterwards. “We’re in the CPL, we have a lot of young Canadians on the pitch, as this is what the league was created to do, to give them opportunities like this in regular season play, but also in big matches.”
Canadian International Impact
It was a nice luxury for the Whitecaps to have.
To start the game, they decided to employ one Canadian international on the left side, as Sam Adekugbe, who was named to the CanMNT’s latest squad earlier that day, made his first Whitecaps start since May 4th as he continues to return from injury.
Immediately, that decision ended up paying dividends, as Adekugbe played a key role on the Whitecaps first goal, and then remained a consistent threat down the left-hand side the rest of the time he was on the pitch.
In particular, his crossing caused a lot of problems for Pacific’s defence, as he did well to create separation in 1v1 situations before delivering several dangerous balls into the box.
They didn’t turn into any further goals, but one could’ve wondered if it could’ve had Brian White not exited after 16 minutes due to a head injury, as Adekugbe was providing the sort of service that White tends to thrive on when leading the line.
Having survived that 63 minute shift from Adekugbe, who came off as expected at that point, things wouldn’t get any easier for Pacific, however. There, another Canadian international entered, as Ali Ahmed, who was also included in Canada’s latest squad, came off the bench to close out the game.
Much like Adekugbe, he immediately provided a dangerous presence down that left-hand side, doing well to get on the ball often. Not only that, but his presence was far more direct, too, as he offers a different threat to Adekugbe, preferring to take the ball and run at them, whereas Adekugbe likes to play patiently in possession before bursting forward with strong off-ball runs.
After having to deal with the threat of Adekugbe’s well-timed runs for 60 minutes, Ahmed’s direct presence offered a tough challenge, which started to force Pacific to defend deeper again late in the game after doing well to start and push their defensive line up earlier in the second half.
That helped the Whitecaps close out the game comfortably, getting them their desired result.
Yet, this shows the depth the team has built up across the pitch, which has proven to be a key advantage for them as they look to chase this third Canadian Championship title while still remaining competitive in MLS. Sitting two and sometimes three-deep in terms of players at each position, it can make life tough for Vanni Sartini to choose his best team, which is why he often rotates his squad from game-to-game.
“Having this competition for every spot is really important,” Sartini said. “It really brings everyone to do their best.”
In particular, he’s got a strong reserve of Canadian players this year, and Adekugbe and Ahmed are just two of the pieces who have stepped up for them in this competition, where three Canadians are required to start. Isaac Boehmer has held things down in goal and is expected to start the final, Ryan Raposo has been a steady presence at right back, Levonte Johnson has been a dangerous offensive threat and Belal Halbouni has become an option to use at centre back, giving the Whitecaps flexibility in terms of deploying Canadians both in this competition and also in MLS play, too.
They’ll hope that can provide them a key advantage in the final, where Toronto FC can also throw out some key Canadian internationals of their own like Richie Laryea and Jonathan Osorio, as they’ll know that the likes of Ahmed, Adekugbe and the rest of their Canadian contingent will be more than up to the challenge.
Pacific Need More Offense
It’s no doubt that heading into the rest of their CPL season, Pacific has one big objective – they need to find more offence. Sitting with just 14 goals in 19 CPL games, and just 17 goals in 24 games across all competitions, they’ve struggled to find the back of the net with any regularity this season.
Unfortunately, they were unable to change that in this game, even though they had some key opportunities to at least threaten the Whitecaps defensively, but the good news is that they showed some key flashes.
In particular, a couple of early substitutes really helped them as the game went on, as Reon Moore was introduced after just 30 minutes as Pacific used an extra concussion sub after the Whitecaps early substitution of White to inject some offence into their starting eleven with a surprise tactical shift, before Adonijah Reid was also deployed at half time to further add some juice offensively.
With those two on the pitch alongside Dario Zanatta, who started the game up front, Pacific started to look far more lively in attack, as they were able to use Moore as a hold-up option with Zanatta and Reid underneath him as inside forwards.
That allowed Reid to thrive, specifically, as he had the freedom to find pockets of space in the middle of the park, where he did well to receive the ball and drive forward on several occaisions.
As a result, he nearly created a couple of key Pacific opportunities, including one late on where he dribbled past a Whitecaps defender and nearly teed up Moore with a low cross, just missing his teammate on the attempt.
Yet, it was a key reminder of what Reid can bring offensively in games. Making just his 13th appearance of the year, having only started five games as he’s dealt with several small knocks throughout the year, he’ll be someone that Pacific will lean on as they look to push for the CPL playoffs, currently sitting six points behind the fifth and final spot.
Sitting without a goal and just two assists, Reid has continued to be dangerous offensively in his limited cameos (he still has less than 500 minutes under his belt even after this 45 minute run against the Whitecaps), but is just yet to get the goals flowing, having also not gotten the chance to get a consistent run of starts to find some form.
If he can find a way to stay healthy and accumulate more starts, however, it’s hoped that the goals will start to come, especially after he scored five goals and added four assists (all competitions) in his debut Pacific season in 2023.
Between him, captain Josh Heard and new arrival Moses Dyer, Pacific have players who have scored goals in the CPL in the past, but will just need them to get the healthy and build some chemistry over the next few months, especially given that all three have dealt with knocks lately.
To be fair, that’s been the story of Pacific’s season, but after Reid’s bright cameo in this game, they’ll hope he can help them turn the corner in that regard, especially if Heard and Dyer can come back soon after missing out on games over the past few weeks with niggling injuries.
“Absolutely, he came into preseason in such a good way, he was so fit and sharp,” Merriman said of Reid when asked if he could spark the team’s attack. “You can see his creativity and what he brings to the game, he brings a different dynamic to our attack, and we’ve needed him, but he’s had two or three minor injuries throughout the season that have disrupted his flow and his rhythm.”
“If we can get him fit and healthy and build off what he was able to create tonight, as with a little bit more sharpness, maybe he scores, maybe he creates a goal with a sharper pass in those key moments, but yeah, we need him. He (wears) #10 for a reason, and I think he did very well when he came in.”
The Gauld Show
Ryan Gauld, Vancouver Whitecaps FC
As has become almost custom in these sort of games, the 2022 Canadian Championship MVP, Gauld, was lively in this match, scoring the lone goal in a strong offensive performance. That’s reflected in the numbers, as he finished with three shots, two chances created, one dribble, and four passes into the final third in a 62 minute shift, doing well to lead the Whitecaps attack on the day.
The Full Time Score and Lineup
Vancouver Whitecaps FC: Boehmer; Laborda, Veselinović, Utvik (Blackmon 62′); Raposo (Halbouni 82′), Vite, Cubas, Schöpf (Berhalter 78′); Gauld (Ahmed 62′), White (Kreilach 16′), Adekugbe (Picault 62′)
Pacific FC: Gazdov; Dada-Luke, Quintana, Meilleur-Giguère, Ceceri, Mukumbilwa (Domínguez 46′); Lamothe (Moore 30′), Young, Toussaint (Reid 46′), Yeates (Bahous 69′); Zanatta (Tîrcoveanu 69′)
Scoring Summary
11′ — Ryan Gauld (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
Disciplinary Summary
40′ — Yellow: Juan Quintana (Pacific FC)
45′ — Yellow: Cédric Toussaint (Pacific FC)
90′ — Yellow: Kevin Ceceri (Pacific FC)
What’s Next?
Thanks to this win, the Vancouver Whitecaps will host Toronto FC at BC Place in the Canadian Championship final on Wednesday September 25th (7:00 p.m. PT/10:00 p.m. ET).
Meanwhile, in league play, the Whitecaps will head to Texas this weekend to take on Austin FC in MLS action at Q2 Stadium on Saturday, August 31st, (5:30 p.m. PT), while Pacific will head to Ontario to take on Forge in CPL play at Tim Hortons Field on Friday, August 30th (4:00 p.m. PT/7:00 p.m. ET).
