They left it late, but Vancouver Whitecaps FC walked away from Orlando on Saturday night having squeezed three points out of the Citrus Bowl thanks to a stoppage time header from that man Octavio Rivero.
The goal, which came just seconds after David Ousted had thwarted a Cyle Larin breakaway, carried Vancouver to their second straight victory and the first time the club has won its first two road matches of an MLS season.
The 96th-minute winner was a fitting finale to a match that wasn’t short of incident. But what did the media make of the ‘Caps win over Orlando?
TSN –In his piece rounding up five takeaways from the ‘Caps win in Orlando, Jason deVos praised the “outstanding” Diego Rodriguez and the “brilliance” of Ousted. He also singled out midfielder Matias Laba, whom he describes as “the best defensive midfielder in MLS” - an opinion that will no doubt be echoed by many fans who’ve been singing the Argentinian’s praises since he first landed in Vancouver.
The Province – In The Province, Marc Weber praised the “depth” in the squad after coach Carl Robinson made three changes for the match against Orlando. “It wasn’t a pretty win,” he wrote. “But given the heat and the long trip and stubborn opponent, the 'Caps showed plenty of character on the night.”
Vancouver Sun – Gary Kingston singled out Rivero, “who looks as if he’s going to be worth every penny of the transfer fee the 'Caps paid to spring him from Chile’s O’Higgins FC” in The Vancouver Sun. He also wrote about the ‘Caps impressive start to the season so far, saying “you can’t knock a 2-1 start to the season, particularly given the travel, which included a missed connection and an overnight stay in Dallas on Thursday. It’s a testament to the grit and maturity of head Carl Robinson’s road warriors.”
Around the MLS
Whitecaps FC weren’t the only team in action this week. In fact, it’s been a busy few days around the entire league.
New home –San Jose Earthquakes played their first match at Avaya Stadium this weekend with a 2-1 win over Chicago Fire. “The joy was palpable” as 18,000 Quakes fans crammed inside their new home to see rookie Fatai Alashe christen their new home.
Armchair analysis – From Bradley Wright Phillips’ impressive outing against D.C. United, to Pedro Morales’ pass of the week, MLSSoccer.com’s Armchair Analyst rounded up the action around the league.
Cascadia rivals – With the Sounders taking the weekend off, the Timbers, who are our next opponent at BC Place, were the only Cascadia rival in action this weekend as they huffed and puffed their way to a 0-0 draw against Sporting KC.
Be a part of the best sporting atmosphere in Vancouver! Whitecaps FC Season Tickets are now on sale. In addition to Season Tickets, Whitecaps FC offer a flexible range of ticket products, including Half-Season Packs, 5-Packs, a Youth Soccer Half-Season Ticket, and single match tickets. For more information, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
