VANCOUVER, BC – Someone recently told Carl Robinson that Wednesday’s CONCACAF Champions League semifinal vs. Tigres UANL – one of the biggest matches in the club’s 43-year history – is a “mission impossible” for Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
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Certainly, “mission impossible” is how many will see it.
After a 2-0 loss in the first leg, Whitecaps FC need to win by at least three goals on Wednesday night to advance to the tournament final. A 2-0 win, meanwhile, would send the match to extra time and penalties if needed.
The ‘Caps are the clear underdogs, but they’re not going to go down without a fight.
“I don’t care if we’re the underdog,” said Whitecaps FC goalkeeper David Ousted, who made six saves in the first leg. “We’re going out to win that game.”
Here’s everything you need to know about the match.
STORYLINES
Going for goal: Vancouver probably won’t be throwing the kitchen sink at Tigres from the get go considering one away goal for the Mexicans would make a comeback a lot less likely, but they know they need to score at least twice to have a chance. And that, if nothing else, should make for an exciting affair. “I think guys are just going to have a go,” said Whitecaps FC defender Jordan Harvey. “That’s how we have to approach it. That’s the exciting part about it. We go into this game with confidence and a little swagger about it and see what happens.”
Building momentum: The ‘Caps are coming off a 4-2 win over LA Galaxy in front of a crowd of over 25,000. Matias Laba played the role of hero, scoring twice in the second half, but it was a total team effort that also included standout performances from Fredy Montero and Cristian Techera. That’s exactly the type of showing Vancouver will need again on Wednesday.
Making history: An MLS team has never won the CONCACAF Champions League, a 24-team competition between the domestic champions from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. The ‘Caps have already made club history by reaching this stage of the tournament. Can they make some more by advancing to the final – and dare I say – win it all?
KEY MATCHUP
Tim Parker (CB)/Kendall Waston (CB) vs. André-Pierre Gignac (FWD)/Eduardo Vargas (FWD): Yes, the ‘Caps need to score at least two goals, but keeping a clean sheet is also of the utmost importance. That’s why this will be a key matchup to watch – not to mention the fact that Gignac and Vargas are two of the premier strikers in CONCACAF. Gignac is a French international who appeared in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2016 UEFA European Championship. Vargas, meanwhile, led his native Chile to the 2016 Copa América Centenario title with a tournament-high six goals – one more than Lionel Messi.
QUOTABLE:
“Some of these players will never ever get the opportunity to play against this level of quality players again. So don’t be afraid of it. Go and enjoy it. Embrace it. And go and leave your stamp on the game. When you cross that white line, reputations go out the window. And it comes down to simple hard work, quality, we know they’ve got quality but so do we as we showed on Saturday especially, and who wants it more.” – Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson
WHAT'S NEXT?
The winner of this semifinal series will face Mexican Liga MX side CF Pachuca in the two-leg final, which will take place between April 19 and 26.
