VANCOUVER, BC – Will this be the year?
Vancouver Whitecaps FC kick off their quest for the Voyageurs Cup on Wednesday night, when they visit FC Edmonton in the first leg of the Amway Canadian Championship semifinal.
Join us on Wednesday for the Official Whitecaps FC Viewing Party at St. Regis Bar & Grill, 608 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver, BC. Make sure to arrive early to find a seat and grab a drink!
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. PT at Clarke Field in Edmonton. You can watch the match live on Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet World. It will also air live on TSN 1410 radio, including a pre-match show at 6 p.m. PT and a one-hour post-match show.
<strong><b>PRE-MATCH<br>
INTERVIEWS:</b></strong> |
<a href="//www.whitecapsfc.com/video/2015/05/04/carl-robinson-may-4" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://vancouver-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/interview_robinson_w.png" style="width: 140px; height: 60px; "></a><a href="//www.whitecapsfc.com/video/2015/05/04/robert-earnshaw-may-4" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://vancouver-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/interview_earnshaw_b.png" style="width: 140px; height: 60px; "></a><a href="//www.whitecapsfc.com/video/2015/05/04/erik-hurtado-may-4" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://vancouver-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/interview_hurtado_b.png" style="width: 140px; height: 60px;"></a> |
WEATHER UPDATE
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
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<b>Robinson sets up Wednesday's match</b> |
The ‘Caps have never won the Canadian Championship, which is not lost on head coach Carl Robinson.
“That hurts,” Robinson told reporters on Monday. “Everyone else seems to win it and we don’t. We want to try and have a go at it this year.”
Last year, a youthful 'Caps side suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Toronto FC on penalties in a thrilling second-leg semifinal at BC Place. This year, Robinson said there will be some youth in the lineup again but they will be surrounded by a little more experience.
Goalkeeper Paolo Tornaghi will make his first competitive start with the club, Robinson confirmed, adding that newcomer Cristian Techera will play.
“Six or seven of them are ready now to play and unfortunately I’ve been leaving them out of the team in MLS because the guys in those places have been doing very well,” Robinson said. “As I’ve said all along, I’ve got faith in my squad. There will be a change of faces … but the boys are ready. They’re very sharp and they want a chance. And they get a chance to play a competitive match in a tournament that we want to go and win.”
FC EDMONTON
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t00QIckzryg?rel=0"></a> |
<b>Highlights: Eddies defeat Ottawa Fury FC 3-1 in second leg</b> |
The Eddies advanced to the ACC semifinal by defeating Ottawa Fury FC 6-2 on aggregate in the two-leg preliminary round. Strikers Tomi Ameobi and Daryl Fordyce led the way with two goals apiece.
Other players to watch include wingers Lance Laing and Sainey Nyassi, who also each scored a goal for Edmonton in their preliminary round triumph.
Laing has been among the North American Soccer League’s most dangerous players through four matches. The 27-year-old Jamaican already has two goals and three assists in league play, including a free-kick tally Sunday vs. Minnesota United. Laing is a left-sided player, which should make for an intriguing matchup with whoever gets the nod at right back for Vancouver.
Nyassi is another attack-minded player with over 100 appearances in Major League Soccer between New England Revolution and D.C. United.
FC Edmonton have never appeared in the ACC final. They came agonizingly close last year, however, falling 5-4 on aggregate after Montreal Impact scored a stoppage-time penalty kick in the decisive second leg of the semifinal.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
This will be the third meeting between Whitecaps FC and FC Edmonton in the Canadian Championship semis. The ‘Caps won the previous two encounters by a combined score of 10-3.
CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP
In each round of the Canadian Championship, teams play a two-leg home-and-home series. The team that scores more combined goals between the two games advances. If the aggregate score is even, then away goals are used as a tiebreaker.
Whitecaps FC will host the second leg of the semifinal next Wednesday, May 13 at BC Place (7 p.m. PT kickoff – tickets still available). The winner of the Western Canadian semifinal will then meet either Toronto FC or Montreal Impact in the two-leg final on August 12 and August 26.
In addition to claiming the Voyageurs Cup, the 2015 Canadian champion will earn Canada’s lone entry into the 2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) – an annual 24-team competition between the top clubs from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
DID YOU KNOW?
FC Edmonton head coach Colin Miller is a former Abbotsford resident who spent three years with Whitecaps FC from 2009 through 2011. After serving as an assistant coach and head coach with the Residency program, Miller joined the first team as an assistant coach in their inaugural MLS season.
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.
