Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency concluded their six-match tour of Mexico on a winning note following a 5-3 victory over Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Guadalajara (ITESM), on Saturday morning.
Having spent two weeks training and playing top youth opposition in Guadalajara, Mexico, Richard Grootscholten's young side wrapped up their trip with a fine attacking performance over the Mexican university side. Doudou Toure scored twice for the Blue and White, while Wesley Cain, Alex Semenets, and Carlos Marquez each found the scoresheet for the travelling Canadian outfit.
The Residency squad made a fine start to the weekend's proceedings, with Cain opening the scoring with a fine near-post header from a Nelson Castillo cross just four minutes in. The lead did not last long, as ITESM levelled matters four minutes later.
Whitecaps FC then took control of the contest with a pair of goals from Toure. The Mauritanian youngster first made it 2-1 from the penalty spot on 34 minutes before converting his second goal two minutes later following a neat passing sequence. ITESM replied again to make it 3-2 at halftime.
Though the Mexican students made it 3-3 on 58 minutes, the Residency squad secured victory with late goals from second-half substitutes Alex Semenets and Carlos Marquez. Even the late sending off of Ben McKendry for two bookable offences could not damper a positive end to the Residency team's Mexican trip.
"It's good for us to look back at this final game today and see that we played well," said Grootscholten. "We wanted to finish this trip with a good feeling, as well as with a victory, and we did that. We've benefited from training in a nice climate and at a good facility here in Mexico, so these two weeks here in Guadalajara have been really productive, from that point of view."
Whitecaps FC Residency return to Vancouver on Sunday night and will continue to train over the next few weeks before breaking for the holiday season.
Scoring Summary:
4' – Wesley Cain
8' – ITESM
34' - Doudou Toure (penalty)
36' - Doudou Toure
44' – ITESM
58' – ITESM
73' - Alex Semenets
75' - Carlos Marquez
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency
Sean Melvin; Nelson Castillo (Declan Rodriguez 6', Kevin Cobby 45'), Tim Hickson, Daniel Stanese, Adam Polakiewicz (La'Vere Corbin-Ong 69'); Ben McKendry, Matteo Pasquotti, Wesley Cain (Ben Fisk 55'), Hector Garcia (Spencer DeBoice 45'); Dalen Babic (Alex Semenets 55'), Doudou Toure (Carlos Marquez 45')
