VANCOUVER, BC – Russell Teibert did not mince his words following Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s disappointing 4-1 defeat to Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday night at BC Place.
“I’ve been a part of this team for quite some time now,” Teibert told reporters. “This is the first time I want to apologize to the fans and to the people at this club because they don’t deserve what they just saw. That was a team that gave in, and that’s not what we’re about here.”
The ‘Caps, who opened the scoring in the 42nd minute through Felipe’s first goal of the season, looked quite comfortable in the match up until the hour-mark. But Sporting Kansas City scored four unanswered goals in the final 30 minutes, including a pair in stoppage time.
And that did not sit well with Teibert – to say the least.
“All of us, the entire locker room, we all need to take a long hard look at ourselves in the mirror and figure what it is, who it is, and what we’re playing for,” Teibert said. “The end of that game, that’s disappointing. It’s disappointing for us, disappointing for you guys, and for the people who support us. It’s unacceptable.”
Teibert, who played 90 minutes for Canada on Tuesday night in Toronto, was a surprise inclusion in Craig Dalrymple’s 18-man gameday roster on Wednesday. But the acting Whitecaps FC head coach said Teibert was “anxious to get in the squad and contribute in any way he could,” and since he’s always one of the fittest players on the team, he was called upon for the final 21 minutes.
The 25-year-old midfielder, who scored his first goal of the season and was named man of the match in Vancouver’s 2-1 win over Toronto FC prior to the international break, looked his lively self on Wednesday, completing 12 of 13 passes and setting up Nicolas Mezquida for a fine opportunity in the 80th minute. But in the end, Teibert felt like the ‘Caps “crumbled.”
“It pains me to say that,” he said.
After Wednesday’s loss, the ‘Caps remain three points out of a playoff spot with two matches remaining – away at LAFC this Sunday and at home vs. Portland Timbers on October 28.
“Mathematically, we still have a chance, but they’re two tough games,” Teibert said. “We know we need to turn that around because the way we ended this game, that can’t happen again. I want to promise you guys that won’t happen again.”
