Whitecaps Become Canadian Champions For Second Time

Whitecaps Become Canadian Champions For Second Time

They needed penalties, and it wasn’t without drama, but when Tristan Blackmon slotted his penalty into the back of the goal, the Vancouver Whitecaps became Canadian Champions for the first time since 2015, and for the second time in franchise history.

A Whitecaps Canadian Championship record 24,307 fans packed into BC Place for the match, and the fans were treated to an early goal by the home side in the 19th minute. From a corner kick, the ball was batted around a couple of times, before it settled on the foot of Ryan Gauld, who crossed it to the back post, where it was headed into the goal by Brian White, giving the ‘Caps the lead.

Vancouver Whitecaps supporters during the Canadian Championship against Toronto FC – Via Canada Soccer on Twitter

Vancouver took the lead into halftime, but in the second half, the game changed, and Toronto FC dominated the ball, leading to an overall possession of 72 percent in the game for The Reds. Once again, from a corner kick in the 75th minute, Toronto found an equalizer. Federico Bernardeschi played the corner short, and when he got the ball back, swung it beautifully to the back post, where it was headed towards goal by Lukas MacNaughton, beating the Whitecaps’ keeper.

Advertisements

With the game level and time running out, penalties looked like an inevitability. If not for a save by Toronto FC keeper Alex Bono, however, they wouldn’t have gotten there. That save had the potential to be the turning point, but after five minutes of added time, the Canadian Championship was going to be won on penalties, with the Voyageurs Cup being handed out to the winner.

The game reaching penalties felt like a compromise for both sides. Vancouver controlled the game in the first half and had plenty of chances to win the game in the second half, and for Toronto, dominating the ball the way they did left them wanting more. Either team could have won in the 90 minutes of action, but neither could do quite enough. Going into penalties, however, the Whitecaps were confident


S. 2 Ep. 21: Canada Doing What Canada Does FC13 Podcast

Good day Ball Boys and Girls, we are back with some international action, because it is Concacaf Season, specifically the Concacaf Nations League. And with that comes all the usual twists and turns that this competition brings like, Canada surprising everyone by winning away to Jamaica for the first time in three decades. And Canada then losing at home for the first time in a decade… You know, Concacaf things. Also Mexico got to taste the sting of playing Honduras at home. So get ready and buckle up for your source of everything Canadian. ———————————————————— Thanks so much to todays sponsor SeatGeek! When you need tickets, but can't seem to find them, head on over to the #1 trusted name in the ticket resale business, and use our code FC13Pod to get $20 off your first order. ————————————————————- Be sure to follow us on Twitter @FC13Podcast, and our parent account, @13thManSports for all of your sports needs!

“I was confident and I was also a little bit pissed, because I think we deserved to win,” said Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini.

When Toronto’s Jonathan Osorio put his attempt off the post in the third round, the advantage was firmly on the ‘Caps’ side. When Blackmon stepped up, he had a chance to win the game, and he made no mistake, putting the ball right down the middle and into the goal.

“I kind of thought it would end that way when I was fifth,” he said. “And it was on the plate for me to go at it. And luckily I tucked it in.”

Advertisements

For some, the Canadian Championship might be meaningless, but that isn’t the case for the Whitecaps. They are well behind both Toronto and CF Montreal for Voyageurs Cup wins, and in MLS, the ‘Caps have been underwhelming in 2022, but this win is something to celebrate. They have clinched a spot in CONCACAF Champions League next season, the final time the tournament will be run before it’s expanded.

Ryan Raposo, Vancouver Whitecaps – Via the Vancouver Whitecaps on Twitter

“We said from Day one that the Canadian Championship was one of our important trophies,” said Sartini. “We didn’t do well in the previous years. And it means everything because we are a very good team.”

Advertisements

“So today, we will remind everyone that we are 100 percent a very good team. We are not the team who’s considered an elite killer. So winning a trophy for us is really important.”

“Any time you get a trophy, it’s awesome,” said Vancouver goal-scorer Brian White. “Toronto is a good team and we struggled in this tournament in years past. So it means a lot for the club, for the fans to bring this trophy home.”

Whitecaps’ midfielder Ryan Raposo was named the match’s Best Young Canadian of the Game, despite being subbed out in the 82nd minute.

Advertisements

“The guys just have so much grit. They’re all fighters,” said Raposo “We’re not a team full of individuals — we’re a team, we work together toward a common goal, and that’s what happens — you win trophies.”

Both Toronto and Vancouver will be back in MLS action this weekend. Toronto will face New England Revolution on Saturday away from home, while the Whitecaps play away to Nashville SC.


Subscribe to 13th Man Sports to get email notifications when we post!

Let us know what you think!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.