Whitecaps Win Championship!!

When it comes to building a team of top players (dating back to 1974) the Whitecaps obviously have found that ‘Midas touch” as shown by the impressive win over the Montreal Impact in front of 19,616 fans in a mid-week game at BC Place.

Entering the match team Captain Pedro Morales leads the way for active players with three (3) Canadian  Championship goals, including two in this tournament alone.

His re-signing this past week must have motivated him along with the rest of the squad as the teams performance was nothing short of magnificent.

It was clear that this meant something not only to the team, but the throngs of fans attending the “heated’ contest, where at times it looked like a hockey game with great checks thrown – mostly by the Impact.

While it started with a quick pace, it was like the match was over in the first thirty minutes of play with Impact centre-back Victor Cabrera being sent off  in the 31st minute for his second yellow card of the match.

Robinson put on an impressive line-up on the pitch and with players like Kekuta Manneh, Cristian Techera up front, it left little if anything for David Ousted to do in the back end.

Russell Teibert played exceptional and that’s not to take anything from any of the other players as on this night, you could sense that the Whitecaps had more passion and desire than the Impact showed.

There wasn’t a lot said at the half and Robinson left it up to the players and he knew they would respond in all areas of the pitch.

When all was said and done the Whitecaps did what many thought couldn’t be done – and that was win the championship, not only at home, but over a frustrated Montreal Impact team.

Following the match Impact Head Coach never wanted to talk about the game, but spent more time like a “whinny” coach from little league.

He wanted nothing more than talk about how poor the officiating was and telling the media “how it was unfair that he could make the calls in such an important game”.

He continued to mention “the first half was fast, but the ref took that away from the players”, but he failed to mention how undisciplined his players were.

Robinson on the other hand dressed in a well drenched black sweater just mentioned that “he has a lot of respect for Frank Klopas as he’s a competitor.”

It’s interesting to know that of the 22 players that started the match, only one was Canadian that being Russell Teibert.

It also took the Whitecaps 14 tries to get the opportunity to lift the Voyageurs Cup, which ironically was created by Canadian soccer fans – the Voyageurs.

Following the match the players were like school kids on the last day of school, greeting fan’s, Family members and enjoying the moment.

Head Coach Carl Robinson told the media following the match “he dedicated this win to his Dad as he passed away recently and isn’t around to see it”.

This win gives the Whitecaps a berth into the 2016-17 CCL Tournament and it will be the 9th edition of the CONCACAF Champions League under its current name.

Overall it will be the 52nd edition of the Premier Football Club competition as organized by CONCACAF, which is the governing body of North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

This will allow the winner will qualify as the CONCACAF representative at the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup.

Congratulations to the Whitecaps on such an impressive win and as one reporter said following the match – they won a Championship before the Canucks.

Always one in the crowd!!

Photo’s by Sportswave Photographer D. Laird Allan.