Last week at B.C. Place, both teams traded chances and also traded single goals as the two combatants played to a 1-1 draw. The result favors TFC slightly. If both teams are tied on aggregate after ninety minutes tonight then the club with the most away goals wins the title. The only way the game goes into extra time and then a shootout is if the game is tied 1-1. Toronto has their one away goal Now Vancouver will need at least one tonight.Despite Toronto FC’s pitiful start to the MLS season, TFC has managed to put up a 2-1-3 record in Cup games this year. (2012 CONCACAF Champions League and 2012 Canadian Championship). Tonight’s game is virtually Toronto’s season. MLS playoffs are extremely unlikely let alone climbing out of the basement of the Eastern Conference. In addition, TFC might be playing for Aron Winter’s job tonight. A loss, could spell the end of Winter’s brief tenure with Toronto FC.
The whitecaps have their own doubts coming into this game. Since the start of the Canadian Championship in 2008, the Vancouver Whitecaps have been the runners up in this event the last three times including last years heartbreaker to Toronto. The reason why it was a heartbreaker is because Vancouver was in control of the game leading 2-1 aggregate, as I flashback to May 25th 2011.
May 25th 2011
The Whitecaps were one game away from capturing their first Canadian Championship in club history. Not very many Vancouverites were aware of what their team was even playing for that night. The team was getting no publicity whatsoever because of the Canucks magical Stanley Cup run. In fact, the city was in frenzy as the day before, Kevin Bieksa’s Overtime goal had sent the Canucks to the Stanley Cup Finals.
That morning, I had only found out what the away goal rule actually was. The away goal rule meant that Vancouver had more of a challenging task up ahead of them that night. The game had calm start to it. Rain was falling but it wasn’t heavy nor was the field in bad condition. Vancouver opened the scoring in the 17th minute by a goal by Eric Hassli. The Whitecaps were controlling the play and lead 1-0 at Halftime. After halftime, the rain was pelting down along with some lightning. The game was delayed awhile but resumed later that night.
However, the game only resumed for 15 more minutes. By this time, the field was getting dangerous. There was one more bolt of lightning and then the official finally postponed the game.
Even though the field was in a harsh condition, it was the same conditions for both teams. The conditions were so harsh that the ball would just die in a huge puddle of water consistently. After I found out that night that the game was going to start over at 0-0, I felt that it was unfair. The game realistically could have started 1-0 at halftime when they were going to finish the game. The game was made up a month later and Toronto ended up winning 2-1.
As it turned out, if the game would have resumed, I would have not been able to see the end of the game. That day, I had to go into Vancouver to do some personal things. I PVR’d the game but the time would have ran out.
That day, the soccer gods and certainly Mother Nature was not on the Whitecaps side. Tonight the Whitecaps can erase the painful memory if they can get the right result. For the Whitecaps to win the title tonight, they’ll have to score at least one goal. A 2-2 would win them the title along with any win. The key will be to score early. Getting a 1-0 lead would put a lot of pressure on Toronto to come back. In contrast, the longer the game remains 0-0 or even 1-0 TFC, would put the pressure squarely on Vancouver.
Tonight’s game is a 5pm kickoff and it will be televised on Sportsnet One.
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