VANCOUVER — A rarefied Canadian club could gain a new member this fall.
Only one team — Toronto FC — has so far managed to hoist the Voyageurs Cup three years in a row. The Vancouver Whitecaps could be the next.
The 'Caps earned their spot in the Canadian Championship final for a third straight year on Tuesday with a 1-0 victory over Pacific FC in the back half of the two-game aggregate semifinal. Vancouver also took a 1-0 win from the first meeting on July 10.
“We all play football to win and to win trophies, so to get back into the final and have a chance to win again would be really good," said Whitecaps captain Ryan Gauld.
Vancouver will battle fellow Major League Soccer side TFC when the championship game is held at BC Place on Sept. 25.
Toronto edged Canadian Premier League club Forge FC 1-0 in the second half of their semifinal earlier on Tuesday.
Pacific also plays in the CPL, an eight-team league currently in its sixth season.
The Whitecaps set the tone for Tuesday's semifinal matchup early, scoring in the 11th minute.
Striker Brian White got a shot off from near the penalty spot, only to see Pacific 'keeper Emil Gazdov punch the chance away. Gauld picked up the rebound and sent the ball sailing under the crossbar to make it 1-0.
The goal was his 11th across all competitions this season, and he now leads the 'Caps in all-time Canadian Championship goals with five.
Pacific knew getting back into contention would be a struggle, said head coach James Merriman.
“It's disappointing to give that goal so early in the way that we did. It was a poor goal for us to play inside like that and give them that opportunity," he said.
"But after that, I think you can see a lot of really positive individual performances. I think the way they responded, the way we responded in the second half, we showed some quality there. But at the end of the day, that first goal was going to kill us.”
An injury moments later cut the celebration short for the announced crowd of 10,966.
White dropped to the turf in the 12th minute after taking a ball to the face. He spent several minutes on the ground being treated by trainers before getting up and walking directly to the locker room without assistance. Damir Kreilach was brought in as a concussion substitution.
Vancouver head coach Vanni Sartini said after the game that White was "doing better" but would likely enter concussion protocol.
Even without the American sniper, the 'Caps continued to dominate the first half, outshooting the visiting side 5-1 and controlling 79.4 per cent of the possession.
Pacific's best chance came in the 44th minute off a Vancouver turnover.
Dario Zanatta picked up the ball and powered down the field before sending a long shot on net. Vancouver's Isaac Boehmer dove to make a stop at the far post.
Pacific's offence picked up in the second half.
Zanatta came close once again in the 68th minute when he stepped around his check and unleashed a blast from the side of the net. Boehmer dropped to his knees and gobbled up the rolling shot to preserve the clean sheet.
“In the first half, they had three opportunities where they could have done something from our own mistakes, so I had to stay alert, I felt. So those moments actually helped me stay focused," said the 'keeper, who made three saves for a clean sheet.
"But second half, we knew that they would try to push, they needed two goals, so just staying focused the whole way through and persevering through that.”
The Whitecaps nearly doubled their advantage in the 79th minute when Gazdov punched Ryan Raposo's shot out of the air, and Kreilach got his head on the rebound, sending the ball glancing off the post.
Gazdov made six saves across the game. The 20-year-old netminder from North Vancouver, B.C., said playing on the field where he grew up watching the Whitecaps was a special experience despite the final score.
“It was amazing. Obviously, as a kid, being here and seeing it from the stand is one thing. Seeing it on the field, I was a bit mesmerized, just all the memories I have," he said. "Kind of one of those games I didn't want to end. It could have been definitely two hours.”
Vancouver did well to hold on for the win, Sartini said.
“I'm satisfied with the performance of the team," the coach said. "At the end, it was always on the line because with a goal, it was 1-1, and then, OK, anything can happen. But we were in control.”
NEXT UP
Pacific will be getting back to their CPL schedule on Friday when they face Forge FC in Hamilton. The 'Caps will return to MLS play Saturday when they visit Austin FC.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 27, 2024.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press