MacMahon on Caps: Canadian Cup a priority

VANCOUVER — To watch the Whitecaps fall 4-1 on the road to the New England Revolution on Saturday, you got the distinct feeling Vancouver’s players had their heads elsewhere.

Back in Vancouver, perhaps, dreaming of getting off to the right start in the first leg of the Amway Canadian Championship final against Toronto FC in midweek.

Wednesday programming alert: Watch the first leg of the Amway Canadian Championship between Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps live on Sportsnet ONE on May 16. Pre-game coverage starts at 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT.

Truth be told, Saturday’s loss was more than a simple case of mental absenteeism — head coach Martin Rennie left captain Jay DeMerit, star striker Camilo and veteran John Thorrington in Vancouver to rest up for Wednesday’s big match at BC Place.

Those lineup decisions were the first key indicators that Rennie is prioritizing Canada’s top professional soccer competition over Major League Soccer play.

That’s not to say the Scotsman dressed a “B” team. Joe Cannon, Alain Rochat, Lee Young-Pyo, Jun Marques Davidson, Davide Chiumiento, Gershon Koffie, Omar Salgado, Sebastien Le Toux and Eric Hassli will all be in with a shot to start on Wednesday. But resting the club’s captain and his central defensive partner Martin Bonjour was a major show of intent.

Rennie described his team’s performance on the weekend as “flat,” noting the Whitecaps even appeared to have low energy levels before Hassli’s fifth-minute opening goal.

Still, 4-1 was a harsh score line which didn’t reflect the ebb and flow of the game.

While Vancouver has salvaged points from games in which they have been the inferior team — 1-0 wins over Chivas USA and the Columbus Crew come to mind — Saturday’s game represented the opposite.

Despite dominating possession with 57.9 per cent control, the Whitecaps found themselves on the wrong end of a fairly lopsided score. So what happened?

Well, as Rennie admitted to reporters after the match, the central pairing of Carlyle Mitchell and Rochat didn’t quite work as planned. Mitchell had a bit of an adventure, often turning simple plays into potentially dangerous situations by overplaying the ball at times rather than keeping it simple.
Possession football is ultimately the way every team should strive to play, but there comes a point when even the most principled of purists must shout “hoof it, Carlyle!”

But it wasn’t simply Mitchell’s unwillingness to make the simple play while on the ball that led to problems. There were also several instances of simple poor judgement in terms of aerial clearances, and of course the Trinidadian defender’s unfortunate involvement in Shalrie Joseph’s goal, as he essentially teed up the New England skipper when he failed to react quickly enough to a Saer Sene cross.

The normally steady Rochat didn’t have his best night either, allowing Sene to turn him for the game winner, perhaps showing for the first time that his mobility following his MCL strain might not yet fully be back at 100 per cent.

So, the bad news for the Whitecaps? They seemed to lack focus against the Revolution.

The good news? Injecting DeMerit, Bonjour, Camilo and Thorrington into the team for Wednesday’s vital contest against TFC will give the group a massive boost.

If Rennie’s rotation results in the club advancing to the CONCACAF Champions League through becoming Canadian Champions, Saturday’s loss will certainly be reflected on as a sacrifice worth making.

Martin MacMahon is a Vancouver-based writer who covers the Vancouver Whitecaps FC for Goal.com. Follow Martin on Twitter

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Whitecaps look to win sixth in a row

By Laszlo Szele for sportsnet.ca

BOSTON — There is nothing like covering a winner, and riding a five-game winning streak in all competitions, the Vancouver Whitecaps are winners.

Sure, I was skeptical when given the assignment to cover the team to start the year. Going the entire season without a win on the road in 2011 had the TV crew and I cringing at times, but such is the case with an expansion side that learns through growing pains. To learn in such little time though is a tribute to the professionalism of a club that has, from top to bottom, built a foundation for long-term success.

Saturday programming alert: Watch the Vancouver Whitecaps vs. the New England Revolution live on Sportsnet ONE starting at 4:30 pm PT/ 7:30 pm ET.

The hiring of Martin Rennie, a coach with a strong pedigree and an intimate knowledge of the game and personnel in North America, was a brilliant move, pure and simple. What he has accomplished in such a short time both on the pitch and in the dressing room is inspiring.

With all the positives, it’s been easy to develop a soft-spot for this team. Getting the chance to cover the side home and away means experiencing the highs and lows like the players do. Last week’s stoppage time winner by Eric Hassli meant there were smiles all around in the halls of BC Place, and that carried on in the arrivals lounge here in Boston.

What better place is there for the team to extend their streak and make their mark? Yes, it is Foxborough, the land better known for Brady and friends, but also home to a Revolution side that made a run to the MLS Cup Final in four consecutive years. Last season’s 1-0 defeat here was not pretty, to say the least, with very little offence from the Whitecaps at all, and the loss extended the team’s winless streak to 10 games. Fast forward to 2012 and it looks as though big things could soon be on the horizon.

Two dominant wins in the Amway Canadian Championship have put the Whitecaps in the two-leg final versus Toronto FC for a second straight year. Three straight wins in league play have come thanks to a flurry of offensive prowess, with goals coming from players back to front. Hassli answered my open letter in style, albeit a couple of weeks late, but certainly in a way that only he can.

Maltese international forward Etienne Barbara saw his first action this season on Wednesday and made an immediate impact, while top draft pick Darren Mattocks returned from his injury troubles to score late against Edmonton, meaning a whole new dimension to an already potent attack. Both have made the trip to New England and will be ready if called upon.

Consider that the team has yet to unveil DP signing Barry Robson, the Scottish International who has just finished the season in England’s League Championship with Middlesbrough, and you have the makings of what could be a memorable season. Due to transfer rules, Robson’s first match likely won’t be until a July 4 encounter against Colorado. By then, this team is hoping the unbeaten streak might sit a ten.

Asking too much perhaps? This next stretch in May will be the crucial test for sure. It’s no secret that the Whitecaps want to represent Canada in the CONCACAF Champions League, but will the team be placing too much priority on the tournament and lose focus in the league? If any MLS squad ever had the depth to deal with the battle on two separate fronts it seems to be this one.

Revolution beware.

PRODUCER’S PICK: No magical comeback in the two-minute hurry-up offence from the Revs , ala their gridiron brethren. The Whitecaps take an early lead and never look back. Sebastien Le Toux and ‘Les buts’ rhyme for a reason these days, as the Frenchman is one fire. That won’t end today, nor will the streak. 2-0 win for Vancouver.

Laszlo Szele is a producer on Sportsnet’s soccer broadcasts.