CONCACAF Champions League : Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Tigres Leg 2 Preview
By Gareth Wolff
Their CONCACAF Champions League dreams hanging by a thread, Vancouver Whitecaps FC welcome Mexican club Tigres UANL to BC Place on Wednesday night. The Whitecaps must overturn a 2-0 first leg deficit to advance to the CCL final.
Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson called it “Mission Impossible” on Saturday, and you got the sense he was only half-joking. On Wednesday, the Vancouver Whitecaps face Mexican champions Tigres UANL in one of the biggest matches in their history. The prize at stake: a place in the final of the CONCACAF Champions League.
To get there, the ‘Caps will need goals. They hung on for over an hour in the first leg at the Estadio Universitario, but an own goal from Kendall Waston and a goal from Chilean international Eduardo Vargas gave Tigres a 2-0 lead to take to Vancouver. It may not be impossible, but there’s certainly a monumental task ahead.
Here are the key story lines for this second leg, as the Whitecaps try and avoid being mauled by Tigres again”
Early goals
The temptation for the Whitecaps will be to come out of the dressing room guns blazing. An early goal would put the ‘Caps within one goal of tying the score, and would get the crowd into the game. It would be a huge accomplishment.
However, that cuts both ways. If the Whitecaps are too aggressive in the attack, they risk opening themselves up to a counter-attack. An early goal for Tigres would come close to killing off the series immediately. There is plenty of time in 90 minutes, so it’s worth being a little cautious.
Choices in midfield
Robinson has some interesting choices to make in terms of team selection, mostly in midfield. David Ousted and the back four of Sheanon Williams, Kendall Waston, Tim Parker, and Jordan Harvey basically pick themselves. The only question mark in defense is over Harvey, who might make way for Marcel de Jong as a more attacking option down the wing.
More from MLS Multiplex
- Javier Milei Elected in Argentina: Potential Impacts on MLS and Signings of Argentine Players
- Orlando City and New York City FC in the Battle for Matías Arezo; Grêmio Enters Negotiations! Who Will Come Out on Top?
- USA, Honduras, Panama, and Canada Close in on a Spot in the 2024 Copa America
- De Gea Turns Down Al-Nassr’s Lucrative Offer: Speculation Points to Possible Reunion with Messi at Inter Miami
- Messi’s Magnetic Impact in the United States
Up front, Fredy Montero is really the only option, particularly with Erik Hurtado injured, assuming that the Brek Shea at center forward experiment is over.
It’s in midfield that the choices get more complicated. The midfield of Matías Laba, Tony Tchani, Cristian Techera, Christian Bolaños, and Alphonso Davies that played the final half hour against LA Galaxy on Saturday showed some of the best soccer the ‘Caps have produced this year. It must be tempting for Robinson to pick the same players.
Certainly Laba and Tchani are likely to start in central midfield. Robinson probably intended to use Brek Shea on the left wing in place of Techera, but with the Bug having just played his best 90 minutes for Vancouver in more than a year, it would be a poor reward to replace him with Shea. And if Robinson wants to press the Tigres defence, then Mezquida would be a solid option.
Robinson has several decisions to make, but the biggest are in midfield.
Absences for Tigres
If there is one slight positive for the Whitecaps, it lies in injuries to key Tigres players. Winger Jurgen Damm, who gave de Jong and Harvey a rough time in the first leg, will miss out on Wednesday. So will Luis Quiñones.
It’s not all positive, though. Aside from injuries, Tigres have brought their best, despite the 2-0 lead. André-Pierre Gignac and Eduardo Vargas will both be there. Tigres are not taking the Whitecaps for granted.
Scenarios
Whitecaps advance if:
- They win by three goals or more (3-0, 4-1, etc.).
Tigres advance if:
- They win by any score.
- They draw.
- They lose by one goal (1-0, 2-1, etc.).
- They lose by two goals but score at least one goal (3-1, 4-2, etc.).
Extra time ensues if the Whitecaps win 2-0. Away goals do not count during extra time, so for example, if the Whitecaps are 2-0 up after 90 minutes and 3-1 up after 120 minutes, the match will still go to a penalty shootout.
Match Info
What: CONCACAF Champions League semifinal, 2nd leg
Who: Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. Tigres UANL
When: Wednesday, April 5th, 7:00 pm PT (10:00 pm ET)
Where: BC Place, Vancouver, British Columbia
How to Watch: TSN 1 (Canada only), Facebook Live (online)
Next: Whitecaps: Three Key Takeaways vs. LA Galaxy
Can the Whitecaps pull off “Mission Impossible”? Leave your comments and predictions below.