VANCOUVER, B.C - The Colorado Rapids hosted the Vancouver Whitecaps in a cagey match at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday night. Clint Irwin and the stingy Rapids held off the Whitecaps in a 1-0 victory in front of 17,791 fans. Lucas Pittinar scored a spectacular second half volley that earned Colorado their first home win since July 2014. Pablo Mastroeni was thrilled to finally earn a big result at home.
"It feels great. I think we caught some breaks today, but it feels great. You need results to validate all of the hard work you put in Monday through Friday that no one else sees. These guys have not made any excuses or complained. They go in every week Monday through Friday and give everything they have for a result like this. I’m so happy for those guys. I’ve never met a group of more deserving men."
Vancouver Coach Carl Robinson was not happy with the officiating and yellow card distribution in relation to fouls committed (Fouls - Colorado 25 - Vancouver 13). He did his best to reign in his comments when he spoke following the match.
"I’m gutted for the guys in there; I really am, because I thought we put on a decent away performance. For them, they’re upset in there and they’re upset because it hurts. 3 players of mine get booked, I think we had 10 or 12, 13 fouls, and they had 25 fouls and 2 players get booked. Trying to explain to the group when decisions go against them is hard when you feel it’s unjustified."
The Opening 45
Pablo Mastroeni and Carl Robinson both elected to deploy a 4-2-3-1 formation with a lone striker up top. Octavio Rivero for Vancouver and 24 year-old Luis Solignac for the Rapids. David Ousted was donned with the captains armband for the fist time in his Whitecaps tenure.
Mauro Rosales was tasked with playing the no.10 role behind Rivero. Pedro Morales was rested and started the match on the bench. Axel Sjoberg sent Rosales flying with a shoulder-check challenge in the 14' minute. Rosales, who has been injury plagued this season was helped to the sidelines, but was able to continue on a few moments later.
Whitecaps winger Kekuta Manneh had a terrific chance in the 16' minute. His shot on target was denied by diving Colorado keeper Clint Irwin. On the ensuing corner, Mauro Rosales sent a lovely ball to an unmarked Octavio Rivero. The Vancouver leading sniper had all sorts of time, however his header sailed over the crossbar.
Residency product, Kianz Froese earned his first career MLS start with the Whitecaps. The speedy winger danced around centre-back Drew Moor with a cleaver nutmeg. Irwin came out to cut down the angle and cover the ball. Froese appeared to poke at the ball which caused Clint Irwin to lose his mind. Referee Jose Carlos Rivero reached for his pocked and unnecessarily issued a yellow card to the 19 year-old in the 25' minute.
Vancouver had a glorious opportunity to strike for a goal off a set piece in the 35' minute. From 29 yards away, Octavio Rivero sent his effort off the head of fellow striker Luis Solignac. The Whitecaps weren't able to connect on the following corner. The road warriors were unable to finish in the final third.
The Whitecaps created a pair of late first half opportunities to open the scoring. Rivero earned the Caps a free kick just outside the Colorado area in the 43' minute. Mauro Rosales stepped up and delivered a shot that forced Irwin to tip the ball over his crossbar. On the corner, Rosales was once again able to find an unmarked Rivero. His free open header clanged off the crossbar as Irwin would have been cleanly beat.
Despite holding a possession advantage of 57%-43%, the Rapids managed 0 shots on target to Vancouver's 3. The match remained scoreless with both managers ready to deliver a team talk.
The Second Half
A 25' minute rain and lightning delay disrupted the second half kickoff. With a slick pitch and rain still falling, neither gaffer elected to make any substitutions prior to the resumption of play.
Colorado stepped on the pedal and had Vancouver scurrying back to defend their goal and keeper David Ousted. Luis Solignac fed Dillion Powers who then sent a great through ball to a streaking Gabriel Torres. Jordan Harvey was late to cover Torres. The left-back had to race back to clear the ball away the goal poacher.
The Rapids kept coming and finally broke through with the opening goal in the 51' minute. Torres played a beautiful flick to an unmarked Lucas Pittinar. The 23 year-old Argentine midfielder sent a wonderful halt volley past a helpless David Ousted. Vancouver got caught ball watching and this time they weren't bailed out by Harvey or any other Vancouver player.
"It looked like a miss-hit from Dillon Powers that reached Gabriel (Torres) and I think he saw me out of the corner of his eye and was able to flick the ball to me. I hit a half-volley and thankfully it went in."
The home side was not content with just one goal as the Rapids went in search of another goal. In the 56' minute Gabriel Torres setup Luis Solignac in close. The Caps Danish keeper came racing out of his net to prevent 'Lucho' from doubling the Colorado lead.
Each team made a substitution in the 62' minute. Kevin Doyle made his much anticipated Rapids and MLS debut replacing Gabriel Torres. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers striker was sporting kit #9. Kianz Froese exited the match for Cristian Techera. The Rapids supporters gave Doyle a huge cheer when he stepped onto the pitch and he was happy to recieve such a warm welcome on his debut.
"It was brilliant. Ever since I’ve gotten here everyone has been very enthusiastic not only with me but with everyone as well. I think we were just waiting for that win that’s been a long time coming. It was a strange night with the weather and the delay but most of the crowd stuck by us and got rewarded by that thankfully."
The weather delay added a huge spark to the dormant Colorado attack. Dillon Powers had a terrific go on target from 25 yards away. David Ousted was forced to come up with a diving and leaping save in the 70' minute. On the corner play, Lucas Pittinar was denied a brace as his header was sent over the bar.
Luis 'Lucho' Solignac had his shot cleared off the line by David Ousted in the 75' minute. The cool, crisp mountain air, and weather obstruction tripped up the Whitecaps from the re-start and Colorado turned on the attack.
Carl Robinson used his final substitution in the 77' minute to bring on playmaker Pedro Morales for Matias Laba. The Caps needed to get going offensively and the Chilean was tasked with coming up with some late match heroics for Vancouver and he almost did.
Pedro Morales found the back of the onion bag in the 81' minute and appeared to have tied the match with a beautiful top corner free kick past Clint Irwin. The Whitecaps momentarily celebrated, but the marker was called back. Jose Carlos Rivero whistled for a foul prior to Morales's kick and called the equalizer back. It appeared that Pa-Modou Kah may have pushed off on Axel Sjoberg.
The Vancouver attack fizzled out and they seemed lost going forward. Everything Vancouver did well in the first half was washed away in the rainstorm at the half. You can blame the officiating all you want, but Colorado was the better team on the night and deserved all three points at home.
Man of the Match
David Ousted
The Danish keeper made 4 saves all in the second half when Colorado could have scored more goals than they did. The Rapids pressure was a force that Vancouver was not able to corral after the weather delay. Ousted kept the Rapids at bay when the match could have been far out of reach for the visitors. In his first stint as skipper, David Ousted was the most influential Whitecaps player on the pitch and stopped Torres, Pittinar, and Powers from causing more scoring woes.
"I thought that we should have gotten a draw away from here, and I thought the team showed some character throughout a tough match. I am happy with what I did tonight. At the end of the day we still didn’t get any points, and that is the most important thing, so I am disappointed."
Vancouver Whitecaps Starting XI: David Ousted(C); Steven Beitashour, Kendall Waston, Pa-Modou Kah, Jordan Harvey; Matias Laba (Pedro Morales 77), Gershon Koffie; Kianz Froese (Cristian Techera 62), Mauro Rosales, Kekuta Manneh (Darren Mattocks 70); Octavio Rivero. (4-2-3-1)
FC Edmonton Starting XI: Clint Irwin; James Riley, Drew Moor, Axel Sjoberg, Marc Burch; Sam Cronin, Lucas Pittinar; Gabriel Torres (Kevin Doyle (62), Dillon Powers, Juan Ramirez (Vicente Sanchez 86); Luis Solignac. (4-2-3-1)
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