The Voyageurs Cup hasn’t been kind to Vancouver over the years.
If the Whitecaps go on to lose the 2012 title, then they will have no-one to blame but themselves this year, after a flat home performance against a surprisingly attack minded Toronto side.
Vancouver had a couple of keys going into this game. Securing the win and keeping a clean sheet were both musts.
In the end they achieved neither, but a spectacular last ditch equaliser by Eric Hassli has at least given them a lifeline heading in to the second leg in Toronto next week.
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Martin Rennie sprang a couple of surprises in his starting line up with Eric Hassli, Davide Chiumiento and Gershon Koffie unexpectedly dropping to the bench.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was Etienne Barbara starting in attack alongside Camilo and Sebastien Le Toux.
Whether this was the correct line up will now be debated.
Toronto’s team was as many expected, with Danny Koevermans on the bench.
Vancouver has a great chance to open the scoring in the 7th minute, but Alain Rochat was just inches away from getting his foot on the end a dangerous free kick that whipped across the box.
Four minutes later, Camilo went on one of his trademark mazy runs and cut inside the box, but fired a weak shot at Milos Kocic.
Many had expected Toronto to park the bus again, as they did in Montreal, but if that was the plan, it wasn’t on display in what was a pretty open match.
Toronto had their first chance of the game in the 25th minute, but Terry Dunfield continued to do what he does best in Vancouver and missed the target, heading over a Joao Plata free kick from the left.
The visitors had another effort on target in the 32nd minute when Adrian Cann headed a Reggie Lambe corner straight into the hands of Joe Cannon.
Etienne Barbara fired over for the Caps from just inside the box with five minutes of the half remaining, as Vancouver struggled to carve out any clear chances.
Toronto threatened again in the 44th minute, as Reggie Lambe got on the end of Jeremy Hall cross and outjumped Martin Bonjour to force Cannon into making a diving save.
The Caps responded immediately and Camilo put through Le Toux, but Kocic parried away his shot and the home side couldn’t capitalise on the rebound.
That was the last action of the half, which saw no stoppage time and actually ended a few seconds early. A little bit of premature blowing from the first time ref.
The second half was a pretty woeful affair in the early stages, with neither team looking creative.
Toronto had looked the more dangerous and Camilo was even forced into a defensive clearance at one point, with the Caps defence nowhere.
The lesson wasn’t learned and Toronto took the lead moments later in the 67th minute.
Lambe sent a cross in from the left and Ryan Johnson outjumped Bonjour to find the side of the net and give Cannon no chance, to grab a 1-0 lead and a vital away goal for Toronto.
Young-Pyo Lee had the ball in the net for Vancouver in the 73rd minute, but the linesman flagged John Thorrington offside, despite him coming back into an onside position when the ball was played through to him.
Vancouver were on attack mode, but it was Toronto who came the closest to grabbing another goal in the 85th minute.
Johnson whipped a cross in a cross from the left and once again the Whitecaps defence were nowhere. Substitute Nick Soolsma ghosted past Rochat and forced Cannon into a save at his near post.
Toronto kept the pressure on from the resultant corner and Cann was unmarked as he directed a header goalbound, which DeMerit did well to head over as he tracked back.
As the game moved into stoppage time, all hope looked lost for Vancouver until up stepped super sub Eric Hassli to give the Caps a lifeline.
Rochat whipped a perfect cross in from the left and Hassli one timed a rocket into the top corner, rooting Kocic to the spot.
It was an outstanding strike and a vital goal, which at least gives Vancouver a fighting chance in the second leg.
Now we have a one off Cup final where the Caps need to score an away goal and they can’t afford to be out shot again.
Maybe going in as underdogs is what this team needs. We’ll soon find out.
ATT: 14,878
FINAL SCORE: Vancouver Whitecaps 1 - 1 Toronto
VANCOUVER: Joe Cannon; Young-Pyo Lee, Martin Bonjour, Jay DeMerit, Alain Rochat; Jun Marques Davidson, John Thorrington (Darren Mattocks 86), Matt Watson (Davide Chiumiento 69); Etienne Barbara (Eric Hassli 56), Camilo Sanvezzo, Sebastien Le Toux [subs Not Used: Brad Knighton, Jordan Harvey, Omar Salgado, Gershon Koffie]
TORONTO: Milos Kocic; Jeremy Hall, Adrian Cann, Doneil Henry, Ashtone Morgan; Terry Dunfield, Julian de Guzman, Eric Avila (Danny Koevermans 64); Reggie Lambe (Nick Soolsma 71), Ryan Johnson, Joao Plata (Luis Silva 80) [subs Not Used: Quillan Roberts, Logan Emory, Matt Stinson, Ty Harden]
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