Vancouver Whitecaps v Toronto FC – The Disappointing Story In Pictures
What’s the opposite of a fortress? Whatever it is, that’s BC Place for the Whitecaps. Another home game without a victory, and shockingly just one shot on target for the whole match. Toronto had three. They scored from two of them.
Something has to give, and soon, because the natives are certainly getting restless. And rightly so. This is not an exciting team to watch and it’s not a team that fills you with confidence that that is going to change any time soon. They weren’t so much peppered by boos at full time but indifference, and that’s a lot worse for a team that already failed to sell-out a rivalry match.
The ‘Caps now have more red cards this MLS season than they do points – two to one – and they languish in the nether regions of the Western Conference. Still very early days of course, but it’s been horrible out there for pretty much everything but the first 20 minutes in San Jose last week.
Toronto headed west for the first Canadian derby of the new season, and it was a pretty pedestrian match until the big turning point in Brek Shea’s 70th minute sending off for two yellow cards within seconds of each other, the latter of which was for dissent. After that, TFC took over and goals from the impressive Victor Vazquez and ‘Cap killer Jozy Altidore did the damage.
Or you could argue that the damage was already done by Vancouver having no midfield to speak of for much of the 90 minutes. Long, long season ahead if this keeps up, which is ironic because if it does it will also be another short one.
AFTN photographer Tom Ewasiuk was there to capture all the action before, during and after the game. Here’s his “Story In Pictures”, with a full Flickr slideshow at the end.
[Also check out Tom’s website www.residualimagephotography.com for more of his photos and work].
Your Whitecaps starting XI. Brek Shea already seems distracted!
The big news from the starting line-up was Spencer Richey coming in for the suspended David Ousted, making his MLS debut and not looking out of place
The travelling red army
Would an Uruguayan player dive in the box? Surely not, so this must have been a first half penalty for the ‘Caps, although it wasn’t given!
Fredy Montero plays a perfect pass across goal with no takers – get used to that one Fredy
We just like this photo!
Scoreless and toothless at the half, the Whitecaps midfield finally found some bite when Christian Bolanos came on for the second half
Where are the Whitecaps heading in the table after another loss Robbo?
We found him! The only man that wants one of those hideous Whitecaps triangle jerseys
The game nearly burst into life when Justin Morrow fired a fierce strike goalwards
But Spencer Richey came up with a fantastic one-handed save to turn the ball over for a corner and keep the game scoreless
The big turning point came in the 70th minute when Brek Shea picked up this booking for a tackle, mouthed an obscenity at referee Ismail Elfath, and promptly received a second yellow card and then a red seconds late. Sheame.
Shea still genuinely looks befuddled as to why telling a referee to F-off right after getting booked sees him having an early bath
Six minutes later and Victor Vazquez heads home the opener, and his first MLS goal, from a Jozy Altidore cross
TFC are delighted because they’ve seen the ‘Caps and know they’re not coming back from this
And when Jozy Altidore makes it two, ten minutes from time
It’s very much game over
But it wouldn’t be a derby game without a good old stramash. Let’s watch this one play out…
Lots of post booking chirping by Michael Bradley, but surprise, surprise, there’s no further card issued
Hurtado has a chance to pull one back in stoppage time, but…. Hurtado is Hurtado
You can see all of Tom’s photos from the game HERE and in our full Flickr slideshow below:
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