For those that don't know, the Vancouver Whitecaps just won the USL First Division Championship on their home field in Burnaby, beating the Puerto Rico Islanders 2-1 in a thrilling match (on Oct. 12th). James, Nina, Lucas and I were lucky enough to be there, after a bit of scrambling to find tickets. Well, let me tell you, was it ever worth it.
I had to hustle to the stadium from work, but was lucky enough to make it for kick-off (and with enough time to grab a crap $5 cheeseburger). Lucas handed me a beer as I sat down, and the match began.
The first half was a bit boring. A lot of wasted possession on the part of both teams, who were looking understandably nervous. The 'Caps had some chances couldn't find a way through to the net. Too often they relied on simply hoofing the ball upfield to their two strikers, Sebrango and Gbeke. The Islanders passed the ball well but lacked a finishing touch on two occasions that could have seen them take the lead.
In the second half the match came alive. The 'Caps scored soon after the match restarted, setting the stage for a barnstormer of a half. The ball stayed on the ground more, and the 'Caps made good use of both flanks as well as capably moving the ball through the middle of the park. Sustained pressure led to a corner, from which Jeff Clarke's flick-on was met by Charles Gbeke's powerful header as he jumped over the nearest defender. Unfortunately for the 'Caps, the Islanders replied quickly with an excellent headed ball of their own from open play. Keeper Jeff Nolly had no chance as a great ball in from the left side of the box swung in and was powered into the back of his net. The defending could have been a bit better, but it was a wonderful goal.
The next fifteen minutes saw some exciting attacking play, with both teams having good chances. Gbeke broke the deadlock with another great header. Winger Justin Moose, an attacking threat all match, wriggled past two defenders and clipped a ball in from the top-right of the corner. Gbeke leapt above the defenders again and the ball was soon bulging the old onion-bag (Cheers, Tommy Smyth).
A tense 20 minutes followed. The Islanders pushed forward, but the 'Caps had a few chances of their own. Two free kicks in extra-time had me nervously peaking out from underneath my hat, but time ticked by and the final whistle blew, 2-1 to the good!
The celebration afterward was perfect, and perfectly Canadian. The Southsiders streamed (trickled, really) onto the field, while a few security staff half-heartedly waved them off. The crowd remained a respectful distance away from the celebrating players as we cheered their victory and trophy.
This was Nina's first professional sporting event, and it was a doozy. Pretty hard to match, though. A stale 0-0 draw vs. Portland in May just won't compare.
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