Hello friends and welcome back to the final report of my third season in charge with Vancouver. This update will bring you all the action from our final regular season games as well as the play-offs since we had already qualified by the end of August.
September 2013.
The international break allowed a quick fitness friendly for some on the back up players who had no trouble in beating Santa Ana at BC Place.
Having breezed past Santa Ana Winds we remained at home to take on the worst team in the league, the Chicago Fire. Midfielder Joshua Galloway whom we had “money-balled” out of Dallas reserves put in a stellar performance with his vision and passing setting up a magnificent hat-trick for Argentinian striker Gonzalo Castillejos with goal coming in both halves. However, Gonzalo was out done by a magical strike from Tardelly, who playing on the left flank, cut inside going past two players before unleashing a powerful shot into the roof of the net. Philippe Davies contributed with a stunning strike of his own from 25 yards out to complete the demolition.
The one set back of this win was an injury to Tardelly who will most likely miss the rest of the season.
Next we travelled to Houston where along with superb goalkeeping the woodwork denied us the victory three times. We had no such excuse in Commerce City Colorado where we decided the more prudent thing to do was to pass backwards once we had the ball into the 18 yard box resulting in our second 0-0 draw in a row. We made it three out of three with Shea Salinas beating the offside trap to put us ahead in Washington but a miss-timed jump by RB Sarkodie allowed the home side the equalizer and a point.
We really hadn’t performed to the best of our abilities this past month but did however retain the overall lead in the play-off table though it was beginning to look a bit fragile…
October 2013
We started out the final month of the regular season as dismally as we had finished off the last with yet another draw this time at home to New England to make it four in a row, thus surrendering top spot to Sporting Kansas City.
On the international front the final phase of North American World Cup qualification was completed with Mexico winning the group. Canada just missed out on a play-off game by a single goal. As Canada moved up to 44th place in the FIFA rankings I think it’s unlikely I’ll get a shot anytime soon at becoming national coach.
With two games left to play our poor run of form continued as we suffered a 1-0 defeat away to Salt Lake City making it 5 games without a win. This called for an “assertive” team meeting that resulted in a positive outcome but would that transfer to better performances on the field?
It didn’t, as we crashed at home to Toronto FC of all teams playing our worst game ever and deservedly were booed off the field after a 4-1 defeat. What has gone wrong with this team?
Even though our calamitous efforts on the field have produced a string of terrible results we still ended up top of the Western Conference standings by quite the margin over LA.
Still we totally blew it in the overall standings handing Sporting Kansas City the honour of being the top team in the league for the regular season.
The Play Offs
Western Conference Semi-Final 1st Leg
With a bye in the first round of the play-offs we travelled to Houston for our semi-final game where we took the lead through Castillejos in the 27th minute. Extensive second half pressure by Houston created an own goal to tie the game up and despite our hosts being reduced to 10 men we could not break them down and the game ended in yet another draw.
Western Conference Semi-Final 2nd Leg
Our return to BC place for the second leg also marked the return of Brazilians Edhino and Tardelly who had both been out with injuries for quite some time. It took just 10 minutes to take the lead with Tardelly hitting a cracking shot into the roof of the net off a through ball from Edhino. A sublime back heel by Castillejos opened the door for Tardelly’s second of the game and he completed his hat-trick from the spot in the second half after Jarju was brought down in the box. This was our first win in the MLS since mid-September.
Western Conference Final
The best record in the west meant home advantage and a packed BC Place to see us take on bitter rivals LA Galaxy for a place in the MLS Final in which the first half got totally bogged down in midfield with few clear cut chances. Frustration began to build resulting in a series of bookings. Just on the hour mark youngster Villalobos picked the ball up on the left flank, cut inside beating two LA defenders and tucked it into the corner of the net for a magical goal to separate the two teams and send us through to the MLS Final for the third straight year! The irony was I was thinking of trading Villalobos too.
MLS Final
Two weeks after winning the conference championship we faced Philadelphia for the MLS Cup. It was Philly who got off to the better start creating several chances that kept Edson busy in goal as well as centre back Alain Rochat whose last ditched tackles kept the score at 0-0. Five minutes from half time we finally found some room down the left with Tardelly whipping in a low driven cross which was met by Castillejos on the half volley…..Goal!!! Minutes later the same move ended with the same result 2-0! But wait the linesman had his flag up — offside. Cuesta went berserk, arguing with the referee and was sent off. We would be down to 10 men for the second half and only 1 centre back!
Somehow we completed dominated the second period with DMC Santiago Ostoloza breaking down Philly’s attacking moves and Edhino’s slick passing setting up numerous chances for Tardelly and Castillejos. In the end though delightful free kick from 20 yards out by Edhino made it 2-0 and was a fitting end to his match performance and the season as a whole.
Amazingly we had triumphed winning our third straight MLS Cup after what amounted to several weeks of bad performances. This team really knows how to step up for the big occasion and we always seem to bounce back in the face of adversity.
This remarkable achievement now just puts us one title short of equalling DC United’s four MLS Cups which gives us something to aim for next season.
Well that’s it for this update though the season is not quite over for us as we are off to play in the World Club Championships (December 2013) so a special report will be coming up that will also feature any MLS related post season activity as well.
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward to your comments.
TheZiggy
24 апреля, 2012 at 11:13
Congratulations on winning a third straight MLS Cup. I can only think the players became complacent in the run to the end of the normal season games. However, as your team seem to always be able to do, they come up with the goods when it comes to the big games.
Kevin
24 апреля, 2012 at 12:56
Hi Ziggy
We do like the big occassion bu the guys had me worried going into the play offs :)
Tegar Triemanudigdo
24 апреля, 2012 at 12:21
Congratulations once again for the MLS cup! And man, three times in a row is quite achievement there! I’ll look forward on the FIFA Club World Cup story of yours.
Kevin
24 апреля, 2012 at 13:06
Hi Tegar
Thanks a lot — though it was quite a nervy ending to the season. I’m looking forward to the FIFA Club World Cup too :)
Johnny Karp
24 апреля, 2012 at 17:22
Excellent stuff Kevin, you are dominating North American football, or soccer as they call it :) Looking forward to the Club World Championship, best of luck over there!
Kevin
24 апреля, 2012 at 18:17
Hi Johnny
We do seem to be doing rather well but I’m not sure if we will be good enough in the Club World Championship but thanks for the support!
Johnny Karp
24 апреля, 2012 at 19:24
Well, winning it would be quite tough, at least for now, but I’m sure you’ll do pretty well.
saltwater
24 апреля, 2012 at 17:28
That was a good read, and to win a cup three times in row is a fantastic achievement — I can’t remember ever getting close to that feat. It was probably just complacentcy that resulted in the seven game winless run, and although I was fearing, your lads turned it around. Also well done to Tardelly, I can remember him failing to score in his first few games for the club and fustrating you slightly (I don’t have the best memory; correct me if I’m wrong) but has he done a U-turn, scoring hat-tricks all across America. So a big future for him, and also I really don’t think you would have achieved your incredible achievements without the moneyball method so I will DEFINETLY look into that. Good luck in pre-sea.
Kevin
24 апреля, 2012 at 18:20
Hi saltwater
First off thanks for the extra long comment — very nice. you are right about Tardelly he did struggle as a striker but really seems to enjoy himself out on the left flank and his «moneyball» stats prove this. As for Vancouver they but me through a roler coaster ride but the lads came up trumps in the end!
Sears
24 апреля, 2012 at 17:34
Despite the poor form heading into the playoffs you did a remarkable job to turn things around and clinch the MLS Cup. Congrats Kevin!!
Kevin
24 апреля, 2012 at 18:26
Thanks Sears
I really thought we were done for heading into the play off but we somehow pulled it off for another championship.
Darren Smith
24 апреля, 2012 at 18:44
Well done Kevin that was sensational stuff and I think the MLS is finding a dominant team for the first time since it was formed when DC United seemed to boss the cup. Brilliant stuff and I can’t wait to see what happens in the CWC, coming close in that competition would be simply brilliant.
Kevin
25 апреля, 2012 at 00:22
Cheers Darren
It seems we are well positioned to overtake DC as the best all time team ad hopefully I’ll make some good Moneyball signings to support that. Looking forward to the CWC too!
Martin F.M.J.S
24 апреля, 2012 at 19:32
Congrats Kevin on winning the MLS for the third season in a row. It was a shame to see the dip in form and handing the overall standing to Sporting Kansas City but I am sure you will do it next season. I look forward to the special post on the World Club Championship Good Luck :D
Kevin
25 апреля, 2012 at 00:24
Hi Martin
I was a little disappointed in how we ended the regular season but winning a 3rd MLS trophy made up for that :)
Laxeyman
24 апреля, 2012 at 20:06
Congrats Kevin! The form leading up to the play offs wasn’t great, but you turned it round magnificently, so well done on that :) Keep up the good work and hopefully yet more trophies will flow into Vancouver’s cabinet :)
Kevin
25 апреля, 2012 at 00:27
Hi Laxeyman
Thanka a lot mate. It was a great end to the season for sure after some tense final games in regular play. I’m measuring for a new cabinet now from ARGOS.
CsAtlantis
25 апреля, 2012 at 02:33
Nice, another MLS Cup Kevin! Tardelly’s return was timely as your team needed goals from somewhere, you ran into a bad patch of results at the end of the season but in the end the playoff results are what counts
Good luck in the World Club Championships, hopefully you can spring a surprise or two
Kevin
25 апреля, 2012 at 13:27
Hi CsAtlantis
Tardelly out on the left instead of being in the centre mad all the difference on his return and he basically won the MLS title for us when I think about it. hopefully he can put in a good performance at the CWC
vaibhavc
25 апреля, 2012 at 19:31
Fantastic Kevin, thats the way! Thank god you won when you really needed to, it would be a shame to do bad in the playoffs.
Lye
26 апреля, 2012 at 04:37
Well done Kevin, Vancouver is a dominant force under you and you can go on and bring them to greater heights. Good luck on the club World Championship. Wish to see you do well in this competition.
Ana Garcia
26 апреля, 2012 at 20:02
Congratulations!
Santa ANA Winds, wonder if they named it after me! :)
Seems you are dominating the MLS at the moment and your new strategy seems to be paying dividends.
Am glad to see someone doing so well in playoff games!
Good luck!