By BOB MACKIN, 24 HOURS
Vancouver Whitecaps’ assistant captain Wesley Charles and star striker Charles Gbeke remain with the club despite Friday’s shocking mutiny at midfield. Their discipline is expected to be announced Monday morning.
“They will be with the team no doubt,” head coach Teitur Thordarson said. “But they will have to take certain consequences from the club, that is assured. We will not release them.”
Defender Charles was red-carded in the 86th minute of the 3-2 win over Miami FC at Swangard Stadium when he clashed with Gbeke after the Whitecaps failed to score on a two-on-one breakaway. Gbeke was yellow-carded in the melee and replaced in the 90th minute by Gordon Chin. Gbeke, who had two first half goals, kicked a pack of water bottles at the Whitecaps’ bench and was issued his second yellow card by referee John Oliva.
Gbeke is expected to miss the Saturday visit to Montreal with a one-game league suspension. Since Charles’ red card was an automatic ejection, he may be out as many as three games.
Immediately after the match, Thordarson called the incident “a disgrace.”
“You can almost say we can forget these three points when we see what happened,” he said.
Meanwhile, the W-League Whitecaps’ tie streak increased to four when they played a scoreless draw with the Los Angeles Legends. The women’s club had three previous 1-1 ties and needs wins on a three-game California road trip that begins Thursday.
