By Marc Weber
It has been almost a year since Whitecaps' fans saw the best of Ansu Toure. Toronto FC brought it out of him.
His goal 31 minutes in was simple enough; a tap-in. But his insurance marker in the 81st was a thing of beauty; a left-footed missile to the far post that, at the time, seemed to guarantee the Whitecaps passage into the CONCACAF Champions League.
Toronto's subsequent 6-1 thrashing of Montreal changed that script, but here we are again — Vancouver and Toronto at Swangard Stadium in a Canadian championship tournament tilt.
This time, the Whitecaps control their own fate. Montreal, still with a game to play against Vancouver, is out of the running.
A tie tonight keeps the Whitecaps alive, but forget the math: they need a win. Head coach Teitur Thordarson has admitted as much.
And they need the Toure fans saw a year ago.
The confident player who wanted to embarrass defenders and blast shots but had the sense to cross the ball before losing it. The tenacious worker willing to get dirty, willing to sacrifice.
"He has it within him," Thordarson said of the 28-year-old Liberian-American left-winger. "He can do something special, but it is up to him to bring it out on the field."
Toure had three goals and three assists in 31 games for the Whitecaps last season, including his double against TFC. He is pointless in six games this year.
The numbers don't jibe with his talent. His ball skills — his passing and crossing, control and dribbling — are among the best on the team. He's fast and agile.
"In terms of technical skills, he could easily play on a higher level," Thordarson said.
So we are left to assume that what is unsaid is at the root of Toure’s inconsistency. That his head, or his heart, varies from game to game.
It's a small sample size, but last year suggests that tonight could be one of those games that brings out the best in Toure.
If it doesn’t, Thordarson now has Takashi Hirano, back from a knee injury, to call on.
"I don’t think about that game,” Toure said of last year’s 2-0 home win over TFC. “I just think about going out there and playing my best every game. I strongly believe in myself, in my teammates."
In fairness to Toure, he had surgery midway through last season to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee and missed a month.
He took a knock in practice early this season and said that aggravated the knee.
Saturday, against Montreal, he said he felt good for the first time this season, and it showed in his work rate.
"If it doesn't feel right, you'll be afraid because you don't want to get hurt again," he said of his knee. "I feel much better mentally now. It was definitely in my head a bit."
The entire team looked fresher on Saturday, a function of an extra day off last week and a shortened training session or two.
Thordarson made that call after the 0-0 debacle against Crystal Palace Baltimore and it's a strategy he hopes will carry over into tonight's clash with Toronto.
A fresh-looking Toure could well give the Whitecaps a fresh outlook on this Canadian championship tournament.
CAPSGAMEDAY
Nutrilite Canadian Championship
Toronto FC (2-0-0) at Whitecaps (0-0-1)
Details:
Venue: Swangard Stadium
Kickoff: 7:35 p.m.
TV: Sportsnet West and East, tape delay, 8 p.m.
The setup:
TFC can wrap up the title with a win; a tie keeps the Caps on life support; a Caps' victory throws it wide open.
Whitecaps' last game:
A 0-0 tie at home to Montreal on Saturday. Still no goals to speak of but plenty of promise on a night when everyone worked their tails off.
Toronto FC's last game:
Another step forward with their first road point of the season in a 0-0 tie with MLS-leaders L.A. Galaxy on Saturday. Toronto is unbeaten in three.
Predicted Caps' XI:
Haber/Stewart
Toure/Bellisomo/Sanchez/Moose
Tsiskaridze/Akwari/Janicki/Knight
Nolly
Three things to watch:
- Both teams could well be missing key central midfielders in this one as the Caps' Martin Nash (back) and TFC's Julian de Guzman (hamstring) are game-day decisions. The build-up often flows through these two players, so their fill-ins will be under the spotlight barring a last-minute recovery. Nick LaBrocca stepped in for de Guzman last game, while Ricardo Sanchez looked dangerous in place of Nash.
- Stopping Dwayne De Rosario has been a near-impossible task this season, but with the way the Caps' are struggling to score, they might well need another clean sheet to claim a win. De Ro has six goals and three assists in eight MLS games, and one goal and one assist in two Nutrilite games. And now that Chad Barrett has found his confidence, the Caps' have more than just De Ro to think about.
- As much anguish and frustration as Marlon James's constant injuries have caused Caps' fans, the striker could still hold the key to Vancouver's success in this tournament. He's the only proven scorer on a team that can't score these days. And, after missing most of the season with a hamstring injury, he's likely to come off the bench for 30-40 minutes against TFC.
Injuries:
(Caps) M Martin Nash (back, possible), D Blake Wagner (foot, weeks), D Mouloud Akloul (ankle, 3-4 months); (TFC) M Julian de Guzman (hamstring, possible), F O'Brian White (ankle, possible).
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