VANCOUVER, BC – Let's try this again shall we? After last week's encounter was snowed out in Edmonton, the 'Caps finally get their Canadian Championship campaign underway tonight as they host FC Edmonton in the first leg of their semifinal clash at BC Place. Tickets: http://ow.ly/MShWW.
KICKOFF: 7 p.m. PT at BC Place TV: Sportsnet ONE/World RADIO: TSN 1410
Will this be the year?
The ‘Caps have never won the Canadian Championship, something that isn’t lost on head coach Carl Robinson.
“That hurts,” Robinson told reporters last week. “Everyone else seems to win it and we don’t. We want to try and have a go at it this year.”
It’s not just a line that the boss is feeding to reporters either. He gave the same message to players at training, telling the group: "This is a competition that I, that we, want to win."
So can the ‘Caps finally end their heartbreak and fill the Voyageurs Cup-shaped hole in the trophy cabinet? Only time will tell of course. But given how deep the ‘Caps roster extends this year, there’s every hope that Robinson and co. can end their Canadian Championship hoodoo, even if the soccer gods didn't seem to be smiling on them when last week's opening encounter was snowed off.
Squad rotation
Speaking of depth, Robbo will no doubt look to give his squad players some minutes in this Wednesday’s semifinal first leg against the Eddies. Before last week's match was snowed off, the coach had already stated that goalkeeper Paolo Tornaghi would get his first competitive start for the Blue and White, adding that other squad players would get their chance to impress in the midweek clash as well.
“Six or seven of them are ready now to play and unfortunately I’ve been leaving them out of the team in MLS because the guys in those places have been doing very well,” Robinson said. “As I’ve said all along, I’ve got faith in my squad. There will be a change of faces … but the boys are ready. They’re very sharp and they want a chance. And they get a chance to play a competitive match in a tournament that we want to go and win.”
Among those looking for a shot at the starting lineup is Erik Hurtado, who has seen limited MLS minutes this season in the wake of Octavio Rivero’s fine start to the 2015 campaign. Nevertheless, the Santa Clara native has remained patient, and plans to take full advantage if he gets his shot in Wednesday’s match.
“Whenever I get a chance to play, I want to take advantage of it," Hurtado stated last week. "I'm learning when I'm watching the play and I want to be able to use what I've learned when I get my chance."
That will be music to the ears of Robinson, who’d like nothing more than to be able to shuffle his pack as his squad gets ready for a gruelling week that will see them play three matches in eight days.
The road to the cup
After the drama of last week's snowed out encounter in Edmonton, this week's clash will be the first step in the 'Caps road to the Voyageurs Cup. FC Edmonton will be tough opponents, and the tie is all the trickier now that the Blue and White will have to face the Eddies on the road in the second leg on May 20.
If the ‘Caps are able to overcome this first hurdle, then they’d go on to face either Toronto FC or Montreal Impact (Montreal lead 1-0 after the first leg) in a two-legged final on August 12 and August 26 with the winner lifting the Voyageurs Cup.
In addition to claiming the silverware, the 2015 Canadian champion will also earn Canada’s lone entry into the 2016-17 CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) – an annual 24-team competition between the top clubs from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
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