Vancouver Whitecaps FC became the first opposing side to break down the "fortress" of BMO Field this season, defeating Toronto FC 1-0 on Tuesday afternoon that kept them alive in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship.
Martin Nash's penalty kick in the 36th minute gave the Whitecaps a lead it would not relinquish despite a wild second half as the USL First Division side upset its Major League Soccer rivals from Toronto. The Reds entered the match with a 10-game unbeaten streak at BMO Field in MLS league play dating back to 2007.
It was a must-win situation for the Whitecaps, who suffered a pair of 2-0 defeats to the Montreal Impact in their first two games of the tournament and would've been mathematically eliminated from any chance at qualification for the inaugural CONCACAF Champions League with a loss or a draw. The victory leaves Vancouver and Toronto tied with three points in the competition, through TFC still has the edge in goal differential (zero to minus-3) and has played one fewer match than the Whitecaps. The Impact sit at the top of the table with six points in three games.
Neither club gained a major advantage in the early minutes, as the play was largely comprised of downfield volleys that failed to develop into real scoring chances. TFC gained the early edge in set pieces when midfielder Laurent Robert covered two direct free kicks in the first six minutes. The first attempt sailed over the net, but the second required a save from Whitecaps goalkeeper Jay Nolly.
The intensity of the two sides was on display in the 10th minute, when a shoving match broke out at midfield between Toronto captain Jim Brennan and Whitecaps midfielder Martin Nash following a hard foul on Nash committed by TFC's Carl Robinson. Brennan and Nash, former teammates on the Canadian national team, received bookings after the skirmish.
The yellow card was Brennan's second of the tournament, which means the Reds captain will be suspended for Toronto's next Nutrilite Canadian Championship game on July 9, when they travel to face Vancouver.
The discipline problems continued for Toronto when Amado Guevara was booked in the 23rd minute for holding. Guevara was making his tournament debut after missing TFC's game with Montreal due to international duty for his native Honduras.
Vancouver was failing to generate much on attack until the 36th minute. During a corner kick from midfielder Justin Moose, Brennan was called for a foul for having his arms around Blue-and-White captain Jeff Clarke. In a referee's call that angered the Reds and the BMO Field fans, the Whitecaps were awarded a penalty kick, which was converted by Nash to give his club its first goal of the championship. It was a shocking concession from Toronto FC, who had allowed just two goals in eight MLS home games in 2008.
The goal was Nash's second in all competitions this season, with his last having come on June 7 in a 3-1 win against Portland. Nash also notched himself a place in the history books as the first Canadian-born opposing player to score against Toronto FC at BMO Field.
Having become the first visiting team to gain a lead at BMO Field in 2008, the Whitecaps looked more confident in their attacks. Vancouver nearly added to its lead in the 45th minute. Nash found room on the left side and made a strong run downfield before sending a cross towards the net. Striker Eduardo Sebrango was in place just outside the six-yard box and got a touch on the ball, but TFC goalkeeper Greg Sutton was positioned right in front of Sebrango to stop the shot.
In a sign of dissatisfaction at his team's play, TFC coach John Carver made all three of his substitutions at halftime. Jeff Cunningham, Julius James and Jarrod Smith entered the game in place of Danny Dichio, Rohan Ricketts and Laurent Robert, respectively.
The shakeup seemed to spark the Reds, who nearly scored in the second minute of the half. Nolly collided with a teammate during a botched clearance attempt, and the ball bounced right to Toronto midfielder Maurice Edu in front of the net. Edu took just a moment too long to shoot, however, and Nolly was able to recover and make a diving save to knock the attempt away.
Vancouver didn't shy away on attack either, with two shots in the first five minutes of the second half. The pace of the game picked up considerably as TFC looked to equalize and the Whitecaps pressed for the backbreaking second goal. Sebrango had a good attempt in the 59th minute that caught Sutton off-balance, but James was in place for a goalmouth block.
The increasingly desperate Reds kept pushing to score and created a number of chances, but couldn't find the target. Tyrone Marshall, Guevara and Cunningham all sent shots over the net within a five-minute span about midway through the half.
TFC was also foiled by some strong play from Nolly. The Whitecaps 'keeper kept his position by the side of the goalpost to stop a charging Smith coming down the left goal line in the 78th minute, then in the 80th minute stopped a point-blank shot from Edu. Nolly made nine saves overall in the match to secure the clean sheet.
Cunningham looked to have finally broken through in the 81st minute when his angled shot rolled along the ground and found the left-hand corner of the net, but the forward was ruled offside. Cunningham, who had jumped into the stands to celebrate the supposed goal, ended up being booked for delaying a restart.
Perhaps the closest call for the Whitecaps came in the 86th minute, when a Guevara corner kick led to a massive scrum in front of the Vancouver net. Amidst the chaos, the ball bounced to Smith, whose attempt bounced off the crossbar and back into the mass of humanity on the left side of the net. Robinson managed a follow-up shot, but it sailed high and wide.
The Reds and Whitecaps will meet in a rematch on July 9 at Swangard Stadium, and TFC then plays host to Montreal on July 22 in the concluding match of the home-and-away round-robin tournament. Toronto defeated the Impact 1-0 on May 27 in Montreal.
The winners of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship will face the Nicaraguan league champions in a two-legged series beginning on August 27. The winner of that tie will advance to group play in the CONCACAF Champions League.
Mark Polishuk is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
