SoccerCanadian rivals set for classic finale

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Whitecaps' Davide Chiumiento entered the weekend with just one goal on the season, but Toronto FC coach Aron Winter will be wary because he knows the player can hurt his team. (Geoff Howe/Canadian Press)

It must be the most distant derby in world soccer. Nowhere else on earth would it even merit the description. But this is Canada where rivalries are not dependent on proximity.

Several time zones separate Toronto and Vancouver. Flying the Atlantic is quicker than travelling between YYZ and YVR. Yet this is a rivalry which is gathering fuel and becoming more intense on a game-by-game basis.

It could reach new heights with the Canadian Championship at stake. Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps are 90 minutes away from lifting the Voyageurs Cup - a trophy which has taken on Holy Grail proportions for BC's finest.

Let's try and forget 2009. The 'Miracle in Montreal' was a joyous night for TFC. It was also an embarrassing moment for Canadian professional soccer. The tournament rules and format have been revamped to ensure such a situation never recurs.

It still rankles with Whitecaps coach Teitur Thordarson. He believes his team was hard done by. But the fact of the matter is he is one of the few men still actively involved who was part of the controversy. His lineup and his opponents have changed out of all recognition.

Thordarson has bigger things than revenge on his mind. The amiable but demanding Icelander is desperate to find a winning combination. His players are always committed and competitive but they've won only two games in 2011 - both against Canadian opposition.

Like all head coaches, Thordarson is working in a results-oriented business. Ultimately, all the effort in the world doesn't matter if your team cannot convert a good work ethic into victories. Injuries and suspensions don't help but they are par for the course.

Can it be as simple as a lack of luck? Few would argue Toronto FC was fortunate to escape the first leg on level terms. More than once the woodwork saved what Stefan Frei could not, and the penalty appeal, to all except the referee, was as clear as day.

Evenly matched

If we learned anything from the opener it was that these are two evenly-matched teams. Vancouver clearly created the better chances but Toronto showed resilience not always evident in MLS performances. Most importantly they scored a potentially priceless away goal.

Inevitably that will impact on the decider. TFC has the upper hand on two fronts. First the Reds are under no pressure to force the issue. They can dictate the pace of play and hit Vancouver on the break as the visitors must score the road.

Secondly, Aron Winter's men have home advantage. BMO Field was once considered a fortress but too many teams, on too many occasions, have since dispelled the myth. Even so, with a trophy on the line, the fans will be out in good numbers and in good voice.

That should help the fatigue factor. Toronto had to dig deep at altitude to earn a point in Colorado over the weekend, while the Whitecaps have had a full week to rest and prepare. That could just be decisive if it's close in the dying minutes.

I don't expect anything different. Thordarson has shown where his priorities lie in the early part of the expansion season.

He wants the trophy and he wants it badly. He knows his team should be in front and will be hoping they can conjure up another dominant performance.

He may not admit as much but Winter will be wary. He knows Eric Hassli and Davide Chiumiento can hurt his team and the return to fitness of Jay De Merit means the Whitecaps will be more solid and better organized at the back.

At the same time, the TFC coach will be encouraged. The players' belief in each other and in Winter's system will have grown  on the back of a pair of road games without defeat. There is certainly room for improvement but Toronto has lost just once  in its last six outings.

There is reason to believe Toronto FC will retain the trophy. Equally there is an argument to support the Whitecaps' dream of glory. Let's hope, for the sake of the game, it's a classic encounter. It's a Cup Final after all - one all Canadian soccer fans will want to re-live for years to come.

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