Toronto FC's Chad Barrett, left, is tackled by the Whitecaps' Wesley Charles in the first half. (Darren Calabrese/Canadian Press)Kevin Harmse couldn't have picked a better time to score his first goal for Toronto FC.
Harmse's goal was all the offence Toronto needed to earn a 1-0 win over the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps Wednesday night in the opening game of the Canadian club championship.
After scoring, Harmse was mobbed by his teammates in a jubilant scene that had to have put a smile on the faces of Harmse's harshest detractors.
Ever since joining Toronto prior to the 2008 Major League Soccer season, Harmse has come under consistent criticism for his lapses in concentration and defensive mistakes.
But the veteran defender turned out to be the hero against the Whitecaps, scoring on a gorgeous header with all the expertise and finesse you would expect from a world-class striker.
Toronto coach Chris Cummins admitted that Harmse, who started in place of injured centre back Adrian Serioux, looked impressive and did enough to possibly earn a start next time out.
"Kevin has given me [plenty to think about], and I love that. He went out there, he did his job, he broke things up, he made some smart passes and he scored the winner," Cummins said.
The Whitecaps put in a solid effort and were far from outplayed by their MLS counterparts, but they hardly tested rookie goalkeeper Stefan Frei, who ended up having a pretty easy night between the posts for Toronto.
Whitecaps coach Teitur Thordarson said giving up the early goal put his team behind the eight ball.
"That forced us to chase the game," Thordarson explained. "Overall, I'm quite happy with how we played, but not with the result."
Thordarson took issue with a controversial non-call in the seventh minute when Whitecaps forward Marlon James was tugged down inside the box by Toronto defender Nana Attakora-Gyan. No penalty was called on the play.
"I think it was clear to see it was a penalty," Thordarson stated.
The victory allowed the MLS club to exact a small amount of revenge against a Vancouver side that earned a 1-0 win in Toronto last July in the inaugural Canadian club championship.
It took Toronto just three minutes to open the scoring.
Dwayne De Rosario took a pass out wide on the left and then used his speed to burst into the penalty area where he delivered a perfect cross into the middle for Harmse to head home.
Toronto poured on the pressure, but Whitecaps goalkeeper Jay Nolly came up with a pair of big saves on Chad Barrett and Attakora-Gyan to keep it a one-goal game.
That seemed to wake Vancouver up, as the Whitecaps ventured forward with greater purpose, using their strength to physically dominate their opponents in midfield, though the Toronto defence comfortably dealt with the pressure.
The home side came out strong at the start of the second half, with Barrett sneaking in behind the Vancouver defence and forcing Nolly to make a brilliant kick save.
The Whitecaps should have tied it 86th minute when James broke into the penalty area, but Frei came up with a magnificent save from close range to deny the Vancouver forward.
Whitecaps defender Marco Reda, formerly of Toronto FC, left the game in the 14th minute due to a concussion. Thordarson said he could be sidelined for one or two weeks.
Serioux did not dress for Toronto because of a back injury, but he told CBCSports.ca he would be ready for Saturday's MLS game against D.C. United in Washington.
The Canadian club championship continues next Wednesday night when Toronto hosts the defending champion Montreal Impact.
