Vancouver Whitecaps celebrate back-to-back Canadian Championship win
Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini jumped to chants in front of supporters while players and coaches streamed on to the field at B.C. Place, tearing off their shirts and hugging one another to celebrate a back-to-back Canadian Championship win.
Ryan Gauld scored the matchwinner off a penalty in the 65th minute as Vancouver beat CF Montreal 2-1 to ensure the Canadian Championship trophy stays on the West Coast for another year.
Gauld said after the match that he routinely decides a day before the match where to place his penalty.
“As soon as the referee's given the penalty, as soon as I get the ball I know where I'm going,” he said.
The head coach couldn't have been much happier after the match.
“We're over the moon,” said Sartini, who had stripped off his shirt on television after being soaked in Gatorade by a member of his coaching staff. “I'm very happy for everyone. I told them before the game that I'm proud to work with them.”
Montreal scored its lone goal in the 83rd minute after Vancouver defender Tristan Blackmon failed to clear the ball in his team's box, allowing Montreal forward Sunusi Ibrahim to tuck it past goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka.
The Whitecaps opened the scoring 57 minutes in off an error from Montreal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois, which allowed striker Brian White to slot the ball home.
It's the second straight year the Whitecaps have claimed the Canadian Championship and the third time in the club's history it has won the trophy.
“It's so satisfying for a coach,” Sartini said about his team's performance. “It's even more satisfying than winning the cup. Because it means that these guys believe in this process, believe in what we're doing.”
Sartini got a tattoo of the trophy after winning last year and said he would add to it after the latest triumph.
Up until the breakthrough goal, Vancouver had been denied by Sirois's several acrobatic saves, including one where he stopped what looked like a sure goal with his feet mid-dive.
Montreal head coach Hernan Losada praised the B.C.-club after the match and said it was a good learning experience for his young squad.
“We really gave it our all.,” said Lasorda. “It's a beautiful experience for so many young players in our roster. To be part of a game like that, well not many players have the opportunity to play a final. Some players have careers of 10 or 15 years and have never been in a situation like that.”
The Whitecaps outshot Montreal 20-9 with the Quebec side leaving it until late to threaten Takaoka's goal.
“We were playing very well and I told (the players) that every time we had a chance it was because we carried the ball,” Sartini said about what he told his team at halftime.
Canada men's head coach John Herdman presented the Best Young Canadian Player Award to midfielder Ali Ahmed, who missed the match as he continues his recovery from a concussion.
Canada Soccer interim general secretary and former national team player Jason de Vos presented the George Gross Most Valuable Player Award to Julian Gressel, who recorded an assist on White's opener.
Sartini signed as head coach in 2021 and said after the match he wants to continue in his role.
An hour after the match, Whitecaps staff, players and their families went on to the pitch to take one last photo to document the win.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
BREAKING Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, claims he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have told the court the accused unlawfully caused the death of four women, but argue he is not criminally responsible due to mental disorder.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Human remains were found at a former Hitler base, but decay prevents determining the cause of death
Polish prosecutors have discontinued an investigation into human skeletons found at a site where German dictator Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spent time during the Second World War because the advanced state of decay made it impossible to determine the cause of death, a spokesman said Monday.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial fined him US$1,000 on Monday for violating his gag order once again and sternly warned the former president that additional violations could result in jail time.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Russia warns Britain and plans nuclear drills over the West's possible deepening role in Ukraine
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.