Whitecaps beat Olympia 1-0 in CONCACAF Champions League

Kianz Froese scored in the first half and the Vancouver Whitecaps beat Honduras’ Olympia 1-0 on Wednesday night in CONCACAF Champions League play.

Mezquida continued to pull the strings in midfield, playing a terrific through-ball to Darren Mattocks as the end of the first half neared.

The 19-year-old Canadian midfielder poked a shot home in the 42nd minute that goalkeeper Noel Valladeres could only get a piece of before it looped up and over a helpless defender.

The “Caps nearly got their security in the final minute when Robert Earnshaw was slipped in but his chip shot rebounded off Valladares” face into the path of Marco Bustos, who fired wide of the open goal. “To be able to help the team win the game, it’s the best feeling for me”.

“I did challenge (Froese) to be more proactive rather than reactive, and I think he took that on board”, said Robinson.

This was Vancouver’s first win in the continental competition.

The victory against the Honduran side moves the Whitecaps (1-0-1) into a tie on points with the Seattle Sounders (1-1-1) atop Group F and sets up a crucial match between the clubs next week at CenturyLink Field.

“It was exactly the way I thought it would play out”, Robinson admitted. “They’re a fantastic team, got some top, top players in their team”.

“The team that can come straight past us is Olimpia”, Seattle coach Sigi Schmid said.

It was clear in the first half that the visitors had a definite game plan; don’t concede a goal and see if Vancouver were willing to rise to the bait of the kind of provocation that is almost, but not quite, within the rules of the game.

“We huffed and puffed in the second half, but we defended brilliantly”. “Tactically, the boys were fantastic today against a very good team”. A lot of energy, very physical, and that’s what we had to compete with. Sometimes they hold (the ball) for so long.

Eventually though the Whitecaps began to find their rhythm and exert some consistent pressure and it finally paid off when Kianz Froese snapped up a loose ball in the box to give his team the lead in the forty-second minute.

Every time a Whitecap went up for a header a CD Olimpia player was there to nudge him just as he reached the apex of his jump and every break in play was extended to its maximum before the match officials intervened. “It doesn’t go so quickly forward”. The play was generated from a cross from substitute Michael Chirinos from the right.

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“I couldn’t believe it”, Earnshaw said.