CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP ROUND 1 Leg 1: vancouver whitecaps v tigres uanl

The CONCACAF Champions Cup is in full swing. Through 5 games, all featuring Mexican teams, we’ve only seen one home win, a 2-1 scoreline from Real Esteli (Nicaragua) over Club America. Our first matchup between MLS and Liga MX was Vancouver v Tigres at Starlight Stadium in Langford, home of Pacific FC of the CPL. This was Vancouver’s first competitive game of the year, following a good season reaching the first round of playoffs where they got eliminated by LAFC in a best-of-three series. Tigres is undefeated in Liga MX, keeping pace with the current champion they lost the Liga MX finals to, the previously mentioned America, and their rival, Monterrey.

LIGA MX Table after 5 games, courtesy of ligamx.net

From where both teams left off from their previous competitive games, there were some lineup changes. Vancouver added Kreilach in the off-season and played a 3-4-3, with Kreilach dropping into the midfield at times. Tigres added the best player of last season’s campaign, Brunetta, and still had the depth to have him and Llainez on the bench. Gignac was starting for the first time since J2/Week 02 against Chivas. They had other solidplayers on the bench like Gorriaran and Ibanez, who had just scored a brace on the weekend against Pumas.

We expected to see a Vancouver who was good on the press, transition, and create opportunities through Gauld’s feet. The big weakness was going to be lack of fitness and rhythm. The earlier editions of this tournament had MLS teams hold well over their Liga MX counterparts but get beaten in the final 15 minutes of the game due to depth, focus, and fitness. The last couple years, it’s barely happened, but it’s a cycle that always feels likely to continue, especially when facing a Tigres team that is patient on the ball, clinical, and has 5 games under the belt already.

Having watched most of Tigres’ games this season, my belief on how the Whitecaps could be most dangerous was through pressing and having a high line covering the passing lanes like Chivas in J2. In addition, Tigres struggles in the air, both in open play and on set pieces. It wasn’t a surprise the way in which Kreilach with Brian White were able to link up to score Vancouvers goal (more on that later).

Against Chivas, Tigres struggled on the buildup.

In addition, Tigres struggles in the air, both in open play and on set pieces. It wasn’t a surprise the way in which Kreilach with Brian White were able to link up to score Vancouvers goal (more on that later).

While these are some of the ways Tigres is struggles to play up the field or even defend, there are clinical and skilled when linking up. They have great triangular movement in the half spaces and have CBs and a GK that can pass the ball up the field to find those opportunities. They are comfortable taking many low xG shots when playing against a compact defense and will kill you when there’s space.

FIRST HALF

Tigres was forced to be patient. Having Kreilach start along with White was great for Vancouver because they were able to block those passing lanes down the middle. They were forced to play the ball up the wings, mostly on the right side to Quinones and Garza. In games in the past when Tigres is forced this way, sometimes we see Gignac drop, receive the ball, lay it off to a teammate who then has the angle to hit a pass around the space Gignac has created… or they recycle.

In between a highline and some pressing, Vancouver kept Tigres mostly quiet

Most of the touches Tigres had were from the CB’s. That’s pretty common from them. One difference was the lack of progress up the midfield with Brunetta being on the bench. Brunetta is great at receiving the ball at the half turn or facing away from goal. Cordova is safer when dropping back and more likely to reset the play back to Reyes or Guzman.

Tigres had many shots from outside the box, none particularly threatening, but they have scored quite a few already in Liga MX this way from Cordova and Carioca. Vancouver wasn’t able to link up the middle and had most of their dangerous plays come through interceptions, aerial duel knock-ons, and turnovers in the midfield. Vancouver did have a couple of sequences of long possession where they looked comfortable on the ball, one of them leading to one of the best chances of the game:

Around the 30th minute, Carioca starts dropping in between the CBs to be an additional passing option. What he gets out of is dribbling around Brian White and mishitting a pass intended for Vigon. Martins reads the play well and intercepts it with a header, Vite plays a pass to Gauld who hits a pass to White, in between Reyes (who went wide when Carioca went center) and Angulo (who was around the halfway line). White headers it to Krielach who takes the shot and scores.

I don’t know how much of this forward line we’ll see throughout the season, but Kreilach gives this option when facing opponents like Ilie Sanchez (LAFC), who covered the passing lanes to Gauld or White last season. Regardless, against Tigres, it was effective defensively and offensively. These sequences were familiar to how Leon created opportunities against Tigres using the two forwards connecting.

Vancouver did have other opportunities from counterattacks or transition that would have punished Tigres had they connected that final pass. In return, Tigres was finding themselves more up the field, especially from the right-side, having one of these instances lead to a volley parried away from goal by Takaoka, who had a great game (besides maybe the goal, more on that later).

SECOND HALF

In the second half, Tigres found themselves player higher up the pitch more often than in the first half. When Tigres was dangerous, more of that way was due to the circulation of the ball from the midfield spacing going wide instead of from the CBs and their own half. Brunetta was introduced in the 2nd half and we could see how he would pull Vancouver players away, leaving space for the midfielders to be open in the half spaces.

Tigres was able to hit more of these passes higher up the field in the 2nd half.

Vancouver had to absorb more pressure further back compared to the first half, but still had a line of three that was still effective in decreasing the ball in the midfield. They continued to be compact and create small opportunities like before. The could have been up 2-0 had they, again, connected that final pass. Tigres was able reduce those opportunities from even happening by defend on transition better. When they’d lose possession, they’d be quicker to identify potential runs and cover those passing lanes.

They still tried to play the ball wide to Cordova or Herrera, but it wasn’t too effective. Veselinovic was solid there and Blackmon was as well when it was on his side. Gignac, while not often in these situations, continued to be good facing away from goal and rolling the ball to teammates who could play wide and quickly move up the field. They had some crosses inside the box but were unlucky not to find themselves connecting on any of those.

Vancouver held them to less shots inside the box this half. Tigres had less pass attempts but was probably due to being higher up the pitch and not recycling as much all the way back. Picault’s introduction to the game was good as he came in with good intensity and had a couple of good recoveries. There was some nice link up with Gauld, but not for long as he came off before the 80th minute.

It was looking like it could be a Vancouver win and then the foul came. Berhalter commits a foul on Brunetta outside the box. While uncommon, the commentators don’t curse the free-kick taker, after they signaled his likelihood of hitting it to Takaoka’s closest post. Takaoka takes a step away from his post as Gignac hits a well-placed shot in the top corner and ends up tying the game.

It’s sure to leave a bittersweet taste for Vancouver. They played their game well and going away to El Volcan will be tougher now that they are tied on the aggregate. Vancouver can follow a similar game plan for next week. They’ll have to continue being as compact and succeed in those final passes. Tigres has the depth to rotate some pieces, I could see Brunetta starting and more link up in the middle like the 2nd half. Tigres stays favorites to go through to the next round, but Vancouver can hold their heads high having gone a full 90 against an in-form juggernaut of the region.