The match may have finished 1-1 at Red Bull Arena, but the Vancouver Whitecaps came away with the distinct advantage in their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal series against the New York Red Bulls.
The 39th minute goal scored by Vancouver's Kekuta Manneh means that the Red Bulls are going to have to score at BC Place in Vancouver in the second leg next Thursday, March 2 (10 pm ET on UDN and Facebook) if they want to advance in the competition.
That's because tournament rules (pages 26-27) determine that away goals will serve as the first tiebreaker should the two teams score the same number of goals by the end of the second leg.
The Whitecaps will also like their chances given that manager Carl Robinson has already indicated that recent Designated Player acquisition Fredy Montero will be available to play.
But Red Bulls fans won't lose hope. Their last visit to BC Place ended with a 1-0 victory last September 3, courtesy of a goal by Bradley Wright-Phillips, who also found the back of the net with the equalizer on Wednesday night.
The survivor of the New York Red Bulls vs. Vancouver Whitecaps quarterfinal series will face a Mexican opponent in the semifinals: UNAM Pumas of Mexico City or UANL Tigres, based in Monterrey.
