Whitecaps don't think players were 'poisoned'

Canada caput manager Jesse Marsch alleged Friday that Vancouver Whitecaps players were "poisoned" during their travel to Mexico for the Concacaf Champions Cup final, contempt the MLS nine saying they judge that players lone fell sick pursuing the game.

Last week, the Whitecaps were stunned successful a 5-0 thrashing by Cruz Azul successful this year's last of the Champions Cup held successful Mexico City. Vancouver released a statement connected Thursday saying aft "the team's instrumentality from Mexico, a important fig of Whitecaps FC players and unit reported gastrointestinal symptoms."

It is the 2nd twelvemonth successful a enactment that an MLS squad reported players falling sick portion successful Mexico for a Champions Cup final, aft respective Columbus Crew players went into their last nonaccomplishment to Pachuca with aggregate members of the squad suffering from gastrointestinal issues.

And Marsch said the 2 incidents were nary coincidence arsenic helium voiced vexation that 3 members of his Canada squad from the Whitecaps were hampered up of their Canadian Shield lucifer with Ukraine connected Saturday.

"They're amended now," Marsch told Canadian media of Ali Ahmed, Sam Adekugbe, and Jayden Nelson. "They're astir apt not acceptable for 90-minute performances. But for me, it's appalling that this is the 2nd twelvemonth successful a enactment that Concacaf and the powers that beryllium person allowed an MLS squad to spell down to Mexico for a large last and get poisoned."

"It's ridiculous. Something has to beryllium done to support these environments."

Concacaf had nary remark erstwhile approached by ESPN, portion Cruz Azul did not respond to an attack for comment.

No ceremonial ailment oregon petition for an probe into the substance has been filed by Vancouver, a root said.

Whitecaps caput manager Jesper Sorensen said Friday that helium doesn't deliberation his squad were intentionally sickened.

"I don't expect america to beryllium deliberately poisoned oregon thing erstwhile we were down there. But I don't know," helium told reporters.

At the final, clubs are liable for each logistics, including wherever they enactment and eat. Before the Whitecaps arrived, the squad had a dietitian sent to Mexico and an experienced cook besides made the travel with the team, according to a source.

Vancouver sporting manager Axel Schuster told ESPN Friday that the team's investigation of what happened is ongoing, but aboriginal indications are that immoderate happened to the team's players and unit took spot aft Sunday's lucifer portion traveling backmost to Canada.

"We are moving connected the symptoms and marque definite that everyone gets steadfast arsenic soon arsenic possible," helium said. "At the aforesaid clip we're moving done the investigation of what truly happened and wherever the root was oregon the antithetic origins person been. And truthful acold our investigation leads to the presumption that it happened aft the game, determination connected the mode back."

Schuster indicated that the squad was successful "complete control" of the nutrient that the squad ate anterior to the match. Schuster besides noted that astir 50% of the traveling enactment that returned connected the squad formation fell ill, but of those who didn't travel backmost connected the squad flight, lone astir 1 successful 12 reported symptoms.

"There is evidently thing to it, and I was determination with the squad each the clip and I person eaten each nutrient and I person participated successful each squad lunch, dinner. I person eaten everything," Schuster said. "I person eaten mode excessively much. The nutrient was precise good, and I haven't eaten thing aft the match. And yes, possibly the aforesaid for our caput scout, the aforesaid for Steve Nash who was there, our proprietor with his lad and immoderate different radical and each of those had nary symptoms.

"So conscionable by the logic of it, it feels similar it was much related to thing that happened aft the game."

Schuster added that what befell his broadside this twelvemonth is precise antithetic to what occurred past twelvemonth successful past year's Champions Cup last involving the Columbus Crew.

"The 1 happening I tin accidental is the quality betwixt Columbus past twelvemonth and america this twelvemonth is that Columbus was going into the crippled and they had already monolithic issues with it, and they felt already, 'OK, thing is happening to our team,'" Schuster said. "That wasn't the lawsuit for us."

Marsch acknowledged that helium didn't person immoderate grounds that Whitecaps players were poisoned.

"Look I don't person immoderate impervious present that this [happened] but it's not random," helium added. "It's not random that 2 years successful a enactment this has happened. If I were the Vancouver Whitecaps, if I were the Columbus Crew, if I were MLS, I would beryllium perfectly aggravated that this has been allowed to happen."