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The Vancouver Whitecaps have moved into Freddy Krueger mode at the MLS is Back Tournament.
After losing to Seattle on Sunday in a 10:30 p.m. ET start, the Whitecaps are changing their schedule ahead of a 9 a.m. kickoff Thursday against Chicago Fire FC at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex in the Orlando area.
Players have been told not to take naps.
Coach Marc Dos Santos cites the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” film series, where Krueger attacks his victims with his metal-clawed hand in their dreams
“Don’t go to sleep — if not, the (bad) guy comes, whatever. So we can’t fall asleep,” said Dos Santos.
After the Seattle game, the Vancouver players returned to their hotel for dinner at 1:30 a.m. Breakfast the next day was at 11 a.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, the players woke up at 6:15 a.m. for breakfast at 6:45 and training at 9. Players were instructed not to take a nap so they could get to sleep at a decent hour.
“Now everybody is tired,” said Dos Santos. “Me? I’m destroyed, I’m telling you.
“I feel that if I go to my room and stop for an hour, I’m going to fall asleep. But it’s important that we don’t fall asleep.”
The Whitecaps were told to stay awake until their 6:30 p.m. dinner. Sleep is allowed after that.
“Doesn’t matter even if it’s 8 or 8:30 (p.m.). At least you have an incredible night of sleep and then you wake up at 6:30 (a.m.) for the next day,” said Dos Santos.
It’s easier said than done in a short time, according to the coach, normally a bundle of energy who prowls the sidelines like a caged animal.
“It’s like if we’re going to another country in one day,” he said. “It’s really challenging.”
Vancouver, which lost its first two games at the tournament, still has a shot at advancing to the round of 16 if it beats Chicago by at least two goals and gets help from other teams.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2020.
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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press