Threadbare Game Reports

GAME AT COLORADO, AUGUST 5- 2-2:

1. Why do i always think this way??- games vs the rapids always feel like a major let-down- the lack of pizazz and charisma from a colorado team that seems on the slow road to nowhere; investing millions into reclaiming goalie tim howard was to me absolutely ridiculous for a team that often struggles to score and entertain- its all about scoring and the ownership definitely got this wrong as i stated at the time

2. POTM- the tireless work of the 3 MFs - bolanos, laba and tchani- was the highlite for me, but i would give the nod to mattias

3. Are we seeing it??- fredy montero is scoring and working hard- if he can continue to earn his paycheque by getting +13 goals, then robo got it right by signing him on-loan

4. The refereeing- finally, a ref who is capable of using common sense and trying hard to stay out of the game as much as possible- hope to see more of him- and more like him- in the MLS

5, The good news- 4/6 points on the road (both games in harsh climate conditions) speaks well to the training and discipline of the team and the team selection by robo

6. You knew it was coming- the bad news- not going after the terrific MF general, atiba hutchinson- and the MLS agreed to pay the transfer fee of supposedly $5 mill- was a major disappointment- i think the Cap owners didnt want to pay his salary and its why the Caps are always on the edge of capturing the city's imagination, but just cant seem to push it over the edge, unlike TFC and atlanta owners have done- we need a controlling MF general heading to the playoff push

7. I couldnt believe what i was seeing- watching a half-time special on alphonso davies learning how to dance means the boy has arrived into the special status catgeory- the image is being born and his status in the soccer world is climbing- i mean when does a 16 year old player- from CANADA!!!- get to make the Gold Cup all-star team?? and then get his own dance instruction on TV ?? keep your head tied on, alphonso, as it can get way too much for a young lad to handle

 

GAME IN NEW ENGLAND- 0-1 LOSS:

1. Paintless- a drab, colorless game with few highlites from teams that will be in the mix for a playoff spot, but not convinced either has the talent to get there

2. Player of the match- techera who continues to shine from a lost 2016 season; his crossbar rocket off a free kick was excellent as were most of his crosses which were largely wasted; nerwinski continues to impress and is a better RB than williams IMO

3. Whats the missing part ?- a sparkling, skillfful MF who can lead the team- we have added a lot of mediocre depth, but not a magical player- its a player we have needed from 2011, but we never have an ownership group willing to do it and believing that the whitecaps can be an elite team in MLS- our point clip this year sits at about 47 % (in MLS closer to 49-50 % makes you a playoff team so its not impossible, but maybe not believeable)

4. Still the same- i hold to my prediction of # 6-8 finish in the west conference; i do expect a push from portland should their injured players get healthy

5. A concerning eye- i saw jordy reyna back out of 3 situations that called for more committment and courage- is that the reason he never made it to the next level ?

6. Captain Crunch time- the next 6 weeks are the crunch time in MLS as teams push for a playoff spot- teams will notch up their play, but not convinced that the Caps have the ability to notch it up- it takes a special player to lead the team in notching it up, much like lodeiro did for seattle in 2016 and valeri for portalnd in 2015- we dont have that special player (TFC have 3 special players- altidore, bradley, giovinco; montreal has 3- dezemali, piatti, ciman; seattle has 2- dempsey, lodeiro)

 

GAME AT BC PLACE VS HOUSTON, AUGUST 19- 2-1 win

1. POTM- no doubt that it would be jordy reyna- tireless worker, hated by the houston players who fouled him constantly... and a world class goal and drew a PK- is he our #10 ?? not convinced... yet

2. Just because he is, it doesnt mean it will be- yes, jake nerwinski is a better player than williams with his pace, attacking down the flank and his tackling zest; but williams has more experience and with the playoff rush on, the coach might go with experience rather than youthful vigor- as for me, i would stick with jake because of his attacking style

3. Didnt notice it- jacobson did a steady, reliable performance as a DMF in place of the injured laba- i think i would choose andrew over mattias anyways- better passer and adds some offensive punch

4. The flow- i liked the offensive flow of this team- i thought that reyna and bolanos teamed up very well- and less lumped balls from the defence- montero's in love with that!!

5. Dont bring me some pain- seattle in town on wednesday and i hate like hell to hear their annoying chants- THIS OUR HOUSE- should they take a lead and keep it-
GO CAPS, GO!!!!!!!!!!!

 

GAME AT BC PLACE STADIUM VS SEATTLE, AUGUST 23- 1-1

1. Why oh why??!!- why did ibini have to stand in the spot like a mannequin inside seattle's 6 yard box- davies had a bead on the winning goal blasting it into the far corner- alas, ibini got in the way

2. The case of the invisible man- after dominating the last game, jordy reyna was a non-factor in this game- he looked baffled- seattle has a very good MF and left jordy with little room to do his magic

3. POTM- defender kendall waston was an imposing player and his rugged style was a massive reason why seattle only scored once

4. Pugnacious- thats what describes the whitecaps who have made a habit of pushing better quality teams- tonight they played with 1 less player and yet scored the tieing goal and amost had the winner... except for the mannequin

5. So whats the difference- why are we a mediocre team- our MF is not as strong as other top teams- MF is the engine of the team and we lack enough serious talent... but we have heart and tenacity

 

some follow-up comments after watching the taped game:

1. davies' blast that hit ibini was going wide

2. tchani deserved the 2nd yellow- red card

3. even though the Caps are outskilled and out ball-possessed (games vs NYCFC and seattle are prime examples), this is a gritty team- picking up points when you shouldnt, bodes well for the last 10 games- the next 5/6 at home and the last 4/5 on the road

4. davies assist on montero's goal left the rugged defender, chad marshall, in the dust as alphonso shrugged him off the ball- such a beast at a young age; i also saw davies directing other players when defending a seattle corner kick (what 16 year old does that with much older, more experienced players?? only special players do that !)

5. montero is showing us that he is back to his former seattle days- the trio of reyna, montero and bolanos are clicking

 

GAME IN ORLAND- AUGUST 26- 2-1 WIN:

1. Players of the match- all 22 players in the 2nd half made the game entertaining and drama-filled

2. Whitecap POTM- for the 2nd game in a row, it had to be kendall waston- a beast on defence and on set pieces

3. My heart races- everytime alphonso gets the ball and surges toward the opposing goal, i hold my breath as something special and mercurial can happen- give him special training to learn more composure and accurate shooting and he will be the real deal - it was delightful to see the16 year old get into a tussle with the great kaka and then smile afterwards- he has rocket feet aka elton john

4. Rotation spin- the head coach rotated many bench players into the starting line-up and ... it worked- standouts were the goalie, de jong and tiebert; hurtado wore his socks off and nerwinski proved again that he is the better RB

5. Flying wheels- after a long plane trip to orlando- on commercial- the Caps played very well; makes for an enjoyable trip home and a break- 7/9 points in the last 3 games bodes well for making the playoffs

6. Salivating drool- there has been no time before that canada has had some real serious attackers- larin, davies, jackson, hamel-jackson, ricketts, akindele, cavallini, hoilett, hamilton

 

i said attackers, not MFs

zambrano needs to beat the bushes for some faster better-quality defenders, especially at CB- defending is now our achilles heel;

and it looks like the young supreme talent, tabla, has been benched in montreal due to his negative comments several weeks ago - seems like things are going to his head and created a controversy- and the impact are getting good results without him- maybe canada doesnt need his influence. although he is young and maybe has had a wake-up call - he has talent in the MF and he would definitely add to our team if he has the right head space

 

VS MINNIAPOLIS AT BC PLACE- SEPTEMBER 13- 3-0 WIN:

1. Canadian bacon- it was nice to see 3 starting canadian players- teibert, de jong, davies

2. The red hair dances again- jordy reyna continues to shine and has gotten remarkable goals - 3 game-winning goals says it all

3. POTM- CB tim parker continues to shine- his dominance in the air, reading of the game and his passing- which has made significant improvement- make a possibility for europe and the USA team

4. Bafflegab- rookie sensation, alphonso davies, looks like he is playing with restraints and some confusion- soccer infomation overload ?? set the hound loose, like he did in the gold cup for canada

5. It aint broken, dont change it- the squad rotation is making the coaching staff look brilliant- everything is clicking, regardless who is playing

6. A tough choice- LB jordan harvey is being pressed by marcel de jong - i would give the nod to de jong as he is quicker, is better going forward and .... is a canadian - jordan is a terrific professional, but de jong is a slight notch better IMO

7. Gotta love it- when eric hurtado scores,you gotta love the joy and emotion he shows - if only more talented players played with the same passion and committment

8. Low ball- nice to see more balls being played along the turf by the defence rather than being lumped up to the forwards who get battered

9. Good farming- the whitecaps are reaping lots of points these days and are performing better than what i predicted - heady day being on-top of the West Conference

10. Standup and take notice- it would be great to see the metro vancouver get enthused about this team- potential for playoff damage

 

HOME GAMES VS COLUMBUS, SEPTEMBER 16- 2-2

1. The twist of lemon- trade switcheroos, kekuta manneh to columbus and tony tchani to vancouver, added some tartness by each scoring the 2nd goal for their teams---- the soccer gods must be having a good laugh

2. The howitzer- its the only word that fits manneh's goal, a rocket from about 20 yards- i even think that the assistant ref went over to check that the net hadnt been busted

3. Speaking of the devil- it must be said that i never had seen manneh dribble any better than he did in this game... and he used both feet (something that young alphonso davies will have to practice)

4. Sublime- fredy montero's deft pass over columbus defenders to the far post for tchani's goal was a thing of beauty

5. A dilemma for the gaffer- its becoming obvious that the LB position has to be given to marcel de jong (i have always admired jordan harvey, but the time has come...)

6. Take it to the bank- 7/9 points in the last 3 games is impressive

7. Will the roll continue ?? - with 5/6 their last games vs good opponents- seattle, SKC, NYRB, SJ, portland- will be a real test to finish in top spot- i must say that i never saw them that high, but keep in mind that their point total would be 4th in the east conference... but this is a team that will make the playoffs

8. What do i like best?? - CONSISTENCY, CONSISTENCY, CONSISTENCY of quality performances regardless of the line-up- hats off to the coaching staff for making it happen

9. A touch of class- jordy reyna has filled the void the Caps have missed since camilo left town- he hit the post 2x today- i think the posts should be shaved for the next game

 

GAME VS COLORADO AT BC PLACE STADIUM, SEPT 23-- 2-1 WIN

1. I would be pissed- if i had to support a team like the Rapids, it would be difficult to stay with them- so little identity, so little to cheer about- new interested owners are needed- and goalie tim howard appears to have given up (a bad DP signing for a team that needs offense and entertainment value)

2. POTM- jordy reyna is the driving force for the team and the link for montero to get his game back- coach robinson got it right

3. Suck it up- 4/5 road games to end the season- get 9/15 and they should end up 1st or 2nd... and they deserve it

4. Take a bow- the entire coaching staff that have motivated all the players- quite a roll with 12/15 points in the last 5 games

5. Does it really matter???- no matter who is in the starting 11 for the game vs seattle on wednesday, we can expect a good team performance- the Caps are a solid, consistent team

6. Where is the electricity??!!- why hasnt the sporting community in the metro vancouver area coming out in bigger numbers? this is a TEAM worth supporting

7. As the Monkeys said- I AM A BELIEVER

 

GAME IN SEATTLE, SEPTEMBER 27-- 0-3 LOSS :

1. Steam-rolled- it was obvious from the on-set that the Sounders wanted this game and were in a different time-zone- the Caps tried to little effect- flattened by a better, hungrier team

2. A bitter taste- seeing jordy reyna playing the diva on the turf left a little bit of a foul mouth- hopefully robo talks to him about playing with integrity

3. YAP, YAP, YAP- a major concern to me was when RB shaenon willimas was very visibly and verbally angry at another teammate- i think he has some emotional issues going on and i question whether or not he should get to play another game this season

4. Shades of the MLS Cup game in 2016- the save by Sounder goalie, stefan frei, on a montero set piece was world class- it would have been 1-1 at that time and who knows how the game could have turned out

5. Roll the camera- the next game at SKC should see quite a different team- probably de jong, nerwinski, gazal, techera, jacobson and shea will pull into the team, along with ousted, parker, waston, reyna and montero

6. Heart rate- i do expect a more enthused and energetic response vs SKC- get a draw and i will be happy

 

GAME AT SKC, SEPT 30 --- 1-0 WIN

1. Foot fetish- the outside of the boot, 1st touch by eric hurtado to score was supremo- gotta love that boot- smooth as a baby's bottom

2. POTM- can anybody not say that this was a total team win? it was the best example this year of why the Whitecaps are in 1st place and WILL make the playoffs

3. Double vision- it would appear that the Caps have 2 solid goalies- marinovic was flawless tonight and made 2 brilliant saves

4. Will it be our achilles heel ?- we struggle with keeping ball possession, the worst in MLS at 44%- i have to wonder if it will be our downfall come playoff time

5. The Ripper- each player left their guts out on the field and the coaching staff and subs did the same on the sidelines

A SIDENOTE- CONGRATS TO TFC FOR WINNING THE SUPPORTERS SHIELD

 

Re: #4 above- Our achilles heel- further evidence:

SKC had 74 % ball possession; passing accuracy was in SKC 's favor of 88% to 64%- the Caps are playing with the devil and are getting away with it- quite amazing really!! and its been going on for the past 2 months- riding lady luck to the playoffs

 

GAME AT RBNY, OCTOBER 7- 0-3 LOSS

1. Plainly put- we were badly outplayed and the better and hungrier team won

2. Shoot, shoot, shoot- i think i saw 1 vancouver regular shot on the RB goal- quite amazing for 93 minutes of play

3. The set-up- our next home game vs san jose on october 15 is a must win to be assured of a 1st round bye in the playoffs... but SJ will be desperate to win in order to keep their playoff hopes alive- makes for good entertainment

4. What will he do??- coach robo has decisions to make with his returning WC qualifying players who will have played 2 pressure games- waston, reyna, and bolanos- especially waston who played a massive role in CR qualifying for WC 2018 and bolanos played most of the game; reyna was a bench warmer so he should be a starter

5. Strange, very odd and highly unusual- the Caps starting formation (3-3-2-2) aiming for a defensive tie was a trial balloon that went POP!! - he even had jordan harvey playing ahead of marcel de jong- i dont think robo will try that again

6. The stat that wont go away- RBNY had 57% ball possession and we maintained our season trend of 43%- lady luck died out on the field- i dont think we can continue in the playoffs with that low a number- we are predictable relying on defensive absorption, then a quick counter- can lady luck take us any further??

 

GAME VS SAN JOSE AT BC PLACE, OCTOBER 15- 1-1

1. Entertainment- the drama was great, albeit we didnt win and lock up 1st place- every player and coach gave 100 %

2. Could've, would've, should've- we missed so many counter-attack opportunities to wrap up a win, but we lacked the final touch- makes for great drama on MLS Decision Day next sunday

3. The wet sponge- the whitecaps are like a sponge- they absorb the pressure and then take to the counter to wring the opponent- not sure how it will play out in the playoffs- we have a loss and a tie heading into the playoffs and we still have the weakest ball possession in MLS

4. Courage and vision- coach robo replaced regular starters ousted and harvey for marinovic and de jong- both were gutsy decisions and both were right

 

GAME AT PORTLAND, OCTOBER 22- 1-2 with 15 minutes to go

1. Strange, odd and confusing- several lineup selections were odd and bewildering, especially when you need at a least a tie in a crucial game:

- starting ibini rather than hurtado who is much faster, works harder, has scored in portland, holds the ball better and has more on-the-ball muscle (montero had a small injury)

- left out solid players in de jong and tchani and went instead with the first appearance of nosa in MF- not the right time for his debut- and harvey at RB who was solid, but i think that de jong offers more in a game

- inserted bolanos- hasnt played in a game as a starter for a long time- and left out the energetic, set piece artist in techera

2. Overwhelmed at the moment- it seemed to me that goalie, marinovic- who had earned the start- was nervous and made 2 critical mistakes on the Timbers goals and almost cost another goal on a kick-out; RB nerwinski- a rookie- seemed out of his usual game and the Timbers took advantage of that by often attacking down his side

3. The engine was slow- compared to the speedy MF of portland- nagbe, chara and valeri- , our MF was slow

4. Glad you asked- who could upset TFC for the MLS Cup- Portland- over the past 6 weeks, they have been the team on the right roll, just like they did in 2015

 

CHOP, CHOP, CHOP

loosing 3 x to portland really hurt us this year, but at the end of the day, i had the whitecaps between 6th and 8th- and they Caps finished 3rd- gotta be happy with a team that truly didnt have the overall skill set, but terrific teamwork synergy

WELL DONE, WHITECAPS !!!!

congrats to portland for winning the cascadia cup and taking first in the west

Playoff predic- the Caps had a 1/9 points in the last 3 games and it doesnt look bright to going any further than the second round after a 1 game at home vs San Jose who we tied 2 weeks ago, but should have won by 3-4 goals

 

STRANGE, ODD AND CONFUSING:

- strange choicesby the head coach in starting a debut player in nosa, a slow and low impacting ibini and leaving out the solid play and toughness of de jong and hurtado; starting bolanos over techera was somewhat strange as bolanos had not been in the starting lineup for over 1 month

- odd- nervous play by marinovic cost us 2 goals and almost a third; rookie nerwinski seemed overwhelmed - but both players had earned the right to start

- confusing- watching darren mattocks- a former whitecap- showing some mature play and he got the winning goal