Whitecaps traded Giles Barnes for Brek Shea, a LB/LM for Orlando. The only thing I see out of this is they save ~ $200k usd in salary. Shea can provide the occassional "wow" moment with his speed and but mostly lots of "meh". While Barnes didn't always look interested, I thought he at least was a physical presence in the box, something the Whitecaps don't have much of outside Hurtado. I guess Shea is good enough to start in front of Harvey, but he makes enough defensive mistakes that it is a toss-up. Wouldn't start him in front of Msnneh except as depth. Maybe they thought Barnes was too expensive so they traded for a guy who was also too expensive but at a lower price.
its all about a backup-competition for LB, dumping a striker player in a position where they have too many and a savings of $150 000 barnes has to be thinking positive as he has landed on a better team (kaka!! larin!!) , gets away from the snow, has a better coach and a new stadium with rabid fans
Well, Robinson say he doesn't see Shea as a LB but "as a wide player or forward player". If by "forward player, he means a wing in a 4-3-3, I guess so. But, as a forward in 4-4-2 or 4-5-1, no way. Shea's height and speed will get your attention, but it has been awhile since he has been consistently effective. He had bone removed from his foot back in 2012 and hasn't been as explosive. Maybe things will look better for him in Vancouver. He is also an artist so will likely enjoy that aspect of Vancouver. https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017...p-start-sheas-career-could-hand-him-debut-ccl
i can only hope that the money saved sets the stage for a significant DP and MF captain- get that player, and the Caps can be in the playoff hunt; without that player- aka atiba hutchinson- the Caps will be on the outside looking up the barnes-shea trade was all about the Caps getting $$$$$$$$$$
Barnes also was not happy playing here for Carl. He wanted out so this was two clubs trading problem players. Hopefully Shea flourishes here and Barnes does well over there (unless they are playing Vancouver of course).
do you think the Caps have enough talent to make the playoffs? IMO, to me, the missing ingredient is a leader and captain, probably in the DMF role at present, the choices are: 1. kendall waston- too religious with his on-field fixations and too erratic with his frequent red card tackling 2. david ousted- there is absolutely noway that a goalie should be as he is stuck between the pipes and cant interact with the ref 3. tim parker- too young yet 4. bolanos- on paper, he and montero have the most creativity and soccer intelligence- not sure how he relates with his teammates and if there is a language problem 5. jordan harvey- the complete professional, but he rarely can elevate the play of others around him at present, i dont see this team making a run at a playoff spot- no leader/captain if montero gets hurt, the Caps will once-again be looking at a pop-gun attack its critical IMO that montero and bolanos have a very good year and that the defence is solid unless we get a significant DP to lead the team, i predict a #7-9 position
I don't think they can make the playoffs simply because Carl is the coach and he seems to be sticking to his lone striker formation. On paper, there is enough there that a well coached team could get into 6th or 5th . Remember, it literally is just a few points between making it and not, and coaching can impact 6-9 points in either direction. It is a bit silly that they are just a few days from the opening match and no Captain has been named.
its all unfolding according to the Whitecaps PLAN... and really!! does a team need a captain?? we played 2 years with morales as captain and i agree with you that the head coach makes the difference between #5-9 spot- dallas, seattle, portland, SKC will be in the top 4- houston, colorado, LA, RSL, vancouver will fight for #5-6 and a spread of 1-7 points will be between these teams; SJ and MUFC will pick up the rear however in MLS, 1 significant DP signing- remember lodeiro joining seattle in mid-2016- and things can change rapidly
THE REAL DEAL - ALPHONSO DAVIES i watched the goal that davies scored vs RBNY- in that 5 seconds leading up to his goal, what did we see: 1. THE KID has poise beyond his 16 years of age- he controlled the ball in the midst of the RB goalie and defender 2. THE KID has trickery when he deftly pretended he was going to hit the ball to the right, confusing the RB defender and goalie, and then tapped the ball into the left short side 3. THE KID has ambition and courage- where was he?? inside the 6 yard box going and fighting for the ball... and winning it can we somehow entice him to pull on a canada jersey in a qualifying game?? teaming him and cyle larin, junior hoilette, jordan hamilton, etc would be a dream for the future- if alphonso heads to england, for example, we will probably have lost him to a field of bigger dreams can we hope he stays for the entire term of his 4 year contract? dream-on- he will be gone by his 18th birthday- too much $$$$$$$$$ for the Cap ownership not to cash in on- and selling a promising player for money is 1 of their stated goals even now, alphonso is a better player than manneh or techera- wait and see what i mean as he goes through the maturing period- try as he might, coach robinson will have a difficult time keeping him out of the starting lineup- i just hope carl's ridiculous game tactics dont slow down davies' progress
FWIW- i was the first to call alphonso davie THE KID: october 3, final game of the 2016 season- my comment: FINALLY- A HIGHLITE FROM A DISMAL SEASON - ALPHONSO DAVIES- 15 YEAR OLD STRIKER but its a good news/bad news story- THE KID was scintillating and kept me on the edge of my seat whenever he got the ball- sometimes it seemed like he didnt get enough of the ball in the second half
Well, that was a boring opening match. Philly is an average team playing a complacent road game. The Caps looked uninspired and not sound tactically. The same story as the last year and I am not happy we are getting about the same thing. No shots on goal in a home opener? Seriously? Davis is not a 90 minute player yet (no surprise when he is 16). I would prefer to see him a part time starter and sub him in all the other games. He can give a strong 45 - 50 minutes. I guess Teibert knows where he stands when Jacobson is being chosen ahead of him. Forget the other Canadians on the roster to get more than scraps for playing time this year, other than veteran De Jong. Hard to say what we have until I see Bolanos in there with Montero . I don't see how Techera and his fat salary has a place on this squad with everyone healthy when Reyna returns. He makes an awful lot to be bench player. I am hoping they can get him out the door once Reyna is back. I can't wait to see Flores in action, right? Year 2 of his magnificent 5 year deal! Manneh just can't physically do a 90 minute game at an effective level and his work ethic is questionable. That has been his issue from the beginning and "he is young" was an excuse, but we are into his 5th season now and it is not getting better. I looked it up and next match will be his 100th MLS appearance. He should be improving more by now. I really feel his best place is as a sub, because he can come in and be a game changer a few times a year as a sub. As a full time starter he is going to end up getting injured again or gas out most of the time and struggle to get 5 goals. Hurtado is who he is. Great as a 3rd or 4th option coming in from the bench and spot starting. Works hard, fast, makes trouble if he is up front with another striker; but won't get a whole lot of goals. I really liked Shea's work effort today. He worked hard, got physical in the box, and made efforts to be part of the play. I am looking forward to seeing what he can do going forward. Back end will be a lot better this year without the gong show at RB throwing everyone else off. Williams is not at Beita's level, but he is solid and aware, and a good upgrade on the mess Jordan Smith was last season. Dean had a solid game so I look forward to seeing more from him. Harvey was his usual steady self, but they need to start grooming his replacement. I think he will be pressed to be starters material by next year just due to aging so I hope Carl gives 6 - 10 starts this season to a young LB. There is enough on paper for this club to make 6th and into the playoffs with good sound coaching. However, I don't think Carl is a good enough coach to get them to that point. As long as they are treading water by June, perhaps adding Atiba could give them the push they need. I certainly would love to see him, Bolanos, Montero, Shea on the pitch at the same time.
excellent analysis of the game- the game tortured me, and then i had the long slog home in the snow- these 2 teams will struggle to be relevant in their respective markets unless they upgrade- GAME MARCH 5 VS PHILADELPHIA- 0-0 (as stale as a month old, unwrapped bread sitting on the counter) the biggest problem for the Caps is no inspirational leader, creative spice in the MF- IMO teibert is a notch ahead of jacobson as a DMF, BUT he is canadian and we can see that robo has little time for any canadian player, no matter what spin he puts on it- if you disagree, please tell me of 1 canadian that has been developed as a starter by the Caps in the 6 years of their time in MLS... there isnt 1, which says it all; when flores gets the nod ahead of bustos or teibert, i will scream i still would put bolanos as the #10 and give him a run of 5-6 games - he is in the top 11 players in CONCACAF and yet we arent seeing his best- he is creative, quick-thinking, skillful and a hard worker... and can nick some goals i think davies should be a starter as he can give us 60-65 minutes of quality time- using him as a sub for 30 minutes seems a waste to me; i agree that manneh is better suited as a sub for 30-35 minutes- his progress in the 3-4 years he has been here is minimal; the bug should be squished and sent packing- he had a sitter from 10 yards and missed the net!! shea should be a starter ahead of hurtado IMO and could team up nicely with montero- eric is a terrific grunter, but will rarely accomplish much- shea does offer more potential- when flores gets the nod ahead of bustos, i will scream parker looked more settled and a defensive leader when waston is not on the field; kendall is a very erratic player; dean looked quite composed, but lets not forget that phillie offered very little on the offense both teams looked like a bottom feeder in MLS, but it is early and things can change quickly in MLS as seattle proved last year- there is some hope for the Caps as montero, bolanos and reyna still are to come to make an impact its on the coach to choose the right players, motivate them to give their best, have a solid game plan and set the hounds loose
The squad on paper is better than last year.... Rivero was a bust and his replacement didn't want to be here, Pedro was an anchor for the vast majority of the games, Kudo just never clicked with Carl's coaching. So, just by subtracting these three they have improved. Montero could be very good with Bolanos... Shea, in spite of other forums being pretty negative on him, is a solid pickup in my eyes and his performance last night was encouraging. Our new RB was solid. There is no room for Techera once Bolanos and Shea are in the starting 11, which is another sign the club is a bit better on paper. I am positive in the sense that we do have a better group of players. I am negative in the sense that I have little confidence in Carl's ability to coach them for success. I mean, last night, they were so lackluster and lacking in vision and ideas, that falls on the coach. To be like that in a home opener was disappointing to say the least. As for Manneh.. I know people keep throwing out wild predictions of 15 goals and all that. Go watch him from 3 years ago, and watch today. He is the same player to a tee. He has not progressed so what you see is what you get . Does he have value, absolutely. is he going to become a big number goal scorer? Nope, never. He would have had to progress the last three years to do that and he is the same guy. Similar to Mattocks in that regard... watch some Mattocks games from 4 years ago, and from this year, and you will see about the same.
Yes, the Whitecaps would benefit greatly from a dynamic CM to pair with Laba. But, Jacobson and Teibert is what is available. Could be that with a new CB pairng of Parker and Dean, Robinson went with the more defensive and composed presence of Jacobson. Also, Teibert put in a very hard shift on Wednesday as did other starters so made sense to have fresh legs in where possible. Teibert will get plenty of minutes this year if roster stays as is. Bolanos could probably play more centrally as a 10 but I think it would be in front of 2 other CM's. I'm a little sceptical of how he would work just lined up next to Laba as CM. I was very inmpressed with Dean and it was good to see a natural left footed player at LCB. Parker has done well at LCB but he is better on the right side. Robinson has options now when Waston comes back. Shea adds height to this vertically challenged attack. He works hard and has some pace. But, he is not a striker. Take your bets now on who will score more goals this year, Hurtado or Shea. If they managed to combine for ten goals between the two of them, I would be absolutely shocked. If they do combine for 10 pr more, Whitecaps will have a good year- assuming Montero produces as expected. Davies does not look or play like a 16 yr old. He is too smart, stronfg nd endurance is way higher than you expect from anyone that age. Obviously an important player for Whitecaps this year. Can't play him all of the time or they will run him into the ground. I find Manneh frustrating. His pace is a weapon but his decision making is no better now than when he first started. I think that is just the way he is going to be and coaching at this point won't make a big difference. Hard to say after two games, but kind of looked like Whitecaps were more dangerous when they conceded possession and counter attacked. They only had 27% possession against NYRB while possession was close to even against Union.
bolanos- definitely being in #6 MF is not his style and is a waste of his offensive and creative talents- he should be given the reins as a #10 - he is in the top 11 players in CONCACAF because he is a VERY good player and is underutilized and undervalued on this team, and he is frustrated by the coaching decisions of 2016- use him or loose him shea- he has better skill than hurtado and offers more possibilities to score- while not a natural #9 player, he is better than hurtado... and i love eric as a player, but he has a utility role- i think 6-8 goals from these 2 players is a realistic possibility montero- under robinson, scoring goals for any striker is a concern, but fredy should be able- barring injury- to get 10-12 goals manneh- you and old fan have him nailed- he is what he is and i dont think he will progress anymore- speed without courage, ambition, fitness and basic skills is such a waste- kekuta is a 30 minute sub and should get us 6 goals this edition- of the Caps is better simply because they got rid of morales who got far too much leeway from robo- pedro rarely made any impact on a game for the last 2 years and was a divisive factor simply because of the coach's misplaced perception that the team could be led by pedro davies- a starter and can give 60 minutes- a waste as a sub- already at 16, he is a better player than either manneh or techera defence- without waston, parker is a better player and shows the leadership needed- if dean progresses, then i can see kendall being a back-up; the RB is a lot better than last year... but how could it not be after the blunder of trading beitashour for aird and smith teibert/jacobson- given that teibert is a canadian and is just as capable as jacobson, he should be given the nod as the #6 beside laba- but robo shows no trust in canadians- watch the actions, not the words the coach- as a departed player has said- robo is over his head and he shows no progress since coming in 2014- one day, the light will go on and others will see what i and a few others are saying MY FORECAST FOR 2017- WITHOUT A SIGNIFICANT MF ADDITION/LEADER, THE TEAM WILL CLAIM THE # 7-9 CONFERENCE SPOT; GET A SIGNIFICANT MF/LEADER, MONTERO STAYS HEALTHY AND THE #5-6 CONFERENCE SPOT IS A POSSIBILITY
Young Manneh takes younger Davies under his wing http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/...nneh+takes+younger+davies/13072191/story.html in actuality, the article should read the reverse- davies is already ahead of manneh in skill, ambition, conditioning and impact in a game...plus alphonso truly entertains everytime he gets a foot on the ball kekuta can learn from davies- some naive people thought that kekuta would get a big interest from euro and the whitecaps would get a selling deal in the millions- i said manneh isnt good enough and i have been proven right; alphonso, on the other hand, has and will get euro attention and will head there by his 18th-19th birthday IMO- the Caps have won the lottery and lots of big name clubs in euro are and will be stalking him and willing to pay big bucks to get him enjoy davies while you can
I read that.... I DO NOT WANT KEKUTA MANNEH TO TAKE THIS YOUNG MAN UNDER HIS WING For fear his bad habits, lack of conditioning, and ability to phase out of a match and not run hard after balls. Kekuta can be his friend..... however, as some sort of mentor he is not a role model or leader Please , we need a stronger leader with a stronger work ethic to be teaching Davis
Yeah, I thought it was amusing that Manneh was stressing the importance of workrate to Davies. Manneh looks like the 16 yr old and Davies the 22 yr old when it comes to work rate. And decision making.
Well said! Davies should be mentoring him on how to work hard , chase after balls, not fall down so easily, etc..... 19 year old Kekuta is about the same as 22 year old Kekuta. He has not progressed over the years and other than a couple of games a season where he shoots the lights out, he is the same as he was 3 and 4 years ago. I would propose that what we see now is about what he will be for the rest of his career. I would just make him the 30 minute super sub...... that is what he is best at 99% of the time and starting him when he gasses out and mentally checks out is detrimental to both the club and him.
http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/the91stminute/2017/03/vancouver-faces-an-uphill-battle-to-keep-alphonso-davies/ Vancouver faces an uphill battle to keep Alphonso Davies
for the whitecaps owners, it will be all about money $$$$$$$$- he will be sold for the highest euro bidder by his 18th birthday; alphonso is already a more dynamic and meaningful player than techera or manneh- we can only imagine- barring an injury or a swollen head- just how good he will be in a year or 2- sadly he is not canadian, but liberian- can he be talked into a canadian citizenship?? probably not- we are minnows compared to what will come his way for opportunities on the world stage- maybe the CSA can entice/lure him in with some friendlies with the senior and under 17/under 20 canadian teams and see if the connection with other canadian players will get him to be a permanent fixture with our national teams- i can dream, cant i ??? PS- the whitecaps did not develop alphonso - hats off to the edmonton eddies under colin miller for passing him onto vancouver- at this juncture of the MLS whitecaps, and after spending millions on the youth programs, they have not developed even 1 young talent to the first team starting lineup- something is very amiss with their PLAN- could it be that the owners, FO and coaching staff dont truly believe that a canadian player can make it?? the signing of such insignificant foreign-based players like flores, smith, aird, rodriquez, mattocks and salgado, all who were given ample opportunities to make the 1st team and failed, points to the PLAN being anti-canadian; 2 have left for euro- froese and adekugbe- and i would suspect that bustos and other young players cant be far behind
as a side note, its been decades since i have seen such a promising young talent play in vancouver, the last being the mercurial pannish, peter beardsley, who played with the Caps in the early 1980's when he was 20 and then went on a terrific run with liverpool, newcastle, everton, bolton, etc and england and the WCs and davies is showing the equal qualities at the age of 16!!!!!!!!!!!!
beardsley and the whitecaps opened bc place stadium as the first event in 1983 vs seattle and peter scored 2 terrific goals- this is the kind of level that davies is capable of IMO- and because he is bigger and stronger than peter and has another 4 years to arrive at 20, alphonso could be even more talented- time will tell
YOu noted him playing for Canada... well, they could try to cap tie him at the next gold cup which is coming up this July. Although I think (and I could be mis reading it), that he can file for a change in the future because he is so young. I just think if he heads over to England at 18 and is good enough to be in their national team pool, that will be very hard for him to resist. As far as I know he is a Liberian citizen and has PR status in Canada. So, I assume if he lived in the UK and made a living there, he could get a British Passport at some point and be eligible. Either way, enjoy him while you can.. let's hope Carl's coaching doesn't stifle him too much.