So another 3-1 defeat for our boys.... the first 60 minute was pretty pathetic. Fouls, wrong ref decisions, and easy easy goals. Ever since Rochat has gone injured, Harvey has not stepped up to fill the LB position. I personally dont hate Jordon, but he isn't cutting the mustard for us right now. The first half Harvey was constantly drifted away from the LB position in to the middle for no reason and leaves Kamara wide open. The first goal was pretty much typical goals that the caps concedes all the time last year. The whole night KC was attacking and exploiting Harvey's side while they couldnt do the same on the right. (makes me wonder why) Thorrington is seriously becoming a liability in our midfield, the chances that he tries to create in the final third are executed by 3mph pass. I'd much rather prefer Marques Davidson. And once again our midfield was absent until our first goal. Hassli up front as a lone striker isn't working out at all, hes missed a crucial rebound late in the game, though most of the game he wasn't given any service at all.
Despite the defeat, some of our individual players were performing well. Koffie: Definitely the Koffie I liked watching last year, his ability to battle and keep possession for ball is what we need. He is good at the basics and also spreading the midfield play with his passes. Camilo: We know how much we needed him on the pitch at all times when he came off as a sub tonight, brilliant cut in from the left and was always dangerous with and without the ball. The whole game was brought back to life when he came on. Just wish that he scores twice again. Salgado: I am pretty much impressed with Omar's short stint of performance tonight as he set up our only goal. His presence is really promising as he seem so much fitter and stronger. I am sure he is about to be ready for regular MLS football. Long Tan: Highly under rated, we need him to draw fouls, lol. His first touch, one touch were pretty much spot on while having 4-5 KC defenders around. He created several and made two shots. Unfortunately Nielson wasn't easy to beat tonight and the second shot was blocked by a defender. It's a shame that he only came on late in the 80 minute mark. Dede: First I have to say that Dede is my fav player on the team, lol so i might be a bit more biased here. His work rate has improved tremendously comparing to last year, today he was physical and skillful against KC, it was just too shameful that all the through pass he made all gone to waste.
I agree with most of your posts, although I didn't see as much from Tan as you did (not a blame on him, he was only on for a handful of minutes), but I thought Chiumiento was invisible for large parts of the game. In addition to the players you mentioned, Bonjour easily had his worst game as a Whitecap. Aside from his own goal, he was fighting the ball all game. You can tell Hassli's goal slump is wearing on him. He's showing frustration and a lack of serenity in his game. He needs to put more hussle in his game when he's off the ball, and chase after it. But when he has the ball at his feet, you can see his technique and power, and that if he keeps shooting, the goals will come.
Thorrington is horrible. I don't know what Rennie (or anyone else) sees in him. Plays scared on the ball. Hassli was fouled on that last play in the box when he whiffed on the ball. Myers caught his foot. Should have been a PK.
Harvey was exploited all night. I really hope we do not see him on the pitch in LB again, he simply does not cut it. Teibert played LB for the Canadian U-23 team and had a very solid tournament, not sure why we don't throw him in there, or as other posters had said, Klazura on the right and Lee on the left. I agree about Thorrington, he too simply was not at the level we need at the centre of the park. I still think for Chiumento to really be utilized to his full potential, he should be in the centre. I would really like to see Koffie and him, with Camilo taking the wing. I also did not think Harris had a good game, as he was largely ineffective. Le Toux and Hassli need to figure it out, or we'll need to go another route with the 2 up front. Le Toux seems to be fighting it as well throughout the game. Despite this, I thought the game was entertaining, and the Caps had several chances to make it much more interesting. Thought it was fun to watch our 5 forwards on the pitch at the same time once the game got pretty well out of hand, and we had opportunities to make it closer. Did not like KC's game. They're a good team, however their diving, complaining, acting really gets me fired up. I would have loved to see a replay of the tackle Hassli was given a yellow on, and would have liked to see a yellow shown to the player who went down "hard" on a dangerous tackle by Le Toux late where no contact was made. Their keeper is fantastic, but wow, what a character.
I think Teibert as LB would be definitely something worth trying for saturday's game. The team needs some turnover anyhow after tonight's game.
I would love to see Teibert in for Harvey at the LB role on sat, and yes Klazura is definitely someone we must see in first team action so we know how he is in MLS. Also its a home game so I think its proper for new players to make debuts at home rather than on away games. As I was re-listening to the post match show on 1410, i find it funny how every analyst's first reaction when mentioning thorrington is around his health. "Owen Hargreaves"... enough said. Not worth keeping around while he does not offer anything. But this game was definitely much much more entertaining the the previous 3 games played. just like what dewhitecapfan said. But wow Jimmy Nielsen was firery alright, what a guy! I do also agree that Harris should have been much more clinical when given the chances, most of the time if he were to shoot the ball one time, it would have been goals. Instead he takes several bad touches and looses out the chance. One instance was first half tonight when the perfect ball was played in by Dede where Harris was looking like he was gona lash on it, then he just dribbles the ball far away from a possible shooting angle... though it was a POOR and RETARDED offside call was given, but I wasn't mad about the call since Harris had already wasted the chance.
I havent watched the game yet, but was it that bad?? After going for so long not conceding a goal, having six scored in two games is pretty disappointing.
In what sense? If by playing John Thorington in central midfield, then I agree, but other than that what else would you like him to do? The players out there are not executing, look at the stats: 19 to 8 attempts on goal for Vancouver, shots on target 7 to 2 for Vancouver. Defensive lapses and poor shooting killed them last night. At least Rennie had the balls to play with 5 forwards when it was 3-1, haven't seen that in a Caps coach yet.
I'm not sure why you guys are so hard on this game. The whitecaps had me more worried than any other team this year including RSL. They responded very well to the pressure and SKC had a few lucky breaks, another day this may have been your win. You have a very solid team and I think you can threaten in a very unstable west right now. As an opposing fan I am incredibly relieved to see Hassili's slump start to frustrate him last night. Even last night he was getting in some dangerous positions and playing like his life depended on it. He's a guy I love to watch and I hope he gets back in form.
After watching that game, I think KC is overrated, and will come down to reality when one or more of their starters is injured. Given the physical nature of MLS, and the quality of officiating we get, that's a question of when, not if. KC got 2 shots on goal, and scored three goals. That's a large dose of luck. I'd be worried about an offence that gets so few shots on a Caps defence without Rochat, who was replaced by a truly awful Jordan Harvey. KC's defence, that didn't give up a shot for several hundred minutes at one point. The Caps' currently fumbling offence put something like 17 shots at goal, and 7 on target. In the last 15 minutes, it looked exactly like last year's game where the WC erased a 3-goal deficit, scoring the last 2 in injury time. The only surprising thing was that Nielsen found the time to make some good saves between tantrums, and that our good friend Mr. Boldomero "I Heart Cards" Toledo didn't give him a straight red for trying to swallow the linesman's head whole after the WC goal. I'd be worried about other teams finding ways to stoke that temper. Had Rennie brought Salgado and and Camilo on earlier than he did, I think we'd be talking about a 3-3 tie now. If the Caps had any finish at the moment we' be talking about a 5-3 Whitecaps win. Had they been responsible at the back as well, it would have been a long night for KC. Kamara's goal still would have gone in, but not a chanc on the other two. I agree with Rennie, who said before the game in response to being asked how he felt playing the best team in the league. KC may be the in-form team at the moment. We'll see who's the best team in the next several months. It won't be the WC, but I don't think it'll be KC either.
SKC is certainly overrated by anyone saying that they are the best team in MLS history, or that they will go undefeated, or even that the Supporters Shield is already in the bag. But it is no stretch to suggest that SKC is the best team in MLS right now, and the favorite to win the Supporters Shield given the unbalanced schedule and this ridiculous start. Obviously injuries can take any team down a few pegs. The bounces were definitely going SKC's way last night. It happens in soccer just like any other sport. Vancouver is a solid team that made a lot of us very nervous over the final ten minutes or so. SKC did not give up any shots on target for 335 consecutive minutes. That was primarily a result of their high-pressure style and, again, a fair amount of luck as opponents repeatedly failed to get the shots that they did take on frame. Nielsen made almost as many saves last night as he had over the previous six games combined. Nielsen's tantrum at the linesman was very much out of character for him. I suspect that he took it personally when the clean sheet streak ended and overreacted. Le Toux was clearly kept onside by Myers, but Nielsen probably did not realize it at the time. If Kamara and Zusi had been more accurate with their shots from distance, and if Myers had gotten off the goal line in time to put Le Toux offside, we would be discussing a 5-0 SKC victory. None of our hypotheticals came to pass, and I think that ultimately the actual result was a fair one, all things considered. Fair enough. Good luck the rest of the way, especially against Eastern Conference teams!
i'm beginning to think that the guy has no grit to attack the net for goals-- his lack of scoring goals from headers points to his lack of courage, committment and passion for scoring-- its a sign that i had not seen before give him time and space and eric can score some dynamic, wondrous goals-- but in MLS that is becoming more rare for him as teams now know his style and thus have shut him down for the past 15 league games for a big striker not to be able to nick some heading goals talks more about the heart of the player... and that is a major concern for the Caps for the rest of the season i'm afraid that coach rennie, albeit with his + pep talks to hassli, is facing a dilema-- how long do u play him as your front striker when he shows little sign of making the committment and having the courage to attack the ball inside the box? -- he can play on the fringes and look good sometimes, but really is that what we really expect/want from our main striker?? true strikers are not outside the 18 yard box players, but are in the midst of all the action inside the box its time to bench him for players who have more to offer and who can show the committment and courage to get the goals we soooooo desperately need-- its looking like the Copper Sheik's prediction that hassli will only score 4-5 goals this season is looking like an accurate observation... much to my consternation