Threadbare Game Reports

9. RFK must be groaning- getting older each time DC plays- its anemic offensive play has to be the worst in MLS- good goalie, good defence and a non-existent offense- the owners must be waiting for the new stadium to open before making a big splash for strikers

if this continues, they will throw coach, ben olsen, under the bus- not much he can do with this team- lucky today, but it wont last

 

10. The last word- certainly after reviewing the game, MLS has to suspend the DC player who took a dive and was awarded a PK - when he sees this on replay, the ref has to wince at his naivity in making the call- talk about the need for video replays

 

totally agree even the 2nd PK call was a bad call- the ref was just trying to even up the bad calls

in the end, the Caps lost the game to woody

 

GAME VS MONTREAL AT SAPUTO STADIUM- CC, MAY 30, 2ND LEG- AGGREGATE 4-5 LOSS- ANALYSIS:

1. There is hope- 4 of the 9 goals were scored by 2 young canadian talents (grieg, hamel-jackson) and hopefully 1 canadian talent (davies-2)

2. The fuller picture- canada has the rising sun on some promising young talent- hamilton, osorio, edwards and chapman at TFC; larin in orlando; akendele at dallas; crepeau, jackson-hamel and possibly tabla in montreal; adekugbe and hopefully davies in vancouver

3. If he isnt, who is??- watching piatti play is like watching a soccer maestro- when healthy, IMO, he is the best talent in MLS- he can do more things for a team than talents like giovinco, villa, lodeiro, valeri and wright-phillips

4. Only 1 coach really wanted to win- montreal fielded a team gearing to win; vancouver fielded a set mostly of WC 2 and bench players- very noticeable in the 1st half with the impact leading 3-0, but the Cap players did make a game of it in the 2nd half

5. My prediction- the Impact will be a force in MLS by August- add i solid defender, the return of mancosu and bernardello, the new addition of dzemaili, the tough nails of donadel and romero, the growing talent of tabla in MF and hamel as striker, and the general in bernier will make them a force

 

GAME VS ATLANTA AT BC PLACE, JUNE 6- 3-1 WIN- ANALYSIS:

1. The Beast had a feast- kendall waston had a dream game- 2 goals and multiple clearings, including off the Caps' goalline, kept composed and led the team... as a captain should do- MOTM

2. Not to be beaten- the other Cap CD, tim parker, also had a goal and played a solid game

3. Pace and haste- Atlanta played with quick movements and harassed the Cap team in the first 30 minutes- this is a team with lots of potential to be an expansion team to make the playoffs

4. The dog had a bite- nice to mattias labba back playing the pit-bull role

5. I think the man has it- coach carl robinson has finally learned to go with a set line-up as much as possible-he is getting the best out of a mediocre line-up without a star player- can we live without that high quality star player?? probably not, but the Caps will be in the hunt for a play-off spot

6. Does it really matter?- most of our goals are coming from defensive players in defence and MF- a goal is a goal is a goal... and who really cares where it comes from

 

AFTER 3 MONTHS WHAT DO WE HAVE:

1. The head coach, carl robinson- while i have not been a big fan of robo, i do acknowledge the following positives
:
a. he got rid of the lazy, unfit and techincally-weak, kekuta manneh and got a useful utility player in tony tchani, plus some allocation money

b. as a result, IMO, it lit a fire under techera's arse and he is playing so much better- fitter, back-tracking on defence and making significant crosses into the opponent's box- sometimes the fear of being traded results in a player being motivated

c. choosing kendall waston as the team's captain looked like a foolish decision as kendall played like a man out of control in 2016- but the opposite has resulted in a more controlled player for 2017 and the defence reflects that- robo got it right-on

d. robo has finally seen the wisdom is having a settled line-up, barring injuries, fatique and national call-ups- he is using the players wisely, especially davies and bolanos, his 2 most gifted players

In a nutshell- robo has 19/39 points this season (48% winning point total), and currently has the team in 5th place in the west conference; fortunately in the MLS, anything close to 50% is a playoff contender; a 60% total makes a team a front-runner- its the only professional NA sport that really does have parity

is it enough? by august, teams will be pushing hard for a playoff position, so the heat in games will be turned up- without a significant scorer who can bag a goal every 2-3 games, we will be hard-pushed to compete- i am not convinced that the Caps have enough over-all talent to score enough goals- we need a magical player, but we all know that the owners will not invest in that type of player- but we will be competitive and in the hunt for a top 6 placing (i still predict a finish of 7-9 position in the west)

 

LETS SET IT STRAIGHT: seeing the game highlites vs atlanta confirmed that tim parker scored the 3rd goal, not fredy montero- somehow we are to feel sorry for fredy- because he hasnt scored for 6 games- and give him the goal- its clear that the atlanta goalie pulls the ball back after it had crossed the goal-line

is this baby-sitting 101?? the caps and MLS should clear it up and do the the right thing

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/vancouver+whitecaps+down+atlanta+united/13423912/story.html

 

GAME VS DALLAS AT BC PLACE- JUNE 17- 1-1

1. A thing of beauty in the BEAUTIFUL game- isnt it great to see rookie, alphonso davies, running at opposing players and leaving them in his wake?? he is the complete loaf of the beautiful game

2. Its like waiting for my date- how long can coach robinson keep alphonso out of the starting line-up? simply put- a scintillating player

3. Mouth-watering- thinking of alphonso playing for the red and white for many years to come- teaming with cyle larin, jordan hamilton, jackson-hammel gives me hope for the CMNT

4. Rivero was on the field- or was he a reincarnation? - watching the frustration, physical abuse on the long balls, lack of scoring for fredy montero reminds of octavio's dying days

5. Good stuff- MOTM- andrew jacobson did a very good job of filling in at CB- a smart acquisition by robo; tchani had a tough game

6. Every team needs 1 of these- a beautiful swerving shot by techera on a set piece- more sweet curves then most women

7. A fair result- a tie was the right result- dallas always works hard and drives forward- a very well-coached TEAM

 

nothing like fear to motivate some players

 

GAME IN MINNESOTA VS MUFC- JUNE 24- 2-2- ANALYSIS:

1. No longer squished- MOTM- the Bug, techera, is playing bigger than life- active, posing problems with defenders and making exquisite crosses into the box- he is no longer the lazy bug, but can play an effective 90 minute game- coach robo has made an impact- its great to see a player turning his game around

2. Steady as she goes- replacement RB, jake nerwinski, is playing well for being a rookie- reads the game well, has good wheels and is aggressive- he isnt offering much going forward, but i would take a good defender first anyways

3. Dont shed a tear- ceding 2 goals when you are ahead 2-0 with second half to be played would seem a good reason to be in despair- but MUFC deserved a tie and are a better club than people expected after the first 5-6 games of significant loses- they will be heard from, but maybe not a playoff contender as yet, but no patsie either- a tie on the road is nothing to shrug off

4. The fear was apparent- anytime davies got on the ball, MUFC made sure they doubled defended him, but he did create danger in the first half with a couple of penetrating runs- alphonso is not ready for the full monty of 90 minutes and i do prefer him to be a 30-40 minute sub, but when the opposing team double defends you (and at the age of 16!!!), it should create more space for other teammates

5. The sublime back-heel- made by fredy monteron passing to brek shea was terrific and it led to the techera PK- the rest of the game fredy is running around trying to make an impact, but not quite sure what his role is- dont worry, fredy- its a puzzle to me also and it must be solved for the team to be a playoff contender- no goals in 8 games says it all

6. The bounce- hitting the turf made the headed ball bounce high, leaving ousted flailing at the ball as it went into the short side- david should have stopped it, but freak bounces on turf can confuse any goalie

7. Solid, solid, solid- the play of CB, tim parker, is getting better and better- a terrific leader on the back-line, especially when waston is not beside him

8. A bag of wind blows mightily- heading to the windy city of chicago to play the Fire wont make the next game easy- as i predicted before the season started, chicago is massively improved form seasons of despair

 

anytime a person makes positive changes, its worth noting- while he has been snail slow and stubborn to make concrete changes, this year is a hell of a lot better than 2016- he finally saw the need to get rid of mattocks, manneh, rivero and morales; he's obviously gotten through to waston and techera, is using the gifted davies wisely and brought in shea and jacobson as sub players

should he get better play from montero and land the sublime hutchinson, then robo has done enough to sway me that he deserves another shot at sticking around for 2018, even if the team misses the playoffs

 

GAME IN CHICAGO, JULY 1- 0-4 LOSS- ANALYSIS:

1. This was not Canada Day- the Fire were just too hot for the Caps wave- we were singed badly- ouch! ouch!! ouch!!! ouch!!!!

2. Whitecap player of the match-

3. Defence at our peril- with so many defenders injured, our lack of QUALITY depth was apparent against a very good Fire team- we got hosed

4. Take a bow- throwing accolades to myself as i predicted in the preseason that chicago would be a much-improved team this year

.5. Why not us???- unlike the Fire, why cant the whitecaps ever get a top striker who can actually bag goals?? montero is looking more and more like rivero and, in fact, octavio was more involved and more dependable than what we are getting from fredy- he's been a major disappointment so far (no goals in 9 games says it all!!) has MLS bypassed him? or is it something more??

6. In a galaxy far away- when it comes to the MF, chicago was far superior- we have no player anywhere near the Fire quality in MF

7. Is this really good enough- the whitecaps will usually be a competitive team, but cant we supporters dream of more?? as it is, we will finish anywhere from #6-9 unless we get a significant player or 2

 

GAME AT BC PLACE STADIUM VS NYCFC- JULY 7- 3-2 WIN

1. Sliced bread- this was a game of 2 distinct halves- NYCFC dominated the 1st side and should have led by 2-3 goals; and the Caps came into the game in the 2nd side

2. Supremo Italiano- NYCFC MF, andre pirlo, was the class of the game- he is a soft and exquisite player the way he strokes the ball around- its like a pillows are attached to his boots

3. Guts and glory- the Caps came back against a superior team led by a very good MF- they took NYCFC by the scruff of the neck and took the game with 2 world class goals by harvey and reyna

4. The missing #10- NYCFC needs a top class player to go with villa, then anything is possible for this team

5. Why them and not us??- if NYCFC can acquire top MFs, then why cant the whitecaps- we only have the talented bolanos and the rest are utility players- we need 1 player that can be a receiver of the ball from defenders, hold and then distribute the ball to the front- to HELL with the long lumps upfield

6. DID I SAY WE NEED A MF GENERAL LIKE ATIBA HUTCHINSON??

 

WHITECAP POTM- taken as a whole game, i would take bolanos- always probing, trying to connect with other players, worked tirelessly and has the skills to match NYCFC MFs- except pirlo

- taken as the 2nd half, then reyna as he gave the team a spark with his pace, dribbling and incisive runs, along with a terrific winning goal

AND THE SAME BEAT GOES ON AND ON- i hate the long lumping balls soared upfield to our smaller players- its so amateurist when compared to the teams who work at keeping the ball on the ground,sewing passes together- like dallas, NYCFC, TFC and chicago, all who have the horses to play that type of skillful, possession game... we do not- and it will cost us dearly for the last part of the season unless our MF changes

 

and i HATE mary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

GAME IN LA GALAXY- JULY 19- ANALYSIS:

1. MOTM- goalie, david ousted, did not 1, but 2 great saves, the second being a world class stunner

2. The Ghost of LA- this truly can not be the Galaxy of glory years, can it?!!!! a shell of a team with little to please the crowd- did i say DULL, DULL, DULL!!

PS and the whitecaps didnt offer much entertainment value either, but heh, its a road game

3. Happy, Happy, Happy- to see bolanos on the field brings joy to my soccer soul

4. The Look- when i saw fredy montero coming off the field, did i see the continuing frustrated image of octavio rivero? YUP... i sure did !! and i dont see it getting much better

PS how can soccer media people still credit fredy with a goal that parker got?? its called soccer ethics and shows just how desperate the whitecaps are to puff up montero's ego/confidence- why the media go along with it, is beyond me

5. No excuses- i counted multiple times that brek shea- a sub- left a Galaxy player open as harvey slipped over to cover another galaxy player- lazy, lazy, lazy!

6. The table is empty- can anyone please tell me what ibini brings to the whitecap team? i havent seen a hint that he is a capable MLS-quality player

7. Congrats- a good gritty team performance- disciplined and a team effort

 

GAME VS PORTLAND AT BC PLACE, JULY 23- 1-2 LOSS

1. POTM- bolanos worked tirelessly trying to inspire a lacklustre team effort- a few others did have energy- parker, jacobson, nerwinski, ousted- AMAZING- its all defenders!!

2. Dead wood- there is no excuse for not even needing a shower after a game, but montero didnt even break a sweat- he might be frustrated, but there is no excuse for his lazy effort- he should ride the pine next game IMO

3. Sooner than later, or later than sooner- now that the Caps have signed the new goalie from NZ, its only a matter of time before ousted leaves for other digs- transfer window until early august or at the end of the season- 2 international spots for 2 goalies- somethings gotta give- i think david will be gone in august

4. Now its 3- when davies gets the ball, 3 portland players surrounded him- the word is out- shut alphonso down quickly so he cant do his dangerous runs- his soccer growth and effectiveness will be dependent on his ability to overcome the triple teaming-

 

GAME IN DALLAS, JULY 29- 4-0 WIN- ANALYSIS"

1. HUH! HUH! HUH!- the most complete and stunning performance over the past 2 seasons

2. Man of the Match- Carl Robinson- gotta give it to the head coach who made 6 player changes and got everyone spot on; the game tactics were supremo

3. Player of the Match- the entire team of players- a complete performance by all 11 players on the field- but if i had to pick 1 player, i would select CB, tim parker- solid, solid, solid and is showing he can be a dominate performer in MLS (will he head to europe??)

4. Play of the Match- the scissor kick goal by nicholas mezquida

5. The Change- not many lump balls up the field to montero- TG! we kept much better possession of the ball, especially in the 2nd half, even in the sweltering heat

6. Undressed and loving it- not many times that any team, especially the Caps, go to dallas and dominate a strong and consistent team- dallas were exposed in the 2nd half and could have been arrested for showing too much

7. Here comes august- could this be a defining game for the Caps?? we will know in the next game vs colorad- we go from the heat to the rarified air- quite a climate change