Whitecaps vs Galaxy

Discussion in 'Vancouver Whitecaps' started by dehun, Oct 29, 2012.

  1. dehun

    dehun Member

    Oct 19, 2011
    Vancouver
    Club:
    Vancouver Whitecaps
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    I admit that beating the Galaxy at home will be a huge hill to climb. But if the WC can replicate the form they showed vs RSL, I'm more than a bit hopeful. I think Russell Beresford nails it in these two articles:

    http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2012/10/24/five-facts-about-the-la-galaxy/
    http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2012/10/26/95664/

    I watched LA's win over Seattle over the weekend. Donovan was invisible (even the ESPN guys picked up on it, between inane comments), Keane couldn't finish to save his life, and the Omar Ganalez-led back line looked decidedly porous at times. Now if LA could just manage to look ahead to a play date with San Jose and to completely fail to take the WC seriously...
     
  2. JohnnyRanger

    JohnnyRanger Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jul 30, 2008
    Vancouver
    Club:
    Vancouver Whitecaps
    Nat'l Team:
    Scotland
    If I'm being totally honest here, and I'll try- The ONLY hope the Caps have is if they play extremely well defensively and if LA is looking beyond them and the Caps can hold the fort and peg one against LAG on a set piece or on a counter... however a last game of the season that is essentially meaningless is a lot different than a playoff game when it comes to putting in a how hum effort. Just because LAG looked somewhat listless vs Seattle doesn't mean they are going to be had by WFC.

    Caps are going to need a massive effort from all, but most importantly the leaders and most talented guys on the park need to act as such, and I'm speaking specifically about Koffie, Demerit, Robson, Rochat, & YP Lee. Lee, Demerit and Rochat have been fantastic with their work rate and ability all year, Robson (Defensively and Discipline) and Koffie (Discipline and Consistency) have been the guessing game.

    The nice thing here is that Robson has played very well against GoldenBalls and the Galaxy previously, hopefully he channels his want and desire to prove something towards solid team play and not on-field animated vocal dressing down of teammates and constant whinging at officials and sauntering back to defensive duties with his hands up having a moan at the lino/coach/whoever
     
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  3. Beerking

    Beerking Member+

    Nov 14, 2000
    Humboldt County
    Dear Vancouver,
    Please beat the literal shit out of LA. Thank you.

    Signed: The rest of the league.
     
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  4. Hungryjack

    Hungryjack Member+

    Jul 8, 2006
    Houston
    The Dynamo came into last night's game as underdogs and demonstrated what a visiting team can do with determination and a will to win. Tonight's game is no different and I will be pulling for Vancouver.
     
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  5. Unak78

    Unak78 BigSoccer Supporter

    Dec 17, 2007
    PSG & Enyimba FC
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Nigeria
    Vancouver put up a better effort than alot of ppl gave them credit for considering how they finished their season. Darren Mattocks can be a boss, he just needs to be more consistent.

    Darren Mattocks is a big key to what they do in the future. He shows that he can score big goals like he did early tonight, but he disappears for long stretches of time. Kinda like Didier Drogba in that he can hurt you out of nowhere, but he doesn't work as hard as Drogba does.
     
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  6. Hachiko

    Hachiko The Akita on Big Soccer

    Jun 8, 2005
    Long Beach, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Just chiming in here. Your guys played one heck of a game. Don't get discouraged by this result, the future is bright for your team. Keep your heads up. Aaaaand...we'll see you next season. Till next time,

    H

    P.S. Mattocks is your Drogba. He looks like him.
     
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  7. Indytrojan

    Indytrojan Member

    Feb 16, 2006
    Indianapolis
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Dynamo fan here,,,, i would like to congratulate Vancouver fans for a great season...you guys have created a GREAT ATMOSPHERE AT YOUR HOME GAMES, you have represented well in your road games.You have NOTHING AT ALL TO BE DOWN ABOUT............you will have many many good seasons under your exceptional young manager. And you have a great mix of youth and veteran leadership. Robson is a player any team would want. Maddux is just going to tear this league apart and you guys will have many great moments and memories.

    yes the non call in the box was TRAGIC...... IF LANDON GOES DOWN SO EASY AND GETS A PK,.THEN YOU GUYS DESERVED THE SAME CALL ON THORINGTON...ALL FANS AND PLAYERS WANT IS FOR THE REFS TO BE CONSISTENT. LAST NIGHT YOU GOT ROBBED...

    DOES ANYONE REMEMBER THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN H.D.C AGAINST THE DYNAMO.........LA GETS SPECIAL TREATMENT.......THEY AND NY ARE THE GLAMOUR TEAMS IN MLS............dont fret for long Vancouver fans. With what your mangagement team is building there ,you guys are gonna have alot of happy times....peace

    indytrojan
     
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  8. JohnnyRanger

    JohnnyRanger Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jul 30, 2008
    Vancouver
    Club:
    Vancouver Whitecaps
    Nat'l Team:
    Scotland
    Thanks for the love guys. It was a hard pill to swallow.

    Barry Robson is excruciating to watch. He was 100% directly responsible for this loss. He and Miller failed to convert glorious chances seconds apart during a LAG FireDrill in their own box and then he saunters back only to ball watch and let MaGee go and get the space required to wonderfully finish that tying goal. Instead of the game being 2-0, it's tied and all the wind comes out of the sails.

    The multi year experinced vets could learn a thing or two about off the ball movement demonstrated by Darren Mattocks (A rookie!) shedding the LAG Defender (Omar?) on the Watson run in the 3rd minute to create the opportunity for that square ball and quick finish.

    Big BIG ups to good to great performances by Bit Part Role guys like John Thorrington, Jordan Harvey and my MOTW Matt Watson who was mysteriously subbed out of the game for the ineffective/underserved/outgoing to Burnley Dane Richards. Watson was having a blinder and he was taken off the park. :/

    The Non-PK call in the first half must be what Petrescu was thinking about when he called the pk on the Bonjour v Landycakes incident. It was perhaps a foul but for Landycakes to go down that soft and then like Indytrojan said above: Not to give the call to Thor when he's stepped on and smacked in the face (again a foul by the letter of the law but soft in any event) is shocking to say the least. Both were marginal contact, one was in heavier traffic by an MLS Golden Boy and one was by an MLS Career Journeyman Mucky Muck. You do the math.

    however...

    The officials aren't the reason WFC lost the match- Robson and a lack of finish by Miller (combined over $2.5M in contract) is the reason we aren't going to San Jose... Unfortunately Petrescu gave LAG the game instead of letting LAG earn it via the soft PK...that being said the more deserving team won. LAG's DP's showed up and contributed and WFC's did not. Robson and Miller have been failed experiments and remind me highly of the Jarjuh debacle last season. Petrescu didn't have to award that PK to LAG...They were in control of the game and it certainly helped decide the game from that point on.

    Hindsight being 20-20 I'm sure WFC wished they'd given Chiumiento an improved contract instead of selling him back to Switzerland and didn't move on either/or Robson & Miller.

    I'd say year two was a success based on expectations going into the season. Started off like a house on fire, secured many points in tough spots mid year, then turned the roster over 50%, lost the chemistry, battled injuries and secured a playoff spot by the skin of their teeth and repped well in the Playoff/Play-In game on the road.

    looking forward to next year already.
     
  9. JohnnyRanger

    JohnnyRanger Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jul 30, 2008
    Vancouver
    Club:
    Vancouver Whitecaps
    Nat'l Team:
    Scotland
    Speaking of Hindsight, I almost nailed it: Save the bit about Robson. Robson's lack of defensive focus and discipline was directly responsible for the tying goal.

    ~Off To Buy some Lotto Tickets ;)
     
  10. norfcath57

    norfcath57 Member

    May 2, 2006
    Philadelphia
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    :(I have no ax to grind. I'm a Philadelphia Union fan. As a completely neutral observer of the match, I believe YOU WERE ROBBED!!! Donovan went down much too easily.
     
  11. Berks

    Berks Member+

    Dec 22, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Make up call for the PK he should have had in the first half.

    But beyond that, thanks for being classy fans Vancouver. Nothing but positive things about you guys from LA fans.

    You have a team to build on, and that Mattocks is a find (he is going to be a problem for the National Team going forward). Rennie is also no dope. You guys will continue to be a presence next year and a sincere challenger to TFC for the Canadian CCL spot.
     
  12. dehun

    dehun Member

    Oct 19, 2011
    Vancouver
    Club:
    Vancouver Whitecaps
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Thanks for all the positive comments. I agree about Rennie. I think he may have made some errors this year tinkering with formation at times, and with player acquisitions, but the improvement in the team's performance this year is all down to him and his staff, I think. And he picked the best tactics to beat LA given the team he had.

    I agree with JohnnyRanger about Robson--I think you can throw Miller into the mix as well. Robson failed to pick up Magee on the tying goal, and then he monkeyed with the ball to drag it to his left instead of smashing it with his right into the LA net. A half-second before that, Miller could have side-footed it left corner, but instead he went for a Hassli-esque highlight-reel smash off the right post--blocked by the defender. LA's DPs came through, ours didn't when it counted.

    After Kris Boyd's performance in Portland this year, together with Miller and Robson in Vancouver, can we put to rest the idea of any more former "top level" SPL players coming to MLS?

    Petrescu was an embarrassment (I'm ashamed he's the only Canadian ref in the MLS--there are other Canadian match officials, but he's the only ref, I think). The way he lost his cool at YP Lee and basically mocked him with a hand gesture was bush league. I've had beer league refs who maintain their composure better. BTW--Lee's my benchmark for these things--if he loses his cool so bad that he wants to rip a ref's head off, then the guy clearly deserves it. It's like the Dalai Lama telling you to f*** off. You know it's got to be bad to get him to that point. High time imo the league started employing refs full time, paying them the same wage as other major North American sports, giving them more training, and demanding more accountability. Most of these guys work full-time jobs, and only ref on the side for MLS. Can't have beer league refs in a pro game.
     

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