All posts by Chris Withers

Whitecaps Head South Needing Only a Draw

The first leg is in the books, and it’s onward and southward to Seattle for the climax of this thus far rather anticlimactic playoff series between the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Seattle Sounders. The first leg in Vancouver this past Sunday was a cagey affair. Tension-filled, a chess match, one for the purists. In a word, it was boring. But the Whitecaps accomplished what they set out to. They denied Seattle an away goal, and enter Century Link Field needing only not to lose to advance.

Can they find any offence? That is the question hovering over the club and its supporters. Sure, the team can play defensively sound when it wants to, but the Seattle tandem of Lodeiro and Dempsey is likely to test them. Stefan Marinovic has been solid since assuming the starter’s job, but the best of keepers will be beaten if the line in front of them breaks or is broken down. Pulling the trick Seattle pulled in last year’s MLS Cup Final and winning without an attempt on goal is not likely to fly here. Offence will be needed, and it’s offence this club has struggled to find at times this year. They are the lowest-scoring remaining club in the playoffs. If the best eleven is available, there is hope, but Carl Robinson said just a few days ago that Yordy Reyna and Cristian Techera may not be available. If that’s the case, it’s anybody’s guess where the Whitecaps will find goals. Christian Bolaños looked capable of generating offence early in the season, but the same has not been true recently. Since returning from a knee injury he’s looked less sharp, and hasn’t been the threat Vancouver needs. Nicolas Mezquida had a brace against San Jose a week ago, but that was when the Earthquakes were chasing the game and Vancouver was pummelling them on the counter. Nosa Igiebor, who looked calm and excellent against Portland in the final regular season match, did not look like the attacking midfielder role suited him in the first leg. Fredy Montero is great at popping up out of nowhere to poach a goal, but he did not look like his former self until Reyna arrived on the scene and started unlocking other defences. So perhaps, as so often this year, it will be the hope of an early set piece goal and then a counter as their opponents press.

Carl Robinson says he likes the underdog role. He better. The oddsmakers certainly see them as such. Sports Betting Dime in particular has the Whitecaps at +380, with the Sounders -143, on expectations that Reyna and Techera can’t go. If either of those two look like slotting in, those odds will skew back to the visitors.

And if Vancouver can get past the Sounders, it’s a beatable Houston side or a ridiculously banged up Portland that will be all that stands between the Caps and their first MLS Cup appearance.

Vancouver Whitecaps at Seattle Sounders
November 2nd, 7:30pm
TSN 5 / TSN 1040

Caps Ride Rapids to keep top spot in the west — Vancouver 2-1 Colorado

It feels odd to label any game for a team in the Vancouver Whitecaps’ position a “must win,” but this is as close as the Whitecaps are likely to come before the playoffs. Things are good in Rain City, with the club sitting pretty atop the Western Conference, but the Caps face an absolutely brutal run-in, with away matches against the three clubs immediately below them and only one home date after tonight.

Capo with a beard. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Pride for the home side, and a stellar beard to boot. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

Continue reading Caps Ride Rapids to keep top spot in the west — Vancouver 2-1 Colorado

Whitecaps Leap Into Third – Vancouver 3-2 Real Salt Lake

For at least the half-dozenth time this season, the Vancouver Whitecaps debuted a new lineup, and spent a good half hour making one think, “Hey, maybe they’ve got something here,” only to spend the next 15 minutes making one make the “hrmmmm” emoji face. As they returned to MLS action following the international break, it was the if-not-white-hot-at-least-uncomfortably-warm Real Salt Lake providing the opposition. The 3-2 win was perhaps more laboured than it needed to be, but they’ll all look the same at the end, and for now it’s vaulted the club into third place in the Western Conference.

The first thirty minutes of this game was some of the finest football Vancouver has played all season. The punt was an option, but not an overused one. Mostly they kept the ball on the ground and generated a number of high-quality half chances. Cristian Techera was two hairs away from a hat trick, and Fredy Montero nearly had a goal of the year candidate when he barely missed connecting on a scissor kick. When the breakthrough came on 29 minutes it felt like the game was Vancouver’s.

Fredy Montero goes for the bicycle kick.
Fredy Montero and the Goal of the Year That Wasn’t. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

Then, as has been their wont this season, Vancouver regressed to their mean, route one mean. (That makes sense. Read it again.) Long balls. Missed connections. RSL still didn’t look particularly dangerous, but they were at least getting forward. Still, it can’t be said they really deserved the goal they got. A cross, a missed header and an unlucky roll. Some thought it was a poor showing by David Ousted, but I won’t fault him on this occasion. He did well to even get a hand on it.

When the second half came around, things having become a tad stale, it was a set piece that once again got things on track for the Whitecaps. Yordy Reyna delivered a free kick to the reddish noggin of Tim Parker who nearly scored for the umpteenth time this season. The ball ricocheted off the post to a waiting Kendall Waston who made no mistake and brought the 20,783 in attendance back to life.

The eventual game winner came in the 64th minute when Bernie Ibini – largely invisible to that point – arrived with a baffling, fantastic, brilliant pass from inside the six-yard box right to the diving head of Yordy Reyna. How he knew to make that pass I expect never to know. It was shocking. NO forward passes up a shot like that. But it was absolutely the right play, and his unselfishness secured the win.

Down 3-1, throwing everything forward, RSL finally looked like they might score a goal, and they did. It made the final 10 minutes more interesting, but it would be as close as they would get.

Kendall Waston chases down Yura Movsisyan.
Kendall Waston shut down RSL’s danger man, Yura Movsisyan, and scored once at the other end during a Whitecaps 3-2 win. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

Now let’s talk about the big story from this game. Aly Ghazal, Vancouver’s now second-newest midfielder, finally made his debut in the starting lineup. (Side note: is this the first mid-season acquisition to jump straight into the starting lineup in the Robinson era?) Ghazal is the kind of player that the anti-stats crowd will point to when they make their “you can’t count what he does” arguments. Because… well, you don’t appear to be able to count what he does. The man doesn’t tackle; he was 0-2 on the night. He doesn’t pass very well; 21-32 on the night, albeit with six recoveries. He only had a couple of interceptions, a couple of clearances. He’s just kind of… there… but in a good way.

He forced more bad decisions than I can count, letting Waston and Parker rack up the stats. He gets in there and stops the ball without lunging in for the tackle as Matias Laba often does. I’m not entirely convinced yet, but RSL had VERY few chances through the middle of the park, relying instead on balls to the wing, which is exactly what Vancouver wanted them to do. Exciting times, if they continue.

Grades

Goaltender: FIVE Pucks in the Head
David Ousted was solid if generally unspectacular. A couple of good reaction saves that looked nice but we probably would have been disappointed by if they’d gone in. One unlucky break on the first goal.

Defence: FIVE Pucks in the Head
Jake Nerwinski has rendered Sheanon Williams obsolete. There, I said it. Get rid of him and sign a cheap backup. Waston and Parker were on their games. Harvey was okay, but could have done better on the second RSL goal.

Midfield: SIX Pucks in the Head
Ghazal was fantastic. Tchani was fine except for that one time he just stopped and got dispossessed. Reyna, Ibini, and Techera all either scored or had primary assists. Tough to ask for much more.

Forward: FIVE Pucks in the Head
Honestly, Montero was almost playing as a midfielder. His best moments were passes. He had two key passes, which is decent for any distributor. Had he connected on that scissor kick, hooo boy.

Dallas Dives Into BC Place To Meet Whitecaps on Saturday

After a much needed 2-week layoff, the Vancouver Whitecaps return to the pitch on Saturday to take on the infamous miscreants and divers of FC Dallas. The Caps have been on a bit of a roll in the league, winners of four of their last six matches, and unlucky (in one case hideously unlucky) not to have at least a point in all six. Can they keep the wave of success going against the Texans?

Dallas still sit third in the western conference, but have been in a bit of a slump since the end of April. In their last eight matches they have only two wins, both against lowly Real Salt Lake. (Though, in fairness, they beat the holy hell out of lowly Real Salt Lake on both occasions.) Outside of those wins, they’re managing less than a goal a game.

If we’re fortunate, we may get to see a battle of 16-year-old phenoms, as Alphonso Davies, fresh off his national team debut, may line up against Dallas’ Jesus  Ferreira. Ferreira, who recently bagged a goal in his debut, will be familiar to Caps fans via his father, David, who nearly single-handedly gave Dallas their reputation as cheating scumbags. Hopefully the lad picked up his dad’s talent without acquiring his love of playing against Vancouver or his tendency to be blown over by a calm easterly breeze.

Carl Robinson has settled on a starting eleven over the last month or two, but national team duty has taken its toll. Kendall Waston and Christian Bolanos both left Costa Rica’s matches with injuries and there is no word yet how long they’ll be out. With Bernie Ibini and Yordi Reyna still not quite ready, look for Brek Shea to get back into the starting lineup on the wing. Replacing Waston will be the more interesting decision. Russell Teibert impressed for Les Rouges on Tuesday, and could slot in beside Tony Tchani, freeing Andrew Jacobson up to move back to CB. Alternatively, Robinson could opt for a straight swap and hope Cole Seiler will be steady enough beside Tim Parker.

The key matchup will be on Vancouver’s left flank where Dallas’ Michael Barrios, who had three assists against RSL two weeks ago, will be looking for more. Much will depend on the ability of Jordan Harvey and Cristian Techera to shut him down. If he’s allowed too much space to operate, Vancouver is in for a bad time.

I tend to think that the two-week layoff, along with the teams’ respective form, will see Vancouver through, and I’m not alone. Sascha Paruk, editor and oddsmaker at Sports Betting Dime agrees, saying: “The home team has not lost in the last 11 matches between the two. Barring any major injuries, Vancouver should be about a 4/3 favorite with Dallas around 3/1 and the draw at 11/5.”

Waston Strong: Vancouver 3-1 Atlanta United

The Vancouver Whitecaps returned to MLS action on Saturday afternoon, having been eliminated from Voyageurs Cup action on Tuesday in Montreal. Visiting for the first time were MLS leading scorers Atlanta United. It’s not often that the bulletin board material comes from your own club, but so it was on this day when Vancouver’s defenders put in an excellent day’s work the day after the club’s own twitter account encouraged people to come out and buy tickets to watch the visitors’ offence. Vancouver would ride captain Kendall Waston’s head to a 3-1 victory at BC Place. Continue reading Waston Strong: Vancouver 3-1 Atlanta United

There’s No Place Like Home: Whitecaps 2-0 Sporting Kansas City

And, I’m back. Apologies, dear readers, for the absence. A combination of sloth, apathy, and a work schedule full of conflicts kept me from covering the Whitecaps interminable road trip. But now, as the blue and white choose the first genuinely nice day in 2017 to return to the stuffy confines of BC Place, I return to you with my usual brand of stuffy wit, dry humour, and, apparently, Wizard of Oz headlines. Continue reading There’s No Place Like Home: Whitecaps 2-0 Sporting Kansas City

Sounders Somehow Lose To Whitecaps: Vancouver 2-1 Seattle

It’s amazing what having a proven goal scorer can do for your side. When you don’t have one, sometimes you get games like last year’s tilt between Vancouver and New York Red Bulls, where Erik Hurtado couldn’t hit the ocean from a boat. When you do have one, you get games like last night, where a Fredy Montero brace earned the Whitecaps a win in 2017’s Cascadia Cup opener despite them being outplayed and outchanced. I was not in the building on Friday evening due to work, so this post is based on a viewing of the game two days later, with the result already known. My conclusion is this: some of your perceptions are clouded by what looked like a great derby atmosphere and a win.  Continue reading Sounders Somehow Lose To Whitecaps: Vancouver 2-1 Seattle

Whitecaps Don’t Disappoint Despite Loss – Vancouver 1-2 Tigres UANL (1-4 agg.)

Brek Shea scored early for Vancouver in the second leg of the CCL semi-final against Tigres, before coming off with an injury five minutes later. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head

I walked into BC Place Stadium last night with a curious sense of optimism and excitement. For one thing, there are almost no paths to disappointment when you enter the second leg of a series against one of the best teams in North America down 2-0. For another, I’m not cut out for big games. Even routine Cascadian derbies turn me into a bit of a wreck. I was basically useless at being a human for 48 hours before the Canucks’ 2011 game seven.  And finally, these are sensations that six plus years of Whitecaps FC fandom has mostly beaten out of me. Like most Whitecaps fans, I can’t help but imagine what fresh hell the team will concoct in their never ending quest to find creative new ways to lose cup competitions. So… I was puzzled at my optimism. Then Brek Shea engineered the dream start with a goal in the third minute, and suddenly, against my better judgement, I thought perhaps the optimism was warranted. Continue reading Whitecaps Don’t Disappoint Despite Loss – Vancouver 1-2 Tigres UANL (1-4 agg.)

Caps Make April Fools Out Of Galaxy: Vancouver 4-2 Los Angeles

The great April Fools Joke is an art form. Perhaps a lost one. It strikes a neat balance between the believable and the absurd, or else it is Onion-esque in its humourous ridiculousness. Recent years have seen some truly terrible attempts. No, you can’t just say “we’re pregnant,” or “we’re getting married,” and expect people to chortle when you reveal that you were only toying with their emotions. Too believable, not absurd enough. Similarly, you can’t just  throw anything out there. David Beckham, to cite one example, is not coming out of retirement, least of all to play for the Galaxy again. Too absurd, not believable enough. The Caps, it must be said, were leaning towards the latter when, shortly before 9pm, they tried to convince the 25,083 BC Place faithful that they had just beaten the LA Galaxy 4-2 on the strength of a Matías Laba brace. Continue reading Caps Make April Fools Out Of Galaxy: Vancouver 4-2 Los Angeles

Caps Completely Fail To Catch Tigres By The Tail – Tigres UANL 0-2 Vancouver

I recently reread William Gibson’s seminal 1984 cyberpunk novel Neuromancer. The book tells the tale of Case, a drug-addled hacker who succeeds in bringing down an artificial intelligence of vastly superior capability owned by a company of vastly superior wealth. Needless to say, that plot is unlikely to compare to our heroes in blue and white as they trail 2-0 to Tigres after the first leg of CONCACAF Champions League semifinal action. Rather, I’m reminded of a line from the foreword of my copy, penned by Jack Womack. Womack, an accomplished sci-fi author in his own right, relates the time he first read Gibson’s work. “It quickly became apparent that, while we were kicking the same groin, we were shod in variant footwear.” That’s more like it. Continue reading Caps Completely Fail To Catch Tigres By The Tail – Tigres UANL 0-2 Vancouver