A 1-0 score frequently suggests a close match. That wasn't the case at Burnaby's Swangard Stadium tonight, as the Vancouver Whitecaps walked all over expansion AC St. Louis. They outshot St. Louis 11-1, had five shots on net to the visitors' nil and also dominated the possession battle, particularly in the first half. With the win, Vancouver improved to 2-0-1 on the season, while St. Louis fell to 0-3-0.
Head coach Teitur Thordarson was not overly impressed with his team's showing, though, despite coming away with three points and statistical dominance. His criticism was for good reasons. Particularly in the second half, the Whitecaps sank to St. Louis' level and spent more time just passing the ball around than creating anything offensively.
"I wasn't happy with the game today," Thordarson said after the match.
Thordarson liked the way the team came out of the tunnel, but he was less impressed with their play as the game went on.
"I thought we did well in the first half; we totally dominated the game," he said.
"In the second half, we just gave the initiative away. ... We lost the ball on every second or third possession."
In addition to lacking style points, the game also created further problems for the Whitecaps. Already dealing with several injuries, they picked up two more today. The worst came to central defender Mouloud Akloul, who started his Whitecaps' debut in fine fashion, notching the only goal of the game in the 19th minute off a Martin Nash corner. He injured himself in the process, though, and was stretchered off. He was undergoing X-rays after the match to check for the possibility of a broken leg.
Thordarson said Akloul's injury will be difficult to handle, as the team was counting on him to anchor their defence.
"It is a very tough thing if that's the case that he's broken his leg," Thordarson said. "It's very hard."
Greg Janicki came on in relief of Akloul without the benefit of a warm-up, but turned in a solid showing.
"It's always tough to go in under those conditions," he said. "You never expect to go in and play 65-plus minutes."
It was a good showing from the Whitecaps' defence overall. Janicki and Nelson Akwari stood firm in the middle, with Chris Williams impressing at right back and Zurab Tsiskaridze turning in another strong performance at left back. Keeper Jay Nolly wasn't really tested, but he did well to collect a few crosses here and there. The Whitecaps' defence has now recorded three consecutive clean sheets, but Janicki said that comes with a caveat; the teams they've faced so far haven't been the most offensive-minded.
"They haven't been pressuring us too much," he said.
If Akloul's injury is as severe as thought, Janicki may play an increased role for the Whitecaps in the days to come. He said he's comfortable doing whatever he's asked, though.
"I'm ready for whatever."
Another loss for the Whitecaps was winger Wes Knight, who had a solid 37 minutes of work on the right flank and created several chances, particularly off long throw-ins. He was taken off as a precaution after a collision, and his injury isn't expected to be serious, but he's still being evaluated. If he's out for any length of time, that could further thin an already-depleted Whitecaps' squad.
One bright spot was Marcus Haber, though, who continued to impress up front and had several chances to score. He's making the decision to bring him back on loan look very good, particularly thanks to the Whitecaps' injuries up front. Haber said he didn't think the team played all that well, but they were happy to pick up full points.
"It wasn't pretty," he said. "The most important thing was the result."
Haber said the team's playing better offensively than their record of three goals in three games would suggest.
"I think it's just sharpness in the final third," he said. "The goals will come."
Whitecaps fans will be hoping he's right on that score, as most opponents won't go down as easily as St. Louis did today.
Showing posts with label USSF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USSF. Show all posts
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Soccer: The Whitecaps and the story of Marcus Haber
The Vancouver Whitecaps begin their new season today at Swangard Stadium, and I'll be live-blogging the game from the press box for this site, The 24th Minute and Epic Footy. They'll be taking on the NSC Minnesota Stars[Simon Fudge, WhitecapsFC.com]. Game time is at 7 p.m. Eastern/4 p.m. Pacific, and live video can be found via the Whitecaps' home page.
It should be an interesting clash; Vancouver finished with a mediocre 11-10-9 record last season, but got hot in the playoffs and went all the way to the USL championship before losing to Montreal. The Minnesota Stars are a new team, but they have nine players from the former Minnesota Thunder, who were 7-13-10 last year and missed the playoffs. They'll be eager to get off to a hot start.
I've already written a season preview focused on the Whitecaps' league and personnel changes for Dave Clark over at Sounder At Heart, and I wrote one focused on their potential Voyageurs' Cup ambitions over at Fighting For Canadian Supremacy, but I think there's still some ground to be covered. In my mind, perhaps the best way to do that is focusing in on perhaps the Whitecaps' most high-profile player, Marcus Haber, who recently returned to Vancouver [Marc Weber, The Province] on loan from England's West Bromwich Albion.
Haber is not expected to be available for today's game, but he should be a force for the Whitecaps in his two-month stay. He scored eight league goals for them last year and added four more in other competitions, and he also excelled at setting up other strikers like Charles Gbeke. With the departure of Haber and Gbeke, the biggest questions around this year's Whitecaps squad centred on where the goals will come from. Haber's return will reduce those questions, at least for a couple of months.
At the same time, though, he represents the odd dichotomy at the heart of this year's Whitecaps squad. On the one hand, they're all about building for the future. They'll be joining MLS next season, and getting off to a strong start there is far more important than anything they can accomplish in USSF Division II this year. To that end, they have built an excellent academy system and have focused on developing young players; some, like Haber, have turned out very well. The nature of soccer is that those who shine brightest don't often stick around in the dimmer leagues, though, and that's what happened with Haber's exit after the season. The Whitecaps still received a substantial transfer fee for him, so it was worth it for them to develop his skills, but it's unlikely that he'll help them on the pitch beyond this current loan spell.
On the other hand, though, this season and the Voyageurs' Cup do still matter to the Whitecaps. They've had a very successful run in the second tier of North American soccer, and they don't want to go out with a whimper. They'll give their youngsters some playing time to help them develop, but they'll also throw in guys like Haber (and other older veterans, such as Martin Nash and Takashi Hirano) who will help the team win now. Moreover, putting too much pressure on untested prospects could hurt their development, and giving them too much exposure could result in their eventual exodus. Those are all tough lines to walk, and the Whitecaps will be balancing on them all season long.
We'll likely see the Haber story play out again down the road, not just with Vancouver but also with the youth development arms of the Montreal Impact and Toronto FC. Development is a crucial thing, but not all the players you develop will wind up as part of your long-term plans. They can still be very helpful, though, both in terms of the transfer fees they bring in and in the way they build the reputation of their first club. In the short term, however, their most important contribution may be what they do on the pitch. Haber can certainly aid the Whitecaps this season, and I'm sure many fans will be excited to see him back in the blue and white. His return may not last for long and may not be a crucial part of the future, but he should help with the present, and that can be appreciated for what it is.
It should be an interesting clash; Vancouver finished with a mediocre 11-10-9 record last season, but got hot in the playoffs and went all the way to the USL championship before losing to Montreal. The Minnesota Stars are a new team, but they have nine players from the former Minnesota Thunder, who were 7-13-10 last year and missed the playoffs. They'll be eager to get off to a hot start.
I've already written a season preview focused on the Whitecaps' league and personnel changes for Dave Clark over at Sounder At Heart, and I wrote one focused on their potential Voyageurs' Cup ambitions over at Fighting For Canadian Supremacy, but I think there's still some ground to be covered. In my mind, perhaps the best way to do that is focusing in on perhaps the Whitecaps' most high-profile player, Marcus Haber, who recently returned to Vancouver [Marc Weber, The Province] on loan from England's West Bromwich Albion.
Haber is not expected to be available for today's game, but he should be a force for the Whitecaps in his two-month stay. He scored eight league goals for them last year and added four more in other competitions, and he also excelled at setting up other strikers like Charles Gbeke. With the departure of Haber and Gbeke, the biggest questions around this year's Whitecaps squad centred on where the goals will come from. Haber's return will reduce those questions, at least for a couple of months.
At the same time, though, he represents the odd dichotomy at the heart of this year's Whitecaps squad. On the one hand, they're all about building for the future. They'll be joining MLS next season, and getting off to a strong start there is far more important than anything they can accomplish in USSF Division II this year. To that end, they have built an excellent academy system and have focused on developing young players; some, like Haber, have turned out very well. The nature of soccer is that those who shine brightest don't often stick around in the dimmer leagues, though, and that's what happened with Haber's exit after the season. The Whitecaps still received a substantial transfer fee for him, so it was worth it for them to develop his skills, but it's unlikely that he'll help them on the pitch beyond this current loan spell.
On the other hand, though, this season and the Voyageurs' Cup do still matter to the Whitecaps. They've had a very successful run in the second tier of North American soccer, and they don't want to go out with a whimper. They'll give their youngsters some playing time to help them develop, but they'll also throw in guys like Haber (and other older veterans, such as Martin Nash and Takashi Hirano) who will help the team win now. Moreover, putting too much pressure on untested prospects could hurt their development, and giving them too much exposure could result in their eventual exodus. Those are all tough lines to walk, and the Whitecaps will be balancing on them all season long.
We'll likely see the Haber story play out again down the road, not just with Vancouver but also with the youth development arms of the Montreal Impact and Toronto FC. Development is a crucial thing, but not all the players you develop will wind up as part of your long-term plans. They can still be very helpful, though, both in terms of the transfer fees they bring in and in the way they build the reputation of their first club. In the short term, however, their most important contribution may be what they do on the pitch. Haber can certainly aid the Whitecaps this season, and I'm sure many fans will be excited to see him back in the blue and white. His return may not last for long and may not be a crucial part of the future, but he should help with the present, and that can be appreciated for what it is.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Previewing the Whitecaps
The start of the Vancouver Whitecaps' soccer season is almost upon us, as they kick things off on April 11 against the NSC Minnesota Stars. They're also preparing for the Voyageurs Cup, where they'll be facing domestic rivals Toronto and Montreal; their first match in that competition will be May 5 against Montreal. I'll have plenty of Whitecaps coverage here and at The 24th Minute all season, but I'm also covering the team for Fighting For Canadian Supremacy, a site started by Sam Gregory of The Canadian Stretford End that will look at the Voyageurs Cup through local perspectives from writers in each city. My team preview for that site, focusing on what that competition might mean to the Whitecaps this year, is up; check it out here!
Saturday, March 06, 2010
Whitecaps hold Sounders off
The Vancouver Whitecaps - Seattle Sounders exhibition match earlier today was a pretty good display of soccer. The final score was 0-0 [Bruce Constantineau, Vancouver Sun], but both teams had their chances. Seattle held most of the possession, which is what you'd expect from an MLS side against a Division II one, but they weren't able to convert on their scoring opportunities. Steve Zakuani was perhaps the Sounders' best player, constantly making things happen on the wing with his speed. He did score once, but it was nullified thanks to an offside. Kasey Keller also turned in a solid performance in net for the Sounders.
On the Whitecaps' side, there was some progress as well. New acquisition Blake Wheeler looked solid in midfield and had one of the team's better chances when he narrowly missed in the second half. Young striker Dever Orgill looked good as well, which is reassuring; he has been dominant with the residency team in the past, but didn't make too much of an impression in his limited time with the top squad last year. Marcus Haber and Charles Gbeke are definitely major losses up front, but if Orgill, Marlon James and Randy Edwini-Bonsu can step up, it may be a strong year for the Whitecaps.
As I pointed out in my preview over at Sounder at Heart, the Whitecaps are in a state of flux this year, both on the pitch and off. They're simultaneously building for MLS in 2011 and trying to compete in the new USSF Division II this season. If last year is any indication, the priority will be the future, but there's enough talent on this squad that they could contend this year as well; they did make the USL final last year, after all, and they have more potentially key pieces coming in than going out.
The biggest question will be up front, as Haber and Gbeke carried much of the weight on that front last season, and that's what makes a 0-0 game a tad troubling. It is just a friendly, though, and the team had plenty of chances. More importantly, their young players acquitted themselves quite well. Holding an MLS side to a draw is no small accomplishment; it's not a unrealistic one, but it's not to be shrugged off either. The Whitecaps played well today; we'll see if they can carry that momentum into the regular season.
[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute]
On the Whitecaps' side, there was some progress as well. New acquisition Blake Wheeler looked solid in midfield and had one of the team's better chances when he narrowly missed in the second half. Young striker Dever Orgill looked good as well, which is reassuring; he has been dominant with the residency team in the past, but didn't make too much of an impression in his limited time with the top squad last year. Marcus Haber and Charles Gbeke are definitely major losses up front, but if Orgill, Marlon James and Randy Edwini-Bonsu can step up, it may be a strong year for the Whitecaps.
As I pointed out in my preview over at Sounder at Heart, the Whitecaps are in a state of flux this year, both on the pitch and off. They're simultaneously building for MLS in 2011 and trying to compete in the new USSF Division II this season. If last year is any indication, the priority will be the future, but there's enough talent on this squad that they could contend this year as well; they did make the USL final last year, after all, and they have more potentially key pieces coming in than going out.
The biggest question will be up front, as Haber and Gbeke carried much of the weight on that front last season, and that's what makes a 0-0 game a tad troubling. It is just a friendly, though, and the team had plenty of chances. More importantly, their young players acquitted themselves quite well. Holding an MLS side to a draw is no small accomplishment; it's not a unrealistic one, but it's not to be shrugged off either. The Whitecaps played well today; we'll see if they can carry that momentum into the regular season.
[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute]
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