A young Whitecaps Reserves side kicked off their 2012 MLS season with a fantastic, and hard earned point, against Seattle Sounders at UBC's Thunderbird Stadium this morning.
The game finished 1-1, thanks to Carlyle Mitchell's equalising bullet header in the final seconds of stoppage time, after Alex Caskey had opened the scoring for the visitors in the 72nd minute.
For the Whitecaps, the experience and developmental opportunity for the players was more important than the result.
With injured players Michael Nanchoff, Atiba Harris and Darren Mattocks not quite ready for game action, the Caps took the opportunity to see how a number of their younger players would cope against more senior opposition.
Pretty good as it turned out.
The Sounders fielded a strong side, with a lot of MLS experience, including three players who saw Champions League action against Santos this month, along with a reality TV flop.
The Whitecaps went with a youthful squad, playing most of the second half with four Residency prospects, including U16 player Sam Adekugbe, who came on for Jordan Harvey at half time. Five Residency players saw game action, with Ben Fisk and Yassin Essa playing in the midfield from the start.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Michael Boxall earned my 'Man of the Match' plaudits today, but there were also good turns by Brad Knighton, Greg Klazura and all of the Residency guys.
Having seen Mitchell's goal today, and some strikes he's been banging in at training, I do think he's being wasted at centre half and there could be a real development opportunity to see him in a more attacking role.
Omar Salgado and Long Tan were the Caps strikers today and both had a poor game. Salgado may have whipped in the cross for the tying goal, but that was about all he did. There was simply no understanding, or seemingly communication, between the front two today and they were playing far too far apart from each other for a lot of the game.
Seattle had most of the possession and edged shots on goal 4-3, but the young Caps determined play deserved to see them get something out of the game.
Whitecaps assistant manager Paul Ritchie, who took charge of the side today along with Carl Robinson, felt that the Whitecaps had done enough to warrant getting something out of the game, telling reporters after the match:
<i>"It just continues the whole philosophy we're trying to install in the Club. Trying not to lose anything, and if we can start at this level, and younger, then it prepares the younger ones, especially, for when they get that opportunity to play in the first team."</i>
As we've said before, we find the MLS Reserve League a missed opportunity on many different levels and especially when it comes to the number of games and the timing of them.
This is a great chance for fans to see the fringe players in action, the rehabbers, the youth products who need tested against more adult opposition, trialists that the clubs want to have a look at. For many fans, it may also be the only chance that some will have of seeing the Whitecaps live, either individually or as a family, although not with 11am kick offs.
These games provide great PR opportunities for the MLS clubs, especially those in crowded sporting markets, to show how fans can feel part of their team in a way that NFL and NHL fans will just never be able to. Being a football fan is a special feeling indeed, as we all already know.
It makes no sense to me to have the League as it is. Either fully commit to a near full season of games, with weekend double header opportunities galore, or why even have it at all, when it looks like nothing more than an afterthought and a pain in the ass for MLS?
For fans of all clubs, especially the travelling ones, it makes the whole weekend an event if there is a game on the Sunday and not a Monday, when most will have headed home.
Even more importantly, these games are the only real competitive opportunities for the depth and young players to try and impress the coaching staff in meaningful matches. You can't have the same impression on the coach in training alone.
These guys need more than ten games to continue their development. MLS needs a longer Reserve League season to try and add depth to the League as a whole and try and get more homegrown players into the League, instead of teams just turning to Europe and South America for their talent.
Martin Rennie felt that he didn't have the players on the bench on Saturday that he needed to make an impact against DC. How else can these players fully reach that level than with developing through competitive action?
When you have a squad of younger players, like the Caps do, they need more games to develop and try and earn a shot in the first team reckoning or the very least, prove their worth.
Talking to Paul Ritchie after the game today, he feels the same way:
<i>"For sure. I think that's something we're going to have to address this year as an organisation, to give an environment for these kids to go and play, and the players who don't play in the first team on a Saturday.
Ten games throughout a season isn't enough. I know we have the PDL through the summer, which is more geared towards the younger ones, but we've got a lot of pros there who might be coming back from injury or not playing. They need to be playing, cos as soon as you lose one or two players out of your first team with injury, you need to make sure that these players are fit and ready to come in and contribute.
So we do need to find games and I think with Jake, and his connections in college, we will have games, but not at this standard. We need more and it's something we've got to look into, to try and get as many games as possible."</i>
At least the Whitecaps are looking at moving in the right direction with this. Let's hope that MLS can see sense and do the same.
If Major League Soccer really does have aspirations of being one of the world's top leagues in ten years time, then sorting out a proper development league for the fringe and younger players surely has to be one of the major places to start.
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