nolando Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Didn't see this actual thread yet, so here we go. Great start to the season. Some real excitement building. For those of us who follow the Caps and MNT , what do you make of three latest additions in Earnshaw, Deybi, and this rumored new little Uruguayan winger? The cynic in me says that those three alone mean that guys like Clarke and Bustos and Froese can forget about any minutes other than token Concacaf minutes. I also wonder what Teibert makes of the club constantly bringing in guys who play his positions. I realize there isn't a conspiracy in place but how wonderful it must be for the young Latinos in particular to come in to such a welcoming club culture and yet you surely have half a dozen young Canadians ( who are now the defacto outsiders) on the outside looking in wondering if they are just making up the numbers as the next Alderson, Fisk, etc. ; does the club have any faith in these players and, if so, when will see that translate into PT?. Having said that I'm not sure the club has ever been stronger, and that's right through the lineup and reserves. Carl truly has his club mentality and style down to match the squad he has massaged into place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcmurph Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 The coach has stated that he gives the edge to the academy players. To be signed a NCAA draftee or foreign player must be "clearly better because if they're not you go with what you have". Any player has their work cut out for them to crack the lineup. It is not easy and as MLS improves it will get harder. This will be true for all 3 of our MLS teams. So far in 2015 minutes by MNT eligible players are Mtl=96, TFC= 135 & Van=344. Fortunately we now have USL to get them a lot more minutes. Lets see who lights it up in USL2 before deciding who is ready for MLS. That intermediate level was a huge missing piece of the puzzle for a long time now. Earnshaw and Bah are older players so I think they were signed to get some experienced players along all the youth. To be honest most of those half dozen young Canadians are not ready. Some like Froese are already getting minutes. Barring his injury Sam looked like he was ready to take more minutes. Russell has been getting more minutes each year for the last several years. I think it is more important for our MNT to get a single solid player (like Osorio, Teibert) than half a dozen that can't break into an MLS squad. When I see Osorio playing in that midfield I'm very sure he is going to make a difference for our MNT in the near future. He looks like he belongs in that crowd and has beat out high draft picks, American domestics and foreign players for the spot. Now that is progress! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masster Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 does the club have any faith in these players and, if so, when will see that translate into PT? It is happening right now. Adekugbe earned a starting spot, then injury. Teibert is right there for a starting spot, then international call up. Froese has already played in as many matches as last season. I will bet he gets on the field at some point against Portland tomorrow as well. Bustos is currently injured, but his primary role will be USL, as it should be. Clarke just needs to play. Lets see if he can beat out Pridham for a spot in USL before we complain about a lack of playing time over Rivero in MLS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barthez-Battalion Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Has there been any indication that Carducci will be the starter for WC2? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcmurph Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Has there been any indication that Carducci will be the starter for WC2? Good question. He is listed on the MLS roster so it would be a loan to WC2 and Spencer Richey (USA) and Mark Village (Canada) are listed as the 2 keepers on WC2. He is third on the MLS squad so I would expect him to be first for WC2. That said the coaches will probably want to look at other players in the WC2 games to see how they play under game conditions so I would expect all 3 to get some time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub Narcotic Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Richey is eligible for Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shamrock Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Adekugbe gets the start against Timbers. I wonder what Floro thinks about that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nolando Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 ^ In years gone by we would have scoffed at the European-based players picking up phantom knocks during un-televised matches, pulling out of a Canadian roster and then magically starting the next club match, but this kid was pretty banged up, no doubt about it. I thought his season might have been over the way he reacted although, come to think of it, he reacted very similarly the week earlier after landing on his knee (ankle?) late in the Chicago match. Enough knocks like this and he will surely toughen up, and he'll need in MLS and CONCACAF. More power to him. More than Floro, I wonder what Harvey makes of Sam starting. Froese is on the bench, btw. Also, Mattocks scored for Jamaica over Venezuela. Will his stock get any higher or is now the time to either trade or sell him, I wonder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcmurph Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Adekugbe gets the start against Timbers. I wonder what Floro thinks about that... "Left back Sam Adekugbe makes his fifth professional start tonight and the first time he's started three consecutive matches. Last season, the 20-year-old Calgary, Alberta resident started one of his four appearances." I just saw the starting lineup. OMG that is a relief. The way he was holding his chest after that collision, and having had both broken and bruised ribs in my lifetime, I am so glad. I was figuring a month at least. The kids a quick healer. Here's hoping he stays well and gets the full 90. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey_twelve Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Not the best game by Adekugbe but I thought Froese did well while he was on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barthez-Battalion Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 According to de Vos, Vancouver and Floro had a good talk about Adekugbe. It makes sense that he stays because realistically he'd be on the bench while de Jong starts for Canada. Having said that, if he's left off the U23 pan am squad because Vancouver wants him to stay then I'll have a problem with him and the Caps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nolando Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 Flores looks to be the box-to-box mid that Carl has been looking for. Hard to not see this revelation coming at Teibert and Koffie's expense. Koffie looks like a walking yellow card, playing like he is frustrated and not always on the same page as his teammates. Beita got beat quite badly on the goal and was a half-step behind for most of the match, I thought. Ousted was incredible. Agree that Sam sent a lot of errand balls tonight, and Froese had his moments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcmurph Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Richey is eligible for Canada. I didn't know that. He is listed as USA on the Caps site. Good to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcmurph Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 3 points we don't really deserve but I'll take it. Ousted was amazing. He saved us repeatedly. Portland carved us up with their passing but just couldn't finish. Earnshaw comes in for the last 3 minutes and nicks us the winner on his only touch of the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lazlo_80 Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Flores looks to be the box-to-box mid that Carl has been looking for. Hard to not see this revelation coming at Teibert and Koffie's expense. Koffie looks like a walking yellow card, playing like he is frustrated and not always on the same page as his teammates. Beita got beat quite badly on the goal and was a half-step behind for most of the match, I thought. Ousted was incredible. Agree that Sam sent a lot of errand balls tonight, and Froese had his moments. Flores has pace but did you really think he put in that great of a performance? He was definitely active. Agree with you about Beita. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barthez-Battalion Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 So they sign McKendry just so thay can go out and sign Flores and put him in front of him. That's nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unnamed Trialist Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Did not see the match, fell asleep, but good to hear them all so self-critical. Coach said that if we have so much midfield talent we have to be able to have possession and control from the middle. Makes sense. We had quite a few matches like that last year, dominating. So tell the backs and Ousted too to play out short if you think that way, instead of long-balling it out. You can see Ousted, for one, has never played short out from goal in his entire career, nobody has ever asked him to. He makes like he will, then gives up. Sometimes a player has to be asked to do something and then he has the confidence to take risks he is not used to. As for Sam, what Robbo said after was a bit odd but interesting. Emphasizing he had trained the day before, meaning he was out and uncertain until 24 hrs before. Normally you'd make him sit if he was iffy. Then he said he played him as he'd had a few good games in a row and he wanted to give him continuity, not cut him out the middle of a good spell.. And then that he had two good left backs (referring to Harvey). Put that all together and you get thinking he is favouring Sam over Harvey quite clearly. I personally think Harvey might be better defensively, so that vs. LA next week he might be better. And yes, to that question in the press conference after, Morales is a not as crisp as last year. When he finds some good partners he trusts in the middle he'll be back to his former self. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nolando Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 Flores has pace but did you really think he put in that great of a performance? He was definitely active. Agree with you about Beita. More on the topic from KJ: This continues to raise the biggest question in this side around the role of the 'sixth man'. Robinson started the season with Russell Teibert in that role and Gershon Koffie started against Orlando and Portland. Both are good players but neither have a lock on that position for a reason. The introduction of teenage debutant Deybi Flores gave us a glimpse of how different the team looks when penetration comes from a central area. Not only does this mean attacks can start deeper, in a more controlled fashion (too many Whitecaps possessions are played to a member of the '3' in a 4231 and quickly stopped because they are rushed) but it also gives central midfielders another option meaning more space, in a forward position, can open up for Morales. It is a fascinating conundrum for Robinson and his coaching staff, who have proven that they have found a way to be difficult to break down, leading MLS in clean sheets since the start of last season. However, with everyone available, should they play a 4-1-4-1 or Morales in the 2 of a 4-2-3-1 it does mean they could be exposed but it is hard to imagine them being more exposed than they were in this match despite playing with a double pivot. This could also help their wide players get more involved in the game. Hurtado held the ball up well when required but he and Mezquida were too easy to defend against and ultimately helped Portland take over the game on the flanks. http://www.tsn.ca/whitecaps-rely-on-individual-brilliance-again-1.243013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nolando Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 So they sign McKendry just so thay can go out and sign Flores and put him in front of him. That's nice. While I don't think he was outstanding in his debut, he was decent and he is 18 y/o; also, the fact that Carl was raving about him, he trained well, Laba loves him, played hungry, he speaks Spanish and goes box-to-box leads me to believe this kid is not just in front of McKendry but both of the incumbants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcmurph Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 So they sign McKendry just so thay can go out and sign Flores and put him in front of him. That's nice. That's called competition. Get used to it. It never ends. They are always bringing in players from drafts, academy, other MLS teams and overseas. Win your spot and then defy anyone to take it away from you with consistent high level play. Tough gig but that's the way it is and will always be. Robbo talks highly of McKendry as well as Flores. The incumbents Teibert and Koffie are now facing a huge test with Ben and Flores playing basically the same role. 4 players, 2 of them Canadians and 1 spot available. Small sample size but I've seen Russ & Gersh push the ball up the field just not often. We'll see how consistent Flores is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unnamed Trialist Posted March 30, 2015 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Robbo said he'd liked seeing Flores take on Koffie in training, I understood he went in with a hard tackle and the coach thought that was gutsy. Maybe he meant he simply was challenging him well in possession. Either way, he was saying he liked that a kid could come in fresh and show some bite vs a bigger, older and respected teammate. So he gave him the minutes vs. Portland. Either way, I think Robinson is trying to pressure the veterans by playing younger guys, his way of asking more of the guys who should be performing better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonovision Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 I've been pleasantly surprised to see Froese being part of the regular substitution pattern this season. Is there anyone wide player currently injured, or is he really that high on Robinson's depth chart? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince193 Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 I've been pleasantly surprised to see Froese being part of the regular substitution pattern this season. Is there anyone wide player currently injured, or is he really that high on Robinson's depth chart? Don't know how long it will last with them being linked to another South American winger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youllneverwalkalone Posted April 4, 2015 Share Posted April 4, 2015 Cristian Techera has been signed from River Plate (URU) on loan. I suspect this will impact Hurtado more than Froese. Kianz fits in really well with this side. He's good with the ball, has great movement, and speaks Spanish! If he loses time to anyone, it will probably be Bustos when he returns from injury. Fwiw, Techera is 5'2. I would assume he'll be one of the first tactical subs out when the club is leading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince193 Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Cristian Techera has been signed from River Plate (URU) on loan. I suspect this will impact Hurtado more than Froese. Kianz fits in really well with this side. He's good with the ball, has great movement, and speaks Spanish! If he loses time to anyone, it will probably be Bustos when he returns from injury. Fwiw, Techera is 5'2. I would assume he'll be one of the first tactical subs out when the club is leading. And boom Froese is bounced from the 18! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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