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Whitecaps 2017 Season


TRM

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4 hours ago, TRM said:

We do have Montero as a striker. Here's hoping they don't leave him stranded all alone up top.

You're right, and it's about time too.  Wait, that didn't come out right.  I meant about time that we've got an actual striker, not that you're right.  Sorry.  

I'll wait and see how Montero does under Robbo (tactically (being isolated as you mentioned) and playing time) before getting too excited.  

I'm glad to see Rosales back even though he's now about 57 years old, but he'll still probably be the hardest working player on the team running more than the other 21 players on the pitch combined.  They should never have let him go in the first place.  

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5 hours ago, shamrock said:

Where there's smoke, there's bound to be fire. I don't get it though, unless they sell Laba. Why would you need two DP's on the midfield?

My take is that they want--certainly need--a box to box general in the midfield who can make things happen, a player akin to Michael Bradley.  I DO feel that the Caps are missing this. Laba is not that guy. He is pretty much a pure destroyer.  There is also talk that the Caps are still pursuing a top striker. 

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Allocation would be a sign they are looking for someone who they could sign for a few hundred K over the non-DP max. salary in MLS ie. to bridge the difference in salary to get them under the DP threshold. Atiba is making 1.5M Euros this season, i find it unlikely he would sign with VWFC for US$500-600 K.

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9 hours ago, The Beaver said:

My take is that they want--certainly need--a box to box general in the midfield who can make things happen, a player akin to Michael Bradley.  I DO feel that the Caps are missing this. Laba is not that guy. He is pretty much a pure destroyer.  There is also talk that the Caps are still pursuing a top striker. 

I think Laba  is ready to be sold.especially if Atiba does show up. Laba does do a good job of destroying but he just can't stay in the middle or chase every where. Then he ends up out of position and somebody has to cover for him. I say sell him and let one of the others have a chance with or without Atiba.

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20 minutes ago, Levi Oakey said:

I thought the Caps looked really bad. I was expecting a lot from them, but Manneh made some poor decisions and I was baffled by the selection of both Jacobson and Techera. Was De Jong injured?

I remember rating Techera but he was awful last night for the Caps, same as Manneh.

Jacobson and Hurtado both have no place near the starting lineup.  Hurtado specifically, how has he stuck on the Caps so long?  I don't see what he adds at all and I'm not sure he would even be a starter at NASL level. 

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Hurtado does two things: he's a reasonable hold-up man and his speed forces teams to play a deep line, creating space for the midfield. Philadelphia pushed their backline up ten yards when he went off. That's not enough to be an effective starter in the league but he contributes in a limited way that makes him better than replacement level.

Someone like Greig is a much better forward than Hurtado in many skills and at lower levels (look at their USL numbers) but I don't know if his skill sets are transferable to the MLS level like Hurtado's are. 

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Thought the Caps were solid defensively and played a decent game considering most of these guys played on Thursday AND considering we are missing the likes of Bola, Montero (at 100%), and Reyna, and did not have Waston.  The guys looked gassed in the second half, but there were some nice moments, too. What I am most happy to see over these first two games is a very solid defensive core, a willingness for the whole team to play defense. That'll make a huge difference for the Caps this year. They made too many silly/sloppy mistakes last year. They are going to have to grind out more games like this until their creative guys get healthy, so you'd better adjust your expectations. And Robbo again alluded to the idea of adding one or two players in June, which makes me think that Atiba is coming to town. They need a proper general in the middle like Atiba. I am not even sure that Reyna and Bola can play that role. But Alphonso showed some nice moments again!

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The key play, the red, is both Waston and Dean going to the same ball when the flick on was always going to be possible. I have seen u-17s do that better, what were they thinking? Especially when there is nothing an attacker can do from there anyways, back to goal alone 40 metres from goal.

It is clear to me that Waston has to go to those high balls, as he normally does, and the other, whoever, has to stay back to sweep. Or else the backs have certain attackers designated to challenge. That was a botch, and us not having any possession play, put us in a very tough spot with a game under control.

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Lack of communication between 2 CBs who haven't played together much. That and there was no need for Ousted to take a chance at a red when we are up 2-0. We are still up 2-1 with 11 men on the field but with only a split second to decide he obviously thought he could get there first. Opps.

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I saw a preview of the line up before the game saying Carducci was on the bench.  My 3 year old and I were both chanting CAR---DUCH--IIIEEE, when Ousted got the red....... until i saw Tornaghi warming up.  UGGHHHHH!!!  I have not been so disapointed since my high school prom.    When was the last CDN keeper to play in MLS?? Sutton?? Onstad???

 

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1 hour ago, Bison44 said:

I saw a preview of the line up before the game saying Carducci was on the bench.  My 3 year old and I were both chanting CAR---DUCH--IIIEEE, when Ousted got the red....... until i saw Tornaghi warming up.  UGGHHHHH!!!  I have not been so disapointed since my high school prom.    When was the last CDN keeper to play in MLS?? Sutton?? Onstad???

 

Sutton in 2012 for the Impact in Colorado. His last start was in 2011.

Also, you shouldn't trust the source you read because Carducci is unattached.  

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18 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

The key play, the red, is both Waston and Dean going to the same ball when the flick on was always going to be possible. I have seen u-17s do that better, what were they thinking? Especially when there is nothing an attacker can do from there anyways, back to goal alone 40 metres from goal.

It is clear to me that Waston has to go to those high balls, as he normally does, and the other, whoever, has to stay back to sweep. Or else the backs have certain attackers designated to challenge. That was a botch, and us not having any possession play, put us in a very tough spot with a game under control.

Yeah, these are the sorts of sloppy mistakes that killed the Caps last year. Many of those mistakes came from our CBs and Ousted, so it was especially frustrating to see the same culprits in action here. I really wanted to see how the Caps played out a 2 goal lead. The first 20 minutes were brilliant, but to maintain that high press, with that sort of intensity, is pretty much impossible. 

One other criticism: Manneh looks defeated and tired.  He was at fault on the second goal for not coming back to pick up his man. He was, in general, very poor coming back, and looked dead tired--or disinterested?--most of the game. He did not do much going forward either. I would have subbed him off instead of Mezquida, who we know will work his ass off no matter what. It will be interesting to see how the year plays out for Manneh, especially in comparison to Davies. It is early in the season, and I acknowledge that both players are still young men, but I see in Davies something that I am not sure Kekutah has: a certain joyful humility about the game, like he loves the hell out of it but also knows he must work his ass off all the time. Manneh, at times, comes across as a bit of a prima donna. As a result, it seems that Davies is learning the game far faster than Manneh is. Again, we'll see over time how both players mature, but I get the feeling that while they are both remarkable athletes--with speed to burn--Manneh simply does not have the mental tools that Davies has. 

 

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5 hours ago, The Beaver said:

One other criticism: Manneh looks defeated and tired.  He was at fault on the second goal for not coming back to pick up his man. He was, in general, very poor coming back, and looked dead tired--or disinterested?--most of the game. He did not do much going forward either. I would have subbed him off instead of Mezquida, who we know will work his ass off no matter what.

I 100% agree with you, he acts like a prima donna on the field. I thought he learnt after last year, but compare him defensively with Techera, who at least comes back to cover and had some committment going both ways. 

Manneh was the one to take off, but I was actually expecting Techera to come off--in any case, what coach going down to 10 men subs out a tenacious mid and leaves three attackers in? Seriously, Robbo is plain shite for brains as a coach sometimes. 

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On 2017-03-12 at 4:06 PM, Unnamed Trialist said:

The key play, the red, is both Waston and Dean going to the same ball when the flick on was always going to be possible. I have seen u-17s do that better, what were they thinking? Especially when there is nothing an attacker can do from there anyways, back to goal alone 40 metres from goal.

It is clear to me that Waston has to go to those high balls, as he normally does, and the other, whoever, has to stay back to sweep. Or else the backs have certain attackers designated to challenge. That was a botch, and us not having any possession play, put us in a very tough spot with a game under control.

I agree with this I would just add that Waston needs to improve his decision making. Yes in general he should be the one to get the high balls. But as captain and with his experience he needs to recognize the situation like you describe and drop off. I think he tries to do too much and needs to trust his teamates.

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I also agree that the choice to take off Mezquida and not Manneh or Techera was perplexing. I want to think there was more to the decision like Mezguida is not fit to do go for the full 90. Or Robbo was trying to fire up Manneh or give him a chance to prove himself. Which I would say was a failure. Sell Manneh before people realize he is just another athlete not a soccer player, get the most before his stock lowers.

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53 minutes ago, jpg75 said:

Just watched Hurtado miss the net on a sort-of-breakaway, i think i get it now why you guys pull your hair out watching this guy.

It is painful. I almost expect it now. When he went in for the shot I wasn't even upset that the ball was so high and so wide as to not matter.

How high do you want the net?
How high do you want the net?
How wide do you want the net?
How wide do you want the net?

Sing it everyone!!!

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