It was a poor finish to what was a good season. The Vancouver Whitecaps simply could not break down the Timbers’ defence. There were too many misplaced passes, and not enough urgency with possession, especially after conceding. You got the sense that after the first goal of the game, scored by Portland’s Fanendo Ali, it would take a monumental offensive effort for the Whitecaps to come back and win.
After all, in the 10 previous matches in all competitions heading into this one, the ‘Caps had only scored six goals. And three of those had come against a Houston Dynamo side that had nothing to play for on the last day of the season.
And therein lies the problem. The Whitecaps’ main issues that have to be addressed lie on the offensive side of the ball. Defensively, they are set. David Ousted has been nominated for Goalkeeper of the Year, along with Kendall Waston for Defender of the Year. You can easily make a case that both those players are the best at their respective positions within Major League Soccer (MLS).
In the midfield, the ‘Caps need to find some more creative players. They have Pedro Morales, but he by himself is not enough. Yes, he had a poor game against Portland, but at his best, Morales is the one midfielder the team has that can unlock an opposing defence. They have Matias Laba, Gershon Koffie, Nicolas Mezquida, and Cristian Techera, who all basically play the same role: all are hard-working, defensively-minded midfielders who are good tacklers, but lack the vision to pick out a pass. Some of these players may need to be sacrificed in order to bring in some more offensive-minded midfielders.
This lack of creative midfielders is showing up front, as often times down the stretch lone striker Octavio Rivero wasn’t getting any service. You could replace Rivero, but I’d argue he should get another chance next season with perhaps a revamped midfield. What the team should, and need to do, is build their offence more around Kekuta Manneh.
Manneh’s pace throughout the year was a treat to see, not to mention it caused opposing defenders a lot of trouble. At only 20 years old, he still has time to improve, and he could soon become a dominant player in the MLS. Moving him up further on the pitch will create more goal scoring opportunities not only for himself but for the team as a whole.
In all, the Whitecaps season was a success. However, its end will leave a bitter taste in the mouth for many over the offseason. With a focus on bringing in more offensive players, the ‘Caps can hopefully go on to bigger and better things next year.
