By Marc Weber
It's more about the size of the hearts in the box than the size of the bodies, says Whitecaps captain Martin Nash, but both have helped. Through four games, the Whitecaps (2-1-1) have scored three of their four goals from corner kicks.
It's been a problem area for the club in recent years. In 2009 they generated 182 corners, but finished only four. And none of those were well-executed. There was one off Marco Reda's thigh, an own goal, and two second-wave chances that followed short clearances.
Nash has delivered all three corner assists this season, but the 34-year-old midfielder passes off the credit.
"We're attacking set pieces better than we ever have done," he said. "Guys are making runs and going in with the mindset that they're going to score as opposed to past years when guys were waiting for the ball to come to them.
"When I was in Montreal, Ze Roberto had six goals and I had five assists to him and he's like 5-foot-5. It's just the way guys attack balls."
Midfielder Luca Bellisomo and centre backs Mouloud Akloul and Nelson Akwari have done the scoring, and Greg Janicki, another centre back, has caused problems too.
"I think it's rubbing off on everyone," Nash said. "We've got big bodies and if we can attack spaces we'll have success."
Nash has recorded six assists in a season three times with Vancouver -- as a rookie in 1995, then in 2006 and 2007. He did it with Montreal, too, in 2003, and his single-season best is nine with Rochester in 2000.
With Takashi Hirano injured and Ricardo Sanchez struggling to crack the lineup, that's two left-footers -- both talented in striking a dead ball -- out of the mix. That means Nash has been almost exclusively taking set pieces.
One change from last season is that, from the right corner flag, Nash has been hitting right-footed out-swingers, as opposed to using his left foot for the in-swinger previously preferred by coach Teitur Thordarson.
"Part of the success is just the consistency," Nash said. "Doing out-swingers from that spot now, I think it's better for me."
Vancouver opens its Nutrilite Canadian Championship campaign Wednesday at home to the Montreal Impact.
The Caps won't have to face forward Roberto Brown, whom the Impact suspended indefinitely on Friday following his Roberto Duran impression in last Wednesday's 2-0 Nutrilite loss at Toronto FC.
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