By Bruce Constantineau
VANCOUVER — Most Vancouver Whitecaps coaches and players give the team a solid B grade for its performance so far this year.
Their stingy defence gave up the fewest goals in the league during the first 15 games of the 30-game United States Soccer Federation D-2 season and the Whitecaps sit comfortably atop their conference. But they all agree an A-grade awaits the team if it can score more goals in the next 15 games, starting at home Thursday against AC St. Louis.
“On a scale of one to 10, I would put us somewhere between six and seven,” said head coach Teitur Thordarson, one of the lower marks suggested after a training session Tuesday. “I think the potential in this group is much, much bigger and it will be shown when we manage to pull out several more wins.”
The Whitecaps have a win and a draw against AC St. Louis so far this year but it will be a new-look St. Louis team that visits Swangard Stadium on Thursday. The struggling 2-8-2 squad dismissed former head coach Claude Anelka last month and former player-coach and U.S. international Steve Ralston left in June to rejoin New England Revolution of Major League Soccer.
The 6-2-7 Whitecaps gave up just eight goals in 15 games and kept nine clean sheets. But they scored just 14 goals themselves and Thordarson feels that lack of scoring punch allowed those seven draws, at least three of which should have been wins.
“But I’m very happy with the way the group has come together and the team’s defensive play has been extremely solid,” he said.
Thordarson said the Whitecaps are still looking for an experienced striker who can help the team’s core of young forwards. Injuries continue to keep veteran striker Marlon James off the pitch as he has played just five regular-season games this year.
Whitecaps captain Martin Nash feels the team deserves a B so far this year as it works to find the right striker combination up front.
“It’s a work in progress with a lot of young players up front and it can be difficult for them to keep consistency,” he said. “But they’re working hard and it shows in our defensive record.”
Nash, with one goal and a league-leading six assists this year, rates his own personal performance as a B as well.
“I’d like to have two or three goals by now — maybe I’m not going forward as much as I should at times,” he said. “But there’s still half a season to go.”
Whitecaps midfielder Justin Moose was the most generous assessor, giving the team an A-minus for its efforts so far.
“We need more consistency coming out of the gate early in games and we have to create more scoring chances,” he said. “But we have the best defensive record in the league and that’s something to be proud of, worthy of an A-minus.”
Moose, who missed many games with injuries the past two seasons, has been healthy this year and gives himself a B for his own performance. He wants to improve that grade over the rest of the season and win himself more playing time.
First-year defender Nelson Akwari echoed the consensus B grade for the team, noting the team’s disappointing Nutrilite Canadian Championship performance and its failure to defeat a couple of struggling teams in league play.
“But we have done well for a team with so many new guys this year,” he said. “We just have to get better if we want to win a championship.”
Ironman Caps keeper Jay Nolly, who has played every game the past two seasons, feels the team will be “deadly” in the second half of the season when its offence kicks into gear. He gives himself a B or B-plus so far and was instrumental in helping the team go undefeated on a recent five-game road trip.
Vancouver Sun
bconstantineau@vancouversun.com © Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
