Saturday’s 2-1 victory for our Whitecaps FC over Columbus Crew was a joy to watch. The mood after the game was one of excitement as our ‘Caps played one of their best ever games at BC Place.
But it also should have never been that close. Our men in white created numerous good chances in front of goal, and they’ll need to be more clinical in the future to avoid disaster.
So what did we learn?
Everybody who watched the ‘Caps in preseason could see that the Japanese midfielder came with many qualities (See: Samurai kick vs. Charleston). However, I’m not sure we knew that shooting from distance was one of them.
When Daigo received the ball some 35 yards from goal, I think we were looking for one of his penetrating passes to set up a teammate. Instead, as he spotted the ‘keeper out of position, he struck a perfectly placed shot into the upper corner.
It was an all-around impressive display of awareness and skill.
So I guess the question now is …who would be his baby jaguar?
2. Kenny Miller is a man on a mission
In case you missed the game on Saturday …
KENNY MILLER HIGHLIGHT REEL:
Whatever the circumstances last year, things did not go as planned for Kenny, but the ‘Caps striker never made excuses. The experienced Scot spent the offseason hard at work, training with Rangers back home. After a full preseason with the team, Miller has come out flying in the first two games of the season.
Now we are seeing the real Kenny Miller, and in my opinion, he has been the player of the game in each of the first two matches. He has brought high energy to our game, he is making intelligent runs, and his hold-up play has really helped our possession game.
He deserved his goal with his ferocious hustle on Saturday.
3. This is an exciting team
If you’ve read my articles or seen my videos, you’ll know that I’ve really promoted this team as an exciting one. Well, on Saturday the proof was in the putty tat.
In fact, as I was writing this I was informed by Joe Jesseau , Whitecaps FC manager of professional teams, that our ‘Caps made 21 consecutive passes without Columbus touching the ball (bad putty tat, you can't touch the ball!). The sequence ended with the chance that saw Miller’s shot finally saved and Nigel Reo-Coker missing the rebound.
WATCH: END OF 21-PASS SEQUENCE
While I was really looking forward to the speed and athleticism of this team, I’ve been most impressed by our composure and patience on the ball which has enabled us to create many good chances.
Looks like we'll be all set for our weekend entertainment fix over the next few months. This, my friends, is going to be fun to watch.
Tickets to Whitecaps FC home matches start at just $20 per seat plus tax and are available at all Ticketmaster Ticket Centres, online at ticketmaster.ca/whitecaps, or Charge-by-Phone at 1.855.6.GO-CAPS (1.855.646.2277). Season tickets start at the prorated price of only $313 and student season tickets at only $179. For more information visit www.whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
