VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC (6W-3L-2D) cruised to a 3-0 win over Philadelphia Union (1W-7L-3D) on Saturday afternoon at BC Place.
Here are three things that stood out to me.
COMING UP BIG
Make no bones about it: this was a trap game.
As Carl Robinson said after the match, the ‘Caps were expected to win. And as we’ve seen in the past, things don’t always go your way when that’s the case.
But they sure did on Saturday.
The ‘Caps simply outclassed Philly – thanks largely to the play of their big-time players.
Pedro Morales, who was named Budweiser Man of the Match, was outstanding. The Chilean opened the scoring for Whitecaps FC with a classy finish after making a perfectly timed run from midfield (something we’re seeing more and more of from him) and added his team-leading fourth assist.
He also had a game-high five chances created and was doing things like this:
Meanwhile, Octavio Rivero put in another workmanlike performance and reaped the rewards with his sixth goal of the season – just one behind league-leaders Clint Dempsey and Kei Kamara.
And Matias Laba was … Matias Laba. The Argentine was all over the pitch – in the first 30 minutes especially when the Union were very much in the game. Laba finished the night with six tackles and a whopping 11 recoveries.
THE SAVE
Oh, David Ousted wasn’t bad either.
The Dane wasn’t busy, but he made this potential Save of the Year candidate in the 27th minute which ignited both the crowd and the ‘Caps attack.
That's what you call a game-changer.
Speaking of Ousted, he and Vancouver Canucks goaltender Eddie Lack enjoyed a good chat after the match. The Scandinavian keepers had spoken before through sports psychologist David Cox but hadn’t actually met prior to Saturday.
“It’s the goalkeeper union,” Ousted told reporters. “You guys know that we always stick together, never mind the sport. He’s a great guy and I’ll talk more to him. I think it’s exciting to see what he goes through in a game and the kind of mental preparation that he does.”
Ousted added that he’s never been to a Canucks game, but he watched Lack “play some tremendous games" on TV down the stretch.
“I told him I’m impressed,” Ousted said. “He has a day when he has 30 saves and I just have to make two, so I guess I have it easy.”
That save on Saturday was anything but.
TEAM DEPTH
We’ve heard a lot about Vancouver’s improved depth this season and Saturday’s match was Exhibit A.
Let’s start with Tim Parker. The rookie defender made his first MLS start in place of an injured Steven Beitashour and played like a “season vet,” in Ousted’s words. Parker is naturally a centre back, but he sure didn’t look out of place at right back either.
Then there’s Cristian Techera. The 5-foot-2 Uruguayan was subbed on in the 12th minute after Mauro Rosales left the match with a tight quad. And he quickly showed what he’s about.
Not only did Techera set up the opening goal with an inch-perfect throughball, he was also buzzing in the final third and creating chances for both his teammates and himself throughout the match.
As Robinson put it: "The Bug was excellent."
Be a part of the best sporting atmosphere in Vancouver! Whitecaps FC Season Tickets are now on sale. In addition to Season Tickets, Whitecaps FC offer a flexible range of ticket products, including Half-Season Packs, 5-Packs, a Youth Soccer Half-Season Ticket, and single match tickets. For more information, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
