Caps rookie Nerwinski ‘never stops’
Carl Robinson is a better Donald Trump than Donald Trump. Bear with us here.
Both the present POTUS and the Whitecaps coach foster intense work environments that encourage competition, pushing their charges to be hungrier and to hone the desire and edge that separates the successful from the failures.
But where the White House has descended into a chaotic political version of the ThunderDome, with infighting, backstabbing and damning leaks derailing policy implementation, the Whitecaps’ ability to temper that energy has shaped a deep, cohesive and malleable roster that has the ability to weather the loss of key players to injury, call-up or suspension.
“Football is about competition,” said Robinson. “You want to keep pushing. Players don’t realize it, but the more competition, the better they become. Not in the short term, because they might sulk ... but in the long term, it’s better for their development.”
It’s worked for Jake Nerwinski. The narrowest battle might be at right back between Sheanon Williams and Nerwinski, an established veteran the Major League Soccer team traded for fending off the young rookie they drafted seventh overall this year.
Williams, a player the Caps coveted as a replacement for the steadying influence of the sincedeparted Steven Beitashour, had made eight consecutive starts at right back before missing a game to suspension for an off-field incident.
Nerwinski, who’d sat for those eight straight before stepping in for Williams, has started the five matches since, including Wednesday’s 1-0 win over the L.A. Galaxy, when he was named player of the game. “Coming in (to the season), I talked to the coaches, and they said I’d be fighting for a starting spot right away,” said Nerwinski, who played Division 1 NCAA soccer for the University of Connecticut Huskies.
“I knew I had at least a chance to get some games in, get some experience. As the season went on, I started to play a little more. An unfortunate event (with Williams), but I’ll take my chances where I can get it. I’m just happy to be getting this chance. It’s one that not many rookies do.”
Nerwinski’s decision-making ability caught the eyes of the Whitecaps in college, when he helped UConn post six shutouts and a conference-leading 0.77 goals-against average. Against L.A., his defensive game was on point. The six-foot, 175-pounder played the positional game perfectly, picking off several passes while roving up and down the right side. The New Jersey native also showcased his offensive ability against New York two weeks ago, as his perfectly placed cross after a deft run down the wing led to Yordy Reyna’s glory goal against NYCFC.
“He’s strong, quick, he’s athletic ... And he never stops,” said Robinson. “It’s tricky; you can find an attacking right back who maybe can’t defend, or a defensive right back who can’t attack. I think both my right backs have got the ability do both. And I’ll let them fight it out for who starts each game.”
Added goalkeeper David Ousted, who had his first shutout since May 20 on Wednesday thanks in part to Nerwinski: “The young man is impressive, and we knew that. But again he showed he can deal with anything; he can deal with speed, he can deal with more physical (players). (Wednesday) he was poised and calm on the ball.”
The jitters that come with rookie status never really materialized with Nerwinski. Even after the 4-0 loss to the Chicago Fire, in which the Whitecaps were defensively disjointed, Robinson made a point of lauding his play. And while the speed of the pro game initially took Nerwinski by surprise, he adjusted quickly.
“At first, it took me a while to get used to the skill, the speed and the physicality of these guys as opposed to playing in college.
“In college, there’s maybe five really good players on a team. But you’re going against 11 really good players (in MLS) every game.”
Next up is a crucial game with the Portland Timbers (7-8-6), who are tied with Vancouver (8-7-3) on points, but have played two more games. While the Timbers lead the 11-team Western Conference with 35 goals, they won’t be the same team Sunday, as they’re missing 11 players — including six from their starting 11 — because of suspensions, injuries and international call-ups.
Portland is also coming off a loss that can only be labelled as a disaster — a 4-1 defeat to lowly Real Salt Lake that saw two of their players sent off for red cards. It’s their first visit to B.C. Place Stadium since last season’s final game that saw the Caps, long eliminated from playoff contention, eviscerate the visitors 4-1, denying them a playoff berth and capturing the Cascadia Cup. “You can kind of sense something different with the fans going on — and us, as well,” Nerwinski said of the impending rivalry match.
“I’m learning now they ’re one of our biggest rivals, and we don’t like them very much.”