Goal blitz was a long time coming
Open play, closed book.
Much has been made this season about the Vancouver Whitecaps’ inability to score from open play. Heading into Saturday’s road match against FC Dallas, the Caps had just 13 goals coming from the run of play, ranked second-worst in Major League Soccer.
Against the Western Conference front-runners, the Caps scored three times from open play en route to a 4-0 victory.
First was Bernie Ibini’s 20-yard left-footed strike, followed by Fredy Montero converting a deft feed from Tony Tchani and Nicolas Mezquida getting on his bike after a quick throw-in from Sheanon Williams and sending the overhead kick thundering home.
“Makes no difference to me (how we score),” coach Carl Robinson offered up after the club’s first win in Frisco, Texas.
“I say this week in and week out. Whether it’s a penalty or a corner, a goal’s a goal.”
True, the Caps were aided by playing against a 10-man side for much of the second half, but their counter-attacking style served them well on the road, as wingers Brek Shea and Ibini pressured the outside fullbacks with several runs, while forwards Montero and Yordy Reyna made some defensive backchecking plays that in turn created chances.
“We did a good job,” said Montero, who leads the team with eight goals after scoring twice Saturday.
“Our wingers were playing very good, attacked, and came back to defend which was the key to the game.”
Reyna was inserted into the starting lineup for the first time as Robinson searched for an offensive spark to an offence that only put a single goal past a Portland Timbers’ team wracked by injuries.
Also missing from the lineup were Christian Bolaños, Jordan Harvey, Andrew Jacobson and Alphonso Davies, all left at home to rest and recuperate from injuries. Cristian Techera was replaced by Ibini in the starting lineup as well, ending a streak of 14 straight starts.
Apart from the mis-step against Portland, the Caps had been playing well, beating the Galaxy in L.A.
and star-studded New York City FC at home.
So why change the lineup? “Cause I’m crazy,” Robinson said to laughter after Saturday’s game. “If you win, it’s the right thing, if you lose, it’s not.”
The Caps were outshot 15-11 on the night, had a 9-4 disadvantage on corners, and lost the possession battle 57 to 43 per cent. Vancouver has 81 shots on goal, the secondlowest number in MLS, ahead of the team they visit next week — the Colorado Rapids (62).
But things must be working, as the Caps leapfrogged over the San Jose Earthquakes into sixth place in the West, and the final playoff berth, and have at least two games in hand on every team above them except Dallas.
“We have guys who can take opportunities,” said Parker. “There’s a competition for places, and that’s what the manager wants, and that’s what he’s getting right now.” THROW-INS: The league takes a mid-week break for the 2017 MLS All-Star in Chicago, before the Caps head to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park for a date Saturday against the Colorado Rapids.