No time for fun in the sun: Coach Robinson expects focus from Whitecaps
There’s nothing better than an ice cream on a hot summer evening at Kits beach, watching the sunset light up Burrard Inlet.
Unless you’re a 17-year-old playing for Carl Robinson’s Vancouver Whitecaps.
The Whitecaps’ coach had a heart-to-heart talk with his budding young star Alphonso Davies recently, stressing the commitment a player needs to have as a professional.
“He’s still a kid, he still likes to do kid things,” said the Caps’ coach.
“For example, you shouldn’t be out 40 hours before a game. You should be preparing, you should be at home, and if you’re going to go out for some food, you shouldn’t be eating ice cream at 9:30 at night on Kits beach.”
To be clear, Robinson wasn’t singling Davies out, but citing it as an example of the kind of focus he wants from his players, which he has seen slide in years past, especially during summer months.
“It’s not just about Fonzie, it’s about every single player on the team. When the sun’s out, what do you want to do? Go spend time in the sun, but you can’t. The reality is you’re paid to play football, and you have to conduct yourself as a professional,” said Robinson.
The sun has certainly been shining on the Whitecaps lately. Before the league headed into the World
Cup break, they were unbeaten in six, on a two-game win streak and scored more goals than any other MLS team in the past month — including a regular-season, teamrecord five in their last game, a 5-2 win over Orlando.
While their two victories came over a Colorado team on a 10-game winless skid (0-9-1) and an Orlando side that stumbled to its sixth straight loss against Vancouver — ultimately costing coach Jason Kreis his job this week — the Caps did what they needed to: win.
And this upcoming stretch is a chance to gain back the points they’d dropped earlier in the season, including the four losses in five games just before their current undefeated streak.
“I think everyone’s really motivated,” said fullback Marcel de Jong, who looks to be back to full health after missing two games with a hamstring injury.
He said the team’s mental integrity needs to be sharpened. “I think everyone knows we’re in a good flow, and we’re trying to build from that and keep going.”