GREEN IS THE COLOUR
MLS salary numbers reveal Kenny Miller is no longer the highest paid Whitecap.
Famous for his intensity, Michael Bradley, the hard- driving midfield general of Toronto FC, is now prominent for something else: He’s among the highestpaid players in Major League Soccer, according to salary figures released Thursday by the players’ association.
The American World Cup star is known for giving maximum commitment over 90 minutes — as well he should, with a guaranteed compensation level of $ 6.5 million US.
The Vancouver Whitecaps might agree its money wellspent, since Bradley’s highprofile arrival in Toronto has greatly benefited the West Coast team.
It freed up Matias Laba — a young Argentine midfielder of similar combative bent to Bradley — to become a Whitecap for future considerations.
Laba was one of the few bright spots for TFC in a sad sack 2013 campaign and his attractive attributes as a defensive midfielder have travelled well to the West Coast. His 25 tackles are tied for second in MLS.
At $ 300,000 US per season, Laba might be considered the poor man’s Michael Bradley. “He does a job a lot of people don’t see — the covering, the interceptions, the tackles, the simple pass,” explained Whitecaps’ manager Carl Robinson. “Matty plays a different role, but he’s as vitally important to our team as Pedro ( Morales).”
Unfortunately for Robinson, he’ll be missing Laba for Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Galaxy at StubHub Center — and, if Thursday’s training is an indication, possibly Morales, who is indispensable to the attack. Laba is sitting out the contest after picking up two yellow cards in last Saturday’s 2- 1 defeat to the visiting Colorado Rapids. His starting spot will more than likely be filled by Nigel Reo- Coker, who is up and running again after taking a header in a run- in with a bicycle rack.
Reo- Coker, who went through concussion testing protocol, is still sporting a large pink welt on his forehead as a souvenir of the bizarre incident. It’s not a topic he wishes to discuss.
“Honestly, it happened three weeks ago and I’ve put it behind me,” he said.
“It’s an accident that happened outside of football. It’s my personal life. That’s it.”
Morales, a key piece of the Whitecaps’ South American contingent, has looked to be the answer to an engine room in need of refurbishment. The Chilean midfielder is the team’s highest paid DP ( designated player) at $ 1.41 million guaranteed, according to the players’ association.
But he warmed up in the company of the team physiotherapist, raising eyebrows. “I don’t think it’s a back issue,” Graeme Poole explained. “I just think Pedro is tight in a certain area. I hope it’s not the back. If it is, I apologize. But I think it was just a cautionary thing.”
Another starting midfielder, Russell Teibert, limped to the sidelines after being kicked in the shin . “He ( Teibert) did come off, as if he’s been shot,” Robinson said. “But I think he’ll play.”
The Whitecaps are in need of a break or two. Vancouver has never beaten the Galaxy in four trips to their grounds, having been outscored 10- 1 in the process.