CAPS’ MORALES: ‘I FEEL GOOD’
Team needs busy midfielder in top form for playoff drive
Pedro Morales still has trouble fully expressing himself when speaking English.
But ask the Vancouver Whitecaps’ Chilean midfielder how he’s feeling physically at this point in the Major League Soccer season and a shake of the head and a rolling of eyes is all he needs to let people know that yes, he’s tired — tired of answering that question.
The state of Morales’ health — his legs, his tricky back and his mental and physical stamina — are under the microscope because of what the passing magician and penalty taker has meant to the Caps this season.
And everybody wonders if he has enough left in the tank after playing nearly 14 months nonstop to be the force Vancouver needs him to be over the final four regular-season games as Vancouver pushes for a playoff spot.
The Caps, who host FC Dallas on Saturday afternoon, are 7-0 when the 29-year-old scores a goal and 10-1-2 when he registers a goal and-or assist.
Last Saturday, he looked so lethargic and off his game in the first half against Real Salt Lake — drilling a shot over the crossbar from six yards out in the fourth minute and getting stopped on a weak penalty attempt for his first miss all season — that the coaching staff considered pulling him at halftime.
But he scored on an early penalty in the second half and then got the winner on a rare -openplay goal by the Caps as Vancouver won 2-1 to reclaim the fifth and final playoff spot in the MLS Western Conference.
Morales, who joined the club at training camp from Malaga of Spain’s La Liga, was terrific through the first few months of the season, displaying a dynamic touch and spraying pinpoint passes from all over midfield.
But he has been a constant target of defenders, fouled hard and often. And those tackles, plus the wear and tear of playing home games on turf, seemed to have taken something out of him. He was pointless in seven of 10 games during the last two months, matches in which the Caps went 0-3-4.
“I know I have a long season, but I feel good,” Morales insisted after practice Thursday. “My legs is good.”
He said “no feel tired” in the first half against RSL, “but maybe … my head is so crazy, I think. But my teammates in the locker-room (at halftime), talk (a lot to) me, ‘let’s go’ and I have a good chance for the second half. And I feel very good in the second half.”
Despite Morales’ insistence that he’s not worn down, head coach Carl Robinson has been careful to keep his captain off the pitch as much as possible. Monday was a recovery day, Wednesday was an off day and Thursday’s practice was short.
“We didn’t do too much today,” said Robinson. “It’s about keeping the boys fresh.
“They’re not going to get any fitter now. Pedro certainly isn’t going to get any fitter. It’s about maintaining him and making him feel in his mind that he’s fresh to go in the game on Saturday.
“And based on his performance today in training, he’s raring to go.”
Morales was given the captain’s armband after an injured Jay DeMerit announced his retirement in July. He can obviously communicate well with the club’s other Latino players, but his English is getting better and he’s growing into the role of captain.
“He leads by example,” says Robinson. “His football does the talking. I wanted someone for the young players to latch onto who had the same respect as Jay DeMerit had.
“Obviously he’s a different type of leader ... but he’s always in my office talking to me about tactics and things like that, which I like. He’s the go-between the players and the coach. He’s a likable guy. He’s grown into (the captain’s role). I think he likes the responsibility.
“But I told him,” Robinson added with a wry grin, “he must keep his shirt on Saturday if he scores.”
An exuberant Morales was yellow-carded after he lifted off his shirt and whipped it around over his head after scoring the winning goal. One more yellow card and he’ll be suspended for a game.
Morales had two goals — both from the penalty spot — and two assists in a 4-3 win at Portland on June 1, but might have been at his most dangerous the last time the Caps played FC Dallas at BC Place Stadium.
In that 2-2 draw on July 27, Morales scored on a penalty and had a season-high 12 shots. He was stopped twice late in the game on brilliant saves by goalkeeper Raul Fernandez.
“Every game is different, but I looking for the same, maybe, game (on Saturday).”
Morales said the “massive” matchup with fourth-place Dallas — eight points up on the Caps and likely not catchable — could be a possible playoff preview.
“I think the team is complete now. I feel confidence, good attitude last game. Saturday is big opportunity for the win.”