Eighty Six Forever - All Posts

Miller denies transfer rumors

2013-05-23T18:47:10Z

The rumor mill has been churning in Vancouver, over the future of striker Kenny Miller. Miller, of course, had a blazing start to the season but has been hampered by a hamstring injury for the past couple of weeks. According to various media reports, Miller shot down the rumors further today at training, calling them frustrating.

Earlier reports said Miller was having discussions with his old club, the Rangers in the Scottish Premier League. While those rumors were shut down, fuel was added to the fire when former Rangers striker and teammate of Miller Kris Boyd suggested Miller wanted to 'come home.'

In an interview with The Scottish Sun, Boyd stated Miller had already made up his mind and wanted to come back, another rumor Miller was forced to swat away.

Miller re-iterated his support for the Vancouver Whitecaps, saying his only focus was "Getting fit for the 'Caps."

As Marc Weber of The Province already reported, The Rangers are under a transfer embargo until September 1st, so nothing imminent can truly be in the works.

It's rumored the 'Caps actively tried to unload Miller in the off-season, but couldn't find anyone willing to take on his price tag. Despite his improved play this season, when the transfer window does open again in July, Miller would still be a likely candidate to be moved.

Camilo's battle with consistency

2013-05-21T21:34:52Z

Camilo is the type of player that is bound to illicit an emotional response from fans if you ask them. His supporters will point to his 2011 season, his ability on set pieces and his scoring ability at a young age as to why he is one of the Vancouver Whitecaps most valuable players. His detractors will call him a flopper, a diver who's injured more than he is useful.

Both sides are correct to a degree, but Camilo deserves all the credit in the world for his performance against the Portland Timbers. Love him or hate him, the Whitecaps needed someone to step up and take control of the match, and it was the 24 year old Brazilian taking charge. Against the LA Galaxy, Russell Teibert was the one who lifted the Whitecaps on his shoulders; on the weekend, it was simply Camilos turn.

We all saw his free kick goal that has qualified for goal of the week. A top right corner rocket shot that beat one of the best goalkeepers in MLS, giving the Whitecaps a lead. Sure, they would lose that lead, but a beautiful marker for a goal starved team is never a bad thing.

On the second goal, it was Camilo again in the fray. Despite his reputation as a diver, Camilo stayed on his feet in the box, working against a slew of Timbers challenging him. While many will say Camilo is a ball hog who never passes, he deftly slipped the ball to Gershon Koffie, who's curling shot found net and was itself a goal of the week candidate.

He was an easy selection for man of the match, and his performance was a reminder of what he can be. We all remember the three point match against Chivas USA last year, when Camilo essentially single-handedly destroyed their hapless foe in an effort to secure playoff positioning. It makes you wonder why the 24 year old can't bring that game every single night, why we're only treated to the Camilo show every couple of weeks.

My biggest knock against Camilo has been his inconsistency. Some matches he doesn't work as hard as he should, and some matches he lights the world on fire. The frustrating thing is, if Camilo brought his A game every single night, the Whitecaps would have a young, elite threat at a young age; it would be the perfect scenario. Hell, if Camilo played the way he could every night, he'd easily find himself in an upper league, no question. So what is holding him back? Obviously injuries have played their role, especially the last two seasons. That limited his productivity last season, but what's his excuse this time around? Sure, he's had a few nicks and bruises this year, but surely nothing serious enough to account for just three goals?

It's questionable if Camilo will ever get over the hump and become the player the Whitecaps need him to be. The Whitecaps need a young, reliable striker they can count on match in and match out, and Camilo isn't that guy yet, despite his all world talent. Will it ever happen? He's 24 years old and has shown immense talent, so I'm inclined to think he can still do it. However, if this inconsistent play keeps up, he won't be doing it for the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Poll

Will Camilo ever achieve elite status with the Whitecaps?

Good effort, disappointing result; 'Caps draw with Timbers 2-2

2013-05-19T02:28:17Z

They played a solid match, capitalized on their scoring chances, and for a while, it looked like the Vancouver Whitecaps would win their first ever Cascadia Cup match. However, even with a late second half lead, the Whitecaps would draw with the Portland Timbers 2-2 at BC Place.

The Whitecaps, though they did play well, seemed to be relying on a few players that brought their 'A' game, while there clearly were members of the starting lineup that didn't. In terms of players of the night, Camilo, Nigel Re-Coker and Gershon Koffie spring to mind, while Brad Rusin, Erik Hurtado and Alain Rochat fall into the 'needs improvement' category.

Speaking of the lineup, Martin Rennie continued his personnel juggling, rolling out the same formation with a few new faces. Brad Knighton got his second straight start in net, though this was his first league start of the season. YP Lee took his usual spot, while Andy O'Brien and Brad Rusin set up shop in the center back positions. Rusin got the start primarily because Johnny Leveron missed the match with a suspension. Jordan Harvey took over at left back, giving Alain Rochat a rest.

In mid, the usual mix of Jun-Marques Davidson, Gershon Koffie, Nigel Reo-Coker and Russell Teibert were joined by Erik Hurtado, while Camilo took the striker role.

THE MATCH

The Whitecaps got their chances early, with Gershon Koffie getting a couple of whacks at the ball before sending a rising shot over top of the Timber net at 10'. The Timbers responded 4 minutes later with a nice buildup that forced Knighton to make a goal line save, before Brad Rusin cleared the ball from a dangerous position.

The 'Caps would bring the BC Place crowd to their feet, courtesy Camilo. The young brazilian earned a free kick, then blasted a curling shot into the top right corner of Donovan Ricketts' net, making the score 1-0. It was a beautiful striker and an easy candidate for goal of the week. The goal was Camilo's third, tops on the squad. Plus, according to the Whitecaps twitter account, it was the first goal for the Whitecaps at home against the Timbers, and the first time the Whitecaps had ever taken a lead against their Cascadia Cup rivals.

Brad Knighton kept the energy in the building with a brilliant save at 30'. Rodney Wallace managed to get a close header on Knighton, who snatched the ball out of mid-air with a great reaction stop.

That would be all of the action in the first half, though it should be mentioned that both sides were going down like crazy. It made for choppy action and a real lack of fluidity for the match.

The Timbers came out swinging in the final 45, knotting the match up at 52'. Following an Andy O'Brien handball in the box, Will Johnson converted a cheeky penalty, before taunting the raucous crowd in his celebration. The 'Caps woud strike back two minutes later, with Camilo doing great work in the box fighting off several defenders, before sliding the ball to Koffie. Koffie curled a perfect shot in to give the 'Caps the lead, freezing the all word goaltender Ricketts.

At 60', Nigel Reo-Coker received a questionable yellow, meaning he will miss the next 'Caps league match, already putting a pretty big hole in the lineup, so we all Hope Daigo Kobayashi is feeling better next week.

At 81' minutes, it looked like the Whitecaps would be gifted with a win, after defender Mamadou Danso was given a red and ejected from the match following a challenge on Reo-Coker. It would reduce the Timbers to 10 men, but they still found a way to come back.

Three minutes later, Jose Valencia made the 'Caps look silly, first beating Brad Rusin on a long ball, then fooling Andy O'Brien on a cutback in the box, before sliding the ball home. A beautiful goal, but some poor defence by the Vancouver Whitecaps.

That would be it for the action, as the two squads finished the match in a draw, at 2-2.

FINAL WORD

As I mentioned before, I thought a few members of the 'Caps had off nights, most notably Brad Knighton. I don't like to pick on guys, but I think it's safe to say that centerback position is Johnny Leveron's to lose. Alain Rochat came on as a late substitute, and he was beaten on a few balls and couldn't get anything going up field, even though the Timbers were down a man. Lastly, Erik Hurtado had plenty of playing time tonight, not a lot of chances. If we're really going to give rookies starting spots (and I think they should be substitutes), then let's given Kektua Manneh a shot, shall we?

I'm not going to harp on this, but giving up a late goal, at home, and up a man is completely unacceptable. However, this club has now put forth three straight quality efforts against three very good clubs. There are positives here, but this match certainly should have been a win.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Camilo. Scored on the free kick, assisted on the second goal, and was involved in the play all night.

What to do with Mattocks?

2013-05-17T18:20:15Z

Despite the 'Caps riding a bit of an upswing lately, the focus, and much of the deserved criticism, has fallen at the boots of young striker Darren Mattocks. He lit the world on fire in his first season, but in his first year as a marquee player, he's failed to live up to expectations. (Remember when he said he could score 20 in a season? Yikes.) It's funny, because I feel like this question is posed every time Mattocks goes through a scoring slump, but should we worry? Is it time to move him? How much slack does our young star deserve?

His season has been disappointing for a few reasons. Firstly, he was supposed to shine with all the upgrades done to the Whitecaps midfield this season. We've seen, on more than one occasion, Nigel Reo-Coker steam into the offensive end, and then play a perfect ball to Mattocks, just to watch him whiff. It's usually followed by him lying on the pitch holding his head, or covering his face, or generally just not running back quick enough. Essentially, the roster has improved, but he hasn't. Is that reason for concern?

When you break down his game, nothing serious has changed. He's doing the exact same thing as before, but maybe that's where the problem is stemming from. Any Coach worth his salt would be able to watch film, find the tendencies and patterns of Mattocks, and then instruct his defenders on how to contain him. Given Mattocks' stats, it appears to be working. Really though, is that Darren Mattocks' fault? Truly, shouldn't Martin Rennie bear some of the blame for not finding better ways of utilizing his top weapon? If the kick and chase doesn't work anymore, then the 'Caps have to give Mattocks the ball in different scenarios, whether that be a possession style, or it could be as simple as putting him in a different position, although mid is pretty full. How about switching up the formation then? I take issue with this because the 'Caps have been playing well lately. If we wanted to see a drastic shakeup, that should have happened three weeks ago, when the 'Caps desperately needed one. Now, I don't think it's wise to alter the entire formation just to see if it'll help Mattocks.

Lastly, how about benching him? I used to have an issue with this, but now I think it may be the correct way to go. I'm not a fan of benching your stars when the team needs wins, basically because a star is a star for a reason. That being said, perhaps Mattocks would be better served as a second half player right now, or even just a first half player. Maybe he should be splitting his time with someone like Kekuta Manneh, just to try and light another fire under his ass. The problem with Mattocks is his carefree attitude; nothing really seems to stress him. Even if he's benched, I can't see him having a gigantic epiphany because of it.

Then why not trade him? Well, because he's a talented player that we've seen a minuscule sample size of. I know this season has been a let down, but surely he deserves more opportunities to prove himself before we jettison him off to a competing club. This should be treated as a last resort, because Mattocks has the tools to become an elite MLS player and beyond. Plus, as it's been discussed in the comments sections of other pieces, what if we did trade him, then were forced to watch him blossom into a great player in a different kit? I don't think I could handle that.

What do you guys think? What is to be done with Darren Mattocks?

Poll

What do we do with Darren Mattocks?

Visiting 'Caps draw with Impact

2013-05-16T04:12:32Z

Okay, so this match wasn't the most exciting one in the world; but the next one. Oh my god, the next one, you guys. The Anway Canadian Championship will come down to a one-match winner take all, after the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Montreal Impact battled to a 0-0 draw.

Missing key veterans like Kenny Miller and Camilo due to injury, Head Coach Martin Rennie fielded one of the strangest starting XI of his Whitecaps tenure.

Rennie must have read my match report, ( I kid) because Brad Knighton got the start in net.

It's long been discussed, but Nigel Reo-Coker actually played the match at right back, giving YP Lee some of that much needed rest that was promised to him. Andy O'Brien and Johnny Leveron took their usual spots, while Jordan Harvey made a rare appearance in the starting lineup, taking left back.

Gershon Koffie and Russell Teibert found themselves in mid, but Jun-Marques Davidson was out in favor of Brad Rusin, a surprising choice for the role. However, according to the Whitecaps twitter handle, Rusin actually played defensive midfield for Martin Rennie for the Carolina RailHawks. Matt Watson, who looked so promising last season, also found his way into the starting midfield.

Darren Mattocks was given a chance to build off his goal on the weekend, staying in the starting lineup. He was joined by Alain Rochat up front, a very curious move.

THE MATCH

It was a chippy affair, with both clubs getting their shots in, but we'll get to that later. Scoring chances were at a freaking premium, and by that I mean, both teams look poor on the attack. It was almost like the two squads were each afraid to make a mistake, resulting in safe, relatively boring play with a few chances thrown in. The first one was at 19', when the Impact came close. Marco Di Vaio's broke into the 'Caps end and let go with a long dangerous shot that Knighton had to dive to stop. Two minutes later, Patrice Bernier let loose a low rocket that barely went wide.

That chippiness I mentioned truly started at 25', when Impact Defender Hassoun Camara gave Nigel Reo-Coker an idiotic, dangerous two footed tackle. 6 minutes later, it was Bernie coming in late on Leveron earning a yellow from the officials.

Unfazed, the 'Caps got their first chance of the night at 31', when Alain Rochat took advantage of a Matt Watson steal, ripping a shot that forced Impact keeper Evan Bush to make a nice save.

A minute later, Rochat tried again, sending a header off a corner that looked to be destined to cross the line. It was cleared off the line brilliantly, and Andy O'Brien couldn't finish the play, as his rebound shot was cleared.

The Impact would get their third yellow of the night shortly after, with Marco Di Vaio challenging Watson. That enraged 'Caps assistant coach Paul Ritchie, who exchanged some unpleasantries with Impact Coach Marco Schallibaum. Sadly, I don't think they'll be exchanging Christmas cards.

That would be it for the first half, and it would be the Whitecaps getting their noses dirty to start the second. Andy O'Brien earned a yellow at 49', the only interesting thing to happen for the Whitecaps for the next 20 minutes. Montreal started to put the pressure on, with the Whitecaps turning them away, led by the defensive prowess of Reo-Coker and O'Brien.

At 64', the 'Caps finally mounted a chance, with Russell Teibert blasting a shot just off the mark. The Impact had their go at 74', with former 'Cap Jeb Brovsky finding Di Vao in close, but his shot was blocked by Andy O'Brien, who is quickly becoming the 'Caps most valuable backliner.

That would be it for both sides, as the match would end in a draw.

FINAL WORD

They fielded a good lineup, battled hard, and grinded out a road draw. Home advantage goes to Vancouver, where they might actually be able to ride the home wave and do some damage. They need to be careful though; the Impact got here by ripping Toronto apart to the tune of 6-0 in the second leg.

Match Preview: 'Caps and Impact

2013-05-15T22:09:45Z

It's yet another Amway Canadian Championship final for the Vancouver Whitecaps, although, they'll be taking on a different opponent this time. While the 'Caps have gotten very good at failing against Toronto FC, they'll be taking on a very good club in the Montreal Impact, which thrashed the aforementioned Ontario team 6-0 to secure their chance at a title.

While the Whitecaps have had a disappointing season thus far, no one was feeling sad after their last match, a 3-1 decision over the LA Galaxy. You remember how that one played out; Canadian Russell Teibert scored twice, Darren Mattocks scored once, and the Whitecaps beat the Galaxy for the first time in MLS play.

Montreal has had a very solid season thus far, sitting 4th in the Eastern Conference with 20 points. While the Whitecaps and Impact haven't played in an MLS matchup since opening day last season, these two teams are no strangers to each other, especially at the Canadian Championship. It's been a popular stat this week, but it has to be mentioned that the Whitecaps haven't loss to Montreal in their last six Championship matches, and hold a slight edge overall with 3 wins, 2 losses and 3 draws.

RIDE THE MOMENTUM

A victory against the Galaxy is a rare moment for this franchise, so you have to think the players will be flying high. If Head Coach Martin Rennie decides to field a strong lineup, you would have to think guys like Teibert and Mattocks would be chomping at the bit to keep the mojo flowing. Really, you could say the same thing about the entire team, as they try to prove to the rest of the league that they aren't basement dwellers. Of course, a win tonight would mean nothing for MLS standings, but another win against a strong team in less than a week would definitely make a few people take notice.

START BRAD KNIGHTON

I'm a big fan of Joe Cannon, but given his age, he needs a break now and then. Brad Knighton looked shaky in first leg of the Edmonton series, but came back with a shutout in the second. He's played well enough to earn a start in the Championship, especially with the busy schedule lately. If Knighton does start, and if Knighton does well, I think you'd have to revisit giving him the starting reigns for the season. Cannon has played very well at times, but he has, in no way solidified himself as the number one guy. He gets the starts, but like most players on the squad, there are inconsistencies to his game. Healthy competition is never a bad thing, so give Knighton a few starts now to light a fire under both of their asses.

THE LINEUP BETTER BE STRONG

Remember when Rennie went through all that media scrutiny for resting his players against FC Dallas a few weeks ago? He did it because he wanted a strong lineup against FC Edmonton, and implied that winning the Canadian Championship was the most important thing for the club. Now, I'm hearing rumblings that Rennie will start a reserve heavy lineup against the Impact, which would officially twist my mind into a pretzel. Now, the lineup will already be missing some regulars, as Daigo Kobayashi, Kenny Miller and Camilo are all back in Vancouver dealing with injuries. However, I would hope Rennie would replace Kobayashi with Teibert (natch), and put someone like Corey Hertzog in for Camilo. I understand Rennie likes Erik Hurtado and Kekuta Manneh a lot, but barring a slew of injuries, the young duo should be used in substitution roles for this season. If the club truly cares about winning this damn Championship, then we had better not see anything less than the Whitecaps best.

FINALLY...

A spot in the 2013-14 Champions League is on the line here, and the Vancouver Whitecaps cannot take that lightly. This is a winnable match, and could be one of those 'season turning points' we hear so much about. I've been hurt by the Whitecaps in the Canadian Championship before, but apparently I'm just like Rihanna, because I believe they'll change. Final thought? Whitecaps 2, Impact 1. God help me.

Crossover with Mount Royal Soccer

2013-05-14T17:04:43Z

It's a tweak on the old formula for cross-over this week. This is the first leg of the Canadian Championship, so instead of three questions, I asked Sofiane Benzaza to give me three keys to the match. For your viewing pleasure, here they are.

1) Get back that 2008 Feeling: Arguably, that infamous run in the 2008-2009 Concacaf Champions League, put the Montreal Impact on the North American soccer map of relevance. Always known as a strong organisation, winning the Voyageurs Cup in a dramatic fashion and almost going pass the Santos Laguna Ogre was a big marking event for the club. The 2-0 loss against Toronto FC ,during the first leg of the 2013 Voyageurs Cup, was seen as a shameful loss by fans. The Ultras Montreal supporters group made sure to pass the message to the club during the game against the Chicago Fire.

2) The advantage of a MLS Bye Week: Even if the 2nd leg is in Vancouver, opening at home without having to go all the way to BC is a big advantage for the tired legs of the Montreal Impact. With no MLS games on the weekend, Montreal can afford to go all in and field its best players to go all in for the 1st leg.
The risk of picking up injuries is always present but it could not be more true for the Montreal Impact. With Alessandro Nesta close to being fit, is this a good game to put him back in? Last time, he tried to come back, the Serie A star did not finish the game (vs the Fire) and was lost again.
It's all about opportunity cost and the choices you make. A heavy squad rotation is necessary while still going for the win. The MLS bye week might give the advantage for Montreal against a Whitecaps team that might be already thinking of the weekend game vs the Portland Timbers.

3) The 4-4-2 and how it has helped Marco Di Vaio. Up front, it is not an understatement to say that the Montreal Impact are thin up front. When Daniele Paponi is already missed after having only played less than 2 game, it says a lot about your depth. What seemed to be a closed door for Andrew Wenger became open as the 1st overrall pick in the 2012 MLS draft is getting more significant minutes.

Having another striker playing alongside Marco Di Vaio has helped the veteran and it shows. Focusing more on the last 30 meters of the pitch, Di Vaio has been present where it counts: in front of a goalkeeper with the ball at his feet. Managing his minutes and how he plays is one of the turning points of this early season.

Whitecaps defeat Galaxy 3-1

2013-05-12T03:25:26Z

Just when the Whitecaps played perhaps their worst match of the season, they played an absolutely electric match at BC Place, finally registering their first win ever against the LA Galaxy, 3-1. It was one of the most exciting second half's in recent memory, with all four goals scored in that span.

Martin Rennie used a strong lineup against the club that dumped Vancouver from the playoffs a season ago. The backline of Lee, O'Brien, Leveron and Rochat stayed intact, as Brad Rusin comes back from a concussion. However, Rusin did come on late as a substitution, so Leveron may have usurped his spot. Jun Marques Davidson returned to the lineup, with Daigo Kobayasi, Nigel Reo-Coker and Gershon Koffie comprising the mid. Camilo and Darren Mattocks comprised the attackers, with Joe Cannon making another start in net.

The Galaxy would get the first chance of the night just five minutes into the contest, when a Jose Villarreal header forced Joe Cannon to make a marvelous diving stop. The Whitecaps would counter with their own opportunity at 7', when Darren Mattocks had his shot blocked in the box.

At 13', Daigo Kobayashi was forced off the pitch, after appearing to injure himself. A tweet from the Whitecaps later would confirm Kobayashi had a left ankle sprain. Canadian Rusell Teibert came in, which turned out to be just what the doctor ordered. The 'Caps, winless in their last 7 matches needed someone to step up; it turned out to be the kid who didn't even start the match.

Nigel Reo-Coker nearly got the 'Caps on the board at 36', although he had plenty of help from Omar Gonzalez. Reo-Coker's cross found Gonzalez, who nearly played back into his own net. A great reaction save from Galaxy goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini kept the match scoreless.

The somewhat entertaining first half was nothing compared to the second, when Russell Teibert would find the back of the net for his first career MLS goal. At 63', Teibert would take a Reo-Coker pass while streaking up the right flank. He cut back in the middle, then unleashed a left footed shot that beat Cudicini, and lit BC Place on fire. It was the type of goal the Whitecaps needed to score after last weekend's match, a confident, pretty goal.

At 76', Teibert would score again, sending the sell-out crowd into a frenzy. While Teibert was the trigger man on the goal, let's not forget all the great work Gershon Koffie did to help it happen. It was Koffie that won the challenge on the ball, before using his body position to get some space and then sending a perfect ball for Teibert to one-time home. With a 2 goal lead late in the match, it looked like the Whitecaps would finally get the gigantic monkey off their back, and defeat the LA Galaxy.

However, because they rarely do anything the easy way, the Whitecaps would need to fight off a late Galaxy surge. At 86', Jose Villarreal found Gyasi Zardes who headed home the ball perfectly, cutting the 'Cap lead to 1.

Darren Mattocks would ice the match, converting on one of a few quality chances. First, after a Galaxy defender lost his footing at 91', Mattocks raced ahead and stole the ball. On the right flank, he unleashed a shot that Cudicini did well to keep out. Mattocks crumpled to the ground, face in hands. He would redeem himself a minute later, after Gershon Koffie started another scoring play. He lofted the ball into the air, where Jordan Harvey chested it down. That found Mattocks, who slammed it home to break his scoring drought, and send the Whitecaps to a 3-1 lead. Who woulda thunk it?

Man of Match: It's tempting to say Teibert because of the numbers, but I'm going with Gershon Koffie. He was a solid presence all night, and was involved in almost all of the scoring plays. A very strong, but subtle outing for Koffie.