The 86 Forever Mid-Season Report Cards

Brad Knighton: B - The Dark Knighton has raised his game to new heights since Ousted was signed. Is it enough to keep the Dane on the bench or can he get even better?

Joe Cannon: C+ - Joe is an MLS legend and likely coming to the end of his time here in Vancouver. Second year in a row that he lost the starting job to Knighton.

Jordan Harvey: C+ - who knew that Jordan was a goal scoring machine? Notched some important goals since he became a 1st team regular, but there are still some lingering questions about his positioning.

Brad Rusin: C+ - plays awfully ‘small' for a big man, but he has played reasonably well on a back line that has seen lots of change this season.

Johnny Leveron: B - shows plenty of poise and composure, can dish out some crunching tackles and has a pretty good foot as well. Keep Calm and Leveron indeed!

Andy O'Brien: B+ - without a doubt the heart of the defense this season in the absence of Demerit. Had played every minute of the season until getting injured in Seattle back at the beginning of June.

Jay Demerit: Incomplete - fan favorite and the most recognizable player on the club. His injury was supposed to keep him out for the rest of the season, but sounds like he'll be back sooner rather than later and that wouldn't surprise me a bit. Rise and Shine!

Y.P. Lee: C+ - it's pretty much a certainty that Y.P. is retiring at the end of the year, but he's still a pretty good defender. How the Caps replace him at right back is a big concern for me.

Jun Marques Davidson: C+ - the DMF position seems to be a key one in Rennie's tactics, but Jun has had plenty of games where more was expected and he didn't deliver. Is he the man to play there for the long term?

Matt Watson: C+ - hasn't seen much 1st team action, but played well when called into the side during the absence of Russell Teibert.

Daigo Kobayashi: C- - started the season with two pretty good games and not a lot since then. A lot is expected from him & he needs to step up big time.

Nigel Reo-Coker: A - Nigel not only talks the talk, but he can back it up too. A leader on and off the pitch. A sure lock to be made a DP for next year.

Gershon Koffie: C+ - hasn't had a great season so far by his standards. We need more consistency from this very talented player.

Camilo Sanvezzo: A - leading scorer in MLS with 13 goals and a serious free-kick threat. Camilo is unstoppable right now. O Magico!

Russell Teibert: A - Russell has emerged as a key figure in the ‘Caps attack. Quick, talented and creative with the ball.

Kenny Miller: B+ - was missed a lot when he went down with injury. Another of the team's leaders - scores big goals and a mentor to the younger players. Hands off, Ally McCoist!

Darren Mattocks: C - stuck in a sophomore slump, but Rennie believes he is capable of a lot more. Questions about work ethic and mental toughness. May figure in the future if a certain Scottish player goes back to a certain Scottish club (note to Ally McCoist: Hands off our Kenny!)

Kekutah Manneh: B - hasn't really seen a lot of 1st team action, but has shown flashes of brilliance for a young player when he has played. Ask FC Dallas or the Chicago Fire.

Corey Hertzog: C+ - has seen semi-regular 1st team action and scored the "Shoegate" goal to salvage a draw in San Jose.

Joe Cannon: C+ Cannon has been a great servant to the club but age and cost are rapidly rendering him obsolete. Lost his job two years in a row to Brad Knighton; writing is on the wall.

Brad Knighton: B -Will be very intrigued to see if Knighton's current form is a sign of what's to come or a hot streak. Hard to fault a guy after "Save of the Week"-calibre work; should he cool off, however, that's a different story.

DEFENDERS

Jordan Harvey: B -Took over for Rochat and banged home a few goals; not bad. Almost makes me forget his defensive liabilities. By almost, I mean "it does not". Take those goals away and Harvey falls to a "C".

Johnny Leverón: A- So cool, scientists are convinced they can hit absolute zero by having Leverón stand over a thermometer while being charged by two midfielders. Defensive linchpin for years to come. Honduran national team star in the making.

Andy O'Brien: B+ -Took the mantle of "veteran defensive leader" when DeMerit went down and has carried it admirably. Workhorse defender, controls his area well. Losing him in the Seattle game was clearly the turning point of the match.

Young-Pyo Lee: B -Age may finally be catching up to last year's team MVP. Still very good at what he does, just not quite at the same level of last year. Not being able to take Lee on road trips underlines how seriously the 'Caps will need to take finding his replacement.

Brad Rusin: C+ -Gets the benefit of the doubt for having to adjust to MLS. That said, still doesn't excuse some of the clumsy errors and slow-footed activity in his own half. Fun drinking game: take a shot every time Rusin flubs a set piece opportunity.

MIDFIELDERS

Jun Marques Davidson: B- -Best there is on the team at what he does: shield the back four and mop up any miscues. Problem: that's faint praise when he's practically the only one who does what he does. Davidson is perhaps the most "average" player on the Whitecaps' roster.

Daigo Kobayashi: B- Would've been a B+ if early-season form had lasted. As it is, I get the sense Kobayashi is nursing some sort of minor injury. I can count on one hand the number of games he's played a full 90 minutes. Could call him ineffective, but that might be due to lack of playing time in his favoured position.

Gershon Koffie: B -Still one of Vancouver's brightest young players, though this season hasn't been his best. Has more upside than down; can't overlook Koffie's potential to develop with positive influences around him. Speaking of...

Nigel Reo-Coker: A -Team MVP. Unstoppable midfield engine. No-nonsense leader who demands the best out of his teammates. Commands respect and earns it through stellar play on the field. Versatile enough to fill in ably at right-back, though the midfield noticeably suffers if he moves to defense.

Matt Watson: C+ -Serviceable depth midfielder with defensive-minded instincts. Needs to stop turning over the ball every second touch.

FORWARDS

Tom Heinemann: C+ -CAVEMAN SMASH! STAND NEAR NET, TRY GET BALL! SHAGGY HAIR CONFUSE DEFENDERS!

Corey Hertzog: C+ -Would've been a flat "C" but gets an upgrade for providing long-throw options on set pieces. Still hasn't proven he can create chances at this level. Made the most of his opportunity during "Shoegate"; don't count on him scoring another this season.

Kekuta Manneh: B -Has speed, technical ability, finish, sky-high potential and he's only 18; only danger here is the dreaded "sophomore slump". Even if that happens, there's plenty of time to develop Manneh into a first-team regular.

Darren Mattocks: C -Pretty sure ego deflated and confidence shot after pre-season boast of 20 goals proven to be just that - a boast. Will need to add a few more tricks to his arsenal and figure out how to be an impact player somewhere in the final third, either out wide or up front. Perhaps super-sub duty will pry more of that potential out.

Kenny Miller: B+ -What a difference a pre-season makes. Came back from injuries, decided he wanted to conquer MLS and did just that. Miller's end-to-end gallops both defensively and offensively could inspire a generation of box-to-box forwards. Near-indispensable part of the forward corps, but is retirement near?

Camilo Sanvezzo: A- -Please don't let this be a lucky streak, please don't let this be a lucky streak, please don't let this be a lucky streak...

Russell Teibert: A- Ladies and gentleman, Teibert has finally arrived. This is going to be a fun ride.

GOALKEEPERS

Cannon: B -Has dropped to #3 on the depth chart. Age, a 30% win percentage, and a hefty salary are the anchors that have dragged him down.

Knighton: B+ -Almost identical save and GA percentages as Cannon, but Knighton's got the hot hand, a low salary, and has taken the reigns for now, but can he hold off Ousted?

DEFENDERS

Lee: B -Looks much fresher under Martin Rennie's part-time plan. Pound for pound, he's still one of the best RBs in MLS, despite impending retirement.

O'Brien: B+ -Has far exceeded expectations and outpaced father time thus far. The undisputed leader at the back until going down with a nagging hamstring injury vs Seattle.

Rusin: B- -Consistency has been an issue - sometimes a stalwart, but occasionally guilty of sloppy marking. Has been the victim of some bad bounces to be fair.

Leveron: B -Has performed decently when called upon. Has silky feet for a CB, but looks like he could drop a couple kilos as conditioning/agility needs work.

Harvey: B- -Has shown both the ability to score, and to fizzle. Rates a B+ on the offensive side, but athleticism isn't always enough to offset some defensive lapses.

MIDFIELDERS

Koffie: B- -Since arrival of NRC, Koffie has yielded the big workhorse role. He's still effective, but hasn't been quite as noticeable. He's still young, with plenty of upside.

Davidson: B -Probably the most under-rated member of the team. Not flashy, not particularly dynamic, but quietly effective for the most part this year in disrupting opposition attacks.

Reo-Coker: A -Has played a huge part in turning the team around. Leader on and off the pitch. Guilty of some giveaways, but many takeaways. Has great chemistry with Teibert.

Watson: B -A serviceable relief midfielder. He's not likely to win you a game, but he's not likely to cost you one either.

Kobayashi: C- -A disappointment so far this year. First two matches were impressive, and it's been a bit of a tailspin since then. Hasn't been the playmaker I was expecting.

FORWARDS

Manneh: B+ -Kid's still figuring things out, but what fun to watch! Great vision, good technically, and unselfish. Oh, yeah...and fast! Brightest future of all the young bucks.

Teibert: A+ -He's arrived. Huge leap over last year, but even in the playoff match vs LA, we could see where he was heading. Quick, creative, determined. Davide who??

Mattocks: C+ -Struggling to find playing time this season. Still not multi-dimensional: a sprinter who can kick and jump, but to be fair has begun to show some degree of touch.

Hertzog: C+ -Another guy in and out of rotation. Showed very well in pre-season, but injuries, including a concussion set him back a bit. Performance so far: inconsistent.

Miller: A+ -Transformed from 2012. Likely the hardest working forward of the lot. Smart, quick, great first touch. Some of Camilo's success is down to Miller creating space.

Camilo: A+ -Exuding confidence, has scored 10 in his last 8 games. In better physical shape this year, and it's paying off dividends. Move to the middle has been a big success.

Jon Szekeres

GOALKEEPERS

Joe Cannon: C+ - It's not like Joe played horribly when he was in net, he just had poor distribution, and he didn't play well enough to keep his job. The third wheel in the keeper position right now, with David Ousted in town.

Brad Knighton: B -Considering Knighton went into this season expecting to be the number one, then was sat for a couple months, he's played very well. Having healthy competition from Cannon, and now Ousted, hasn't hurt either.

DEFENDERS

YP Lee: C+ -A sub-par season from YP Lee is still better than most, but the 'Caps were no doubt expecting more from Lee, especially with more rest this season. He's capable of more.

Andy O'Brien: A -Prior to injury, Andy O'Brien was arguably the Whitecaps MVP. A general of the backline, he made a seamless transition from late season addition, to team leader and defensive rock.

Brad Rusin: C+ -Has been pressed into full time action, but due to slow footwork and questionable defensive decisions, is best suited as a very good depth player.

Johnny Leveron: A- -Very young, but incredibly reliable. Think about how good this kid is going to get with a few MLS seasons under his belt. A future core player for the Whitecaps.

Jordan Harvey: C+ -Goals are nice. However, I'd trade all of Harveys goals for some defensive consistency on a match by match basis. Harvey's positioning isn't great, and he seems to be caught flat footed more than most. Considering his hefty salary, he could be playing better.

MIDFIELDERS

Gershon Koffie: C+ -Has struggled more than dominated this season, but is still a promising, core player for the Whitecaps moving forward. Experiencing some growing pains, but he'll get better.

Matt Watson: C+ -Probably deserves more playing time, but is the odd man out on a crowded roster. Has looked very good when he has played, and looks like he could bring something to this team. He may be doomed to be nothing more than a depth player under Martin Rennie, though.

Jun-Marques Davidson: B -It's hard to be critical of Davidson's love of passing the ball backwards, when that's kind of his job. Is a defensive specialist, and is good at what he does.

Daigo Kobayashi: C- -Aside from the opening match of the season, Kobayashi has been a major disappointment. Doesn't look like he can handle the physicality of MLS on a match by match basis, and will disappear for long stretches at a time.

Nigel Reo-Coker: A- -Has transformed the mindset of the club and has given them something they've never had in MLS; swagger. Has zero goals on the season, but is a tank in midfield, and is indispensable to the Whitecaps.

FORWARDS

Russell Teibert: A+ -Reo-Coker thinks Teibert could play in the highest levels of soccer in Europe. Ever since he came on in relief of Daigo Kobayashi, he's made it impossible for Martin Rennie to take him out.

Kenny Miller: A -Rose like a Phoenix from the ashes that were last season, and has become a dominant striker for the 'Caps. The only problem now, is the constant rumor that he'll jump ship at the end of this season.

Kekuta Manneh: B+ -Is just 18 years old, and his play is indicative of that sometimes. However, he's shown glimpses of pure brilliance, and has coaches salivating about what he might become. Can clearly play in this league.

Darren Mattocks: C- -Perhaps the biggest disappointment this season, Mattocks has played his way onto the bench, and will in all likelihood stay there for a while. Rumors of a poor attitude have swirled, and the potential of Manneh has made Mattocks an afterthought. He thought he could score 20 goals this season; yikes.

Erik Hurtado: C+ -The potential is there, but has been largely unimpressive so far. His first touch is rougher than sandpaper.

Camilo: A+ -Played his way out of Martin Rennie's doghouse at the beginning of the season, and now leads the league in goals. Has been the 'Caps best striker for the majority of the season, and made Darren Mattocks redundant.