'Caps Keeper Ousted Solid in First Start

For weeks, Whitecaps head coach Martin Rennie was forced to answer the same question over and over again; Ousted or Knighton? Before that, it was, Cannon or Knighton? Truly, Rennie has never had it easy when it's come to his goalkeepers, but it looks like that question has firmly been answered.

At least, for now.

While it seems unthinkable that Brad Knighton should be the backup for this club considering just how well he's played recently, it took just one start from David Ousted to prove that he is in a different class of keeper. Now, I fully realize this may be seen as totally reactionary, but I believe Ousted has proven that he is the keeper the Whitecaps need to run with if they want a better shot at the post-season.

True, it might be ridiculous to say that now, considering Ousted has only had the one start, last Saturday versus Portland. Hell, Portland didn't even really have that many grade 'A' chances against the Dane, meaning he wasn't forced to make any spectacular 'Knighton-esque' saves. Besides, many fans have developed a great admiration for Knighton and his journey to MLS and the Whitecaps (In addition, I dare somebody to come up with a better catch phrase than 'The Dark Knighton Rises' for Ousted), and haven't forgotten all he did for the club when they were devastated by defensive injuries.

However, Ousted, in his limited time to shine, exuded confidence on the pitch and showed quality distribution. Both Knighton and Cannon had well documented problems with their ability to punt the ball, but Ousted seemed to have no problem picking his spots on Saturday. While that doesn't automatically make him the go-to-guy, it was a stark reminder of why the Whitecaps were so high on this guy; he does what he's supposed to. While Ousted may not have been as flashy as Knighton had been in the net, he came off his line aggressively and seemed to communicate well with his backline, an encouraging sign considering this was just his first start.

Hey, it was one start, and he did a good job, easily earning himself another chance to impress the Whitecaps faithful. While Brad Knighton didn't really do anything to lose his starting position, it may be a while before we see him again.