Whitecaps vs Houston: Report Card

On Saturday afternoon the Whitecaps came out of BC Place with another three points after beating the Houston Dynamo by a score of 2-1. An argument can be made that the score could (or should) have been more lopsided since the Whitecaps created a few other chances that should have given the team a larger cushion, but all that really matters is that the boys in Blue got it done once again at home and they have started the season with an unbeaten streak of four games.

There are a few players whose performances stood out:

Jordan Harvey (Forward edition) A+. Jordan Harvey continues to prove himself lethal inside the box and opened the score for the Whitecaps in the only chance to score he had all game long. That is a pretty good efficiency percentage.

Pedro Morales A+. Coach Carl Robinson said after the game that "(h)e's a joy to watch, isn't he?" And he sure is. Jason DeVos tweeted the question of whether or not Morales's first half was the best performance of a Whitecap ever. While it is very difficult to make that call, one thing is certain, Morales was a high step above the rest of the players on the pitch. Although his performance dropped in the second half, his first half was revelation enough to warrant an A+. Is he an exciting player or what?

David Ousted A. Once again, Ousted was solid in net. There was not much he could have done on Houston's goal but, as usual, the Great Dane was very vocal with his back line and was superb at bringing down Houston's crosses. Slowly but surely, with solid performances, he is quieting down his detractors.

Darren Mattocks B. Once again Darren Mattocks was unable to score despite some high-quality chances. He was somewhat involved in the goals as he did make the run into the box that led to the handball which ultimately led Kenny Miller to score (twice) for the eventual game-winning goal. While his attitude and work rate seems to have improved, a forward needs to score in order to justify their inclusion in the starting XI.

Jordan Harvey (Defender edition) C+. It was Jordan Harvey's foul that led to the free kick that Houston capitalized on to cut Vancouver's lead in half at the 75^th minute. As regular listeners of From The Backline know, I take exception with the amount of space that Harvey leaves his opponents in that left back position. The game on Saturday was the same story.

Gershon Koffie C-. There was a lot of talk about the Ghanaian throughout the week after Nigel Reo-Coker's injury. Everyone knew that this was Koffie's opportunity to take the bull by the horns and make the best out of this opportunity. Unfortunately, it seems that the rust and the occasion might have taken the best out of him as he seemed quite nervous. He missed many passes, was easily dispossessed of the ball and, at times, lost in that right midfield position. The result was a substitution in the 76^th minute to bring Kekuta Manneh on. In my humble opinion, Koffie did not do enough to solidify a spot in the starting XI once Reo-Coker is back, or even before?

Do you agree or disagree? Did I miss someone? Make sure to share your thoughts in the comment section.