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In the second installment of our review of our preseason predictions, we examine our Over/Under predictions. Like with our preseason predictions from the previous article, our predictions here were not really any better. Let’s have a look.
1) Will Kamara score over or under 12.5 goals this season?
Answer: Over with 14 goals
Correct: AtlantisB, CWilkins, TDahl, Jitsuo, Andrew_Bahl, Samuel_Rowan, IanJones
This was an easy one, as we all predicted it. I think it was easy to predict because no one saw anyone else leading the way with scoring. Despite many of us predicting Anthony Blondell to be a surprise delight, we all knew that Kamara would be the go-to guy. Sure enough he was. Should the Caps bring him back next season?
Jitsuo: HEY WE GOT ONE RIGHT! Kamara was actually a saving grace, and I can’t help but think he helped bump Phonzie’s development along at the right time in his career. I’d enjoy it if he comes back, but completely understand if the club signs some new forwards.
2) Will Nerwinski’s assist total be over or under 5.5 this season?
Answer: Under with 1 assist
Correct: CWilkins, IanJones
YIKES! It wasn’t until the final match of the season that Nerwinski was able to get his first assist, let alone his fifth or sixth. I think Nerwinski would consider his season a disappointment when it comes to getting assists.
IanJones: Got this one…but I didn’t think he’d end the season with one.
Jitsuo: Well that didn’t pan out, but I don’t think the dearth of assists was to be expected. Nerwinski started to play better balls in once Dalrymple took over, and in fact, he played some of his best football of the year in the last five games.
3) With his strong preseason, does Teibert see over or under 800 minutes in MLS this season?
Answer: Over with 1604 minutes
Correct: CWilkins
Hopeful: AtlantisB
CWilkins: Can we just focus on my record from the first three questions?
IanJones: It’s fan-freaking-tastic that I got this one wrong, where Teibert doubled the bar we had set for him. The kid was coming into his own towards the end of the season, and I’m hoping whoever the next coach may be just lets him run wild.
Jitsuo: At the time of writing - I expected Juarez to be better than a red card waiting to happen. I was wrong.
4) Combined, Techera’s goals and assists from set-pieces (only) will be over or under 11.5?
Answer: Under 8 goals and 1 assist TOTAL
Correct: None
CWilkins: Well, I guess Carl Robinson isn’t the only person Cristian Techera let down in 2018.
Jitsuo: Techera’s delivery was poor from the start of the season, right through to his last appearance…He never got going, and likely, that’s that for the Uruguayan in Vancouver.
5) Will the Caps end the season over or under 12.5 wins? Will the Caps end the season over or under 49.5 points?
Answer: Over with 13 wins but Under with 47 points
Correct Wins: AtlantisB, TDahl, Jitsuo, Samuel_Rowan, IanJones
Correct Points: CWilkins, IanJones
IanJones: Whoa… crushed this one. Sure wasn’t enough to get in the playoffs, though.
CWilkins: I was only off by two points. Fine lines!
Jitsuo: How many points do you deserve for conceding 2+ per match?
6) Will Vancouver score over or under 49.5 goals this season?
Answer: Over with 54
Correct: TDahl, Jitsuo, Andrew_Bahl, Samuel_Rowan
CWilkins: On the plus side, this was one of the few times the Whitecaps actually exceeded my expectations.
Editor Note: Way to see the glass as half full!
Jitsuo: They finished on 54 goals scored, so I wasn’t that far off.
7) Will Vancouver allow over or under 45.5 goals this season?
Answer: Over with 67
Correct: Jitsuo, Samuel_Rowan
IanJones: They’ll find a way to have their Goals Allowed close to their Goals Scored, so I’m thinking it will be under, but only by a few.
Wrong again, to the tune of conceding the fourth-most in the league this season with 67. Just imagine how bad the GC/GA ratio would be without Kamara. In other words: pay him his money!!!
Jitsuo: I was right on the over, but sixty-seven goals against. Only Minnesota, San Jose and Orlando conceded more. Did they make the playoffs?
CWilkins: Thousand-yard-stare.png
CORRECT PREDICTIONS OVERALL
Andrew_Bahl: 2
AtlantisB: 2.5
CWilkins: 4
Ian Jones: 4
Jitsuo: 4
Samuel_Rowan: 4
TDahl: 3
Translation, I am the worst at predicting how the Whitecaps will do.
Overall Thoughts
Samuel_Rowan: I feel like my biggest miss was on Jake Nerwinski. Some of that is down to overall poor team play, but he didn’t build upon his rookie campaign the way I expected him to. Also, I don’t think any of us predicted the ‘Caps to allow 67 goals against this year, even though I got the over/under right on that one, it still feels like a miss. I think I was definitely right about the lack of creativity in the midfield (I’m not a Felipe truther). I also think I was right about Tim Parker being a huge loss, regardless of some statistics that pointing to the contrary. Tim Parker was a leader and source of confidence on the backline that permeated throughout the roster. That position remained a huge question mark the entire year. On the flip side, we were pretty much all wrong to some degree about Blondell, and I don’t think we ever really found out what kind of player he is/might be.