By Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic and Samuel Rowan
The Vancouver Whitecaps are now undefeated in five straight MLS games, as they defeated Sporting KC 2-1 at BC Place on Wednesday.
With that, they’ve now climbed to fourth place in MLS’s Western Conference, and seventh in the Supporters Shield race, doing so thanks to a run that has seen them amass a record of 6W-1D-2L (19 PTS) across their last nine games.
.@LAGalaxy move into that top spot in the Western Conference. 📈 pic.twitter.com/qgUVrqEbOf
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 18, 2024
Yet, the Whitecaps seemed always likely to win this game from the start, as they came flying out of the gates. Despite that, they only had a 1-0 lead to show for it at half time, coming off an own goal from SKC’s Robert Voloder, as they had two goals disallowed for offside, and failed to find the net with any of the nine other shots they sent towards SKC’s goal in the half.
Because of that, it opened things up for SKC to get back in the game in the second half, and they did just that after making an aggressive triple sub at half time. After coming close on a few sequences, Willy Agada popped home a rebound from inside of the box to make it 1-1 in the 69th minute, putting them right back into the game.
Despite that, however, the Whitecaps made sure that they’d get rewarded for their earlier efforts by the end of the game, as they scraped a goal out of nothing in the 76th minute. There, Sebastian Berhalter found Fafà Picault with a deep cross, and Picault made no mistake with his header to give his team a potential winner.
From there, he and his teammates saw the result over the line, surviving a few nervy moments late, allowing them to pick up their third straight home win in the process.
Here are three thoughts from this game, as we saw it from inside BC Place.
Whitecaps unable to fully capitalize on strange SKC formation:
Short several key regulars due to injury and international absences, Sporting KC ended up employing an intriguing tactical set-up in this game, as they deployed a haphazard 4-2-4 formation on and off the ball. Yes, you read that correctly – a 4-2-4.
Listed as such on the team sheet, it was a surprise to see it properly deployed as such, as KC indeed began the match with four defenders, two midfielders and four attackers positioned as such on the field. Not only that, but their full backs ended up playing conservatively, and their forwards struggled to track back, so it played like a true 4-2-4, instead of a 4-4-2 or a 3-4-3, as one might have expected it to.
As a result, it left a lot of space for the Whitecaps to play through in midfield, as they went up against the stranded double pivot of Nemanja Radoja and Remi Walter, who were left to do a lot of extra work due to this tactical set-up.
Despite that, the Whitecaps struggled to take advantage of the space afforded to them in central areas for large chunks of the game, at least in possession. In transition, they feasted, as one would expect them to, and could’ve put this game away in the first half with some of the chances they generated from that avenue, but they struggled to find the same joy when SKC got behind the ball.
Vancouver opens up the scoring! pic.twitter.com/vTvItbUqNQ
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 18, 2024
For a team playing at home, it was expected the Whitecaps could do more to create central overloads, seeing that they were deploying a 3-3-4 in possession, one that used three true central midfielders. Naturally, given that they were using two wide players, a lot of the play was funnelled out wide, but the space was there for them to play in central areas.
They had some glimpses, putting together their best passages of play in those moments where they found themselves centrally, but they didn’t get there enough.
Yet, that’s a big key for this team going forward. A large chunk of their success lately has come from their ability to get Ryan Gauld more involved centrally, as he did on the opening goal, so they must continue to get him the ball in central areas.
From there, that will open up space for their talented wide players to get involved, as they’ve also got the quality to find their strikers in the box with crosses, as they did on the second goal.
BOOM 🔥
Fafà Picault with the header to give @WhitecapsFC the lead! pic.twitter.com/5vkpBh5yER
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 18, 2024
But that’s the balance they must continue to strike, and while they’ve done it well over the last few games, such as their recent win over St.Louis, they struggled to find it in this game but were able to overcome that to get the win.
A win that comes due to their quality and SKC’s overall defensive struggles, they’ll want to ensure they clean that up in time for their next match, a clash with Houston this weekend, as the Dynamo are unlikely to be so open defensively. -Alex
Ali Ahmed shines in return from international duty, but where does he fit in?
After almost a month away with the Canadian Men’s National Team as they made a deep run in Copa América, in which he missed six MLS games and a Canadian Championship match, Ali Ahmed made his return to the Whitecaps lineup in this game.
Dropped immediately back into a starting role, he was asked to play as a left winger in and out of possession, which has been his most used position for the Whitecaps this season.
Coming off a strong couple of performances with Canada, it was hoped he could pick up and translate some of that form back to the club level, who tend to benefit from having a play-driver to deploy alongside Brian White and Ryan Gauld.
Certainly, Ahmed brought a key spark to this game, as he was electric from the get-go. Eager to get on the ball and drive at players, he immediately destabilized SKC’s defence with his dribbling, as he looked to get on the ball and push forward.
The only thing he lacked on the day was his final product, as despite generating two shots and two key passes, he missed several chances to influence the game with a final shot or pass. For a Whitecaps team trying to put the game away, that was his lone blemish, and it kept SKC in the game.
I asked Vanni Sartini about Ali Ahmed's game tonight: "His final pass was a few seconds too late…but his performance was positive." #VWFC
— Joshua Rey (@JoshuaRey00) July 18, 2024
Yet, that leads to a key question with Ahmed, who has just one goal and no assists in 17 MLS games this season – might he be best suited elsewhere on the pitch? For example, also able to play as a central midfielder, it’s wondered if his ability to progress the ball and run at guys could be better used centrally, giving someone for Gauld to play off while giving them someone who can break lines with his dribbling and passing, as midfielders like Pedro Vite, Sebastian Berhalter and Alessandro Schöpf tend to mostly only do the latter.
From there, it could open up space for Fafà Picault to start up front with Gauld and White, instead of coming off the bench as he did in this game, especially seeing that he now has six goals this season, as he’s been a key piece offensively this season.
Otherwise, Ahmed could also play on the right, as he recently did for Canada, which could also offer another different wrinkle tactically. As seen when deployed in that position, it pushes him into more of a creative role than a progressive one, but that could also benefit the Whitecaps, while putting him in more of a chance to use his right foot for crosses from out wide and the byline, which he excels at.
No matter what, though, there’s no doubting Ahmed’s importance to this team, and he showed that in this game, but it remains intriguing to see where his best position on the pitch will be going forward.
Figuring it out could provide the Whitecaps with another boost offensively, which is not a bad proposition for a team that has scored 14 goals in their last five games without Ahmed, as finding the right deployment could help them maintain that pace, if not improve on it.
“I think he was really good in his movement, he was really good in his 1v1 play,” Whitecaps head coach, Vanni Sartini, said of Ahmed afterwards. “But the final product wasn’t good with his passes and the chances he had in front of goal, but what he did in terms of creating problems for the opposition was really good.”
-Alex
Where’s the killer instinct at home?
Yes, the Whitecaps secured a valuable three points at home in this game, but something just hasn’t quite seemed right when this team has played within the confines of BC Place this season.
Peter Vermes’ team showed very few signs of life in the first half on Wednesday night, and though the Whitecaps were able to create several good chances, they couldn’t quite secure a multi-goal lead they likely deserved – lacking the ruthlessness to put the match away for good.
Added to this, Vancouver came out flat at the start of the second half, practically inviting SKC back into the match. Sporting’s looks in front of goal early in the half were mostly due to Vancouver’s errors and miscues in possession, and even after the visitors equalized, it barely looked like they believed they could get back in the match. Despite this, Vancouver left the door open for Kansas to find a result right up to full time, which finished with SKC getting a free kick in a dangerous spot.
Willy Agada buries it 💥 pic.twitter.com/KqrrzLUXUT
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 18, 2024
It was frustrating to see because Vancouver was clearly the better team in this match, but unlike their road performances this season, they just don’t seem to have that same killer instinct at home.
It’s odd because usually teams are typically ruthless at home but struggle to assert their authority on the road, yet for Vancouver, their confidence has been sky high at hostile grounds, but the pressure of playing in front of home supporters appears to weigh on them, especially in the second half.
The Whitecaps are now up to 5W-2D-3L at home this season (they’re 6W-3D-4L on the road), so it’s not all bad news.
However, it would be good to see Vancouver handle their home matches more comfortably when the performances are good enough to deserve it, lessening the load on their top players and asserting their position as a top team in the West.
“If I think about it, I think that at home, when the game goes in our favor in terms of play, sometimes we need that killer instinct,” Sartini said. “Because subconsciously everyone starts trying to put together an excellent goal, they try to make a nice play.”
“At the same time, in our last game at home we scored four goals, and it’s our third win in a row at home, and that’s something we need to keep (up).”
–Sam
This post was done in collaboration with Canadian Soccer Daily, who cover all things Canadian Soccer at https://canadiansoccerdaily.com
I am stunned to read that a couple on here want Ahmed moved on. Ahmed will be our next big money transfer to Europe, and until then has a valuable role to play for the Caps.
He is te best talent and the most saleable young asset the Caps have had for some time, and someone says he is all flash and no talent? Crazy. This is only his second season playing at this level.
I’m looking forward to him playing a bit part for the Caps the rest of this season, then watch the offers come in from Europe.
The Ali rumours will have to wait until the Fafa rumours are complete LOL. If Fafa does want out then his 9 goals makes him a much better trade bait. If he goes then Ali could slot in at left forward. If Fafa stays then he’ll probably continue LM/LF and maybe get some time at CM.
Correction, Fafa has 6 goals not 9. Still a lot more than Ali so better trade bait if he wants out. I want to keep both TBH.
I’m surprised to see calls to move on Ahmed. He’s still a tantalizing player to me, nowhere near his ceiling. Many Canadian players peak later than their counterparts elsewhere. Adekugbe, Bair, Laryea, Raposo, Osorio, Cornelius, Vitoria, Shaffelburg etc. have all taken multiple pro seasons to mature into the players they have become and the distance Ahmed needs to ascend is relatively a small one. It might be a change of scenery is needed or a change of position (central midfield?) but coming off these last performances against Uruguay and SKC I’m optimistic.
The final touch is always the last one to perfect, isn’t it? That’s why you pay so much for it. If ever there was a Whitecaps quasi-homegrown development project to stick with, I’d vote for Ahmed, especially with the team now playing the kind of ball that fits his style and skills. I’m glad Davies overcame his Robbo years, maybe it helped in some regards to be playing defence for 65% of the game, but I think the pieces are nearly in place for a few good offensive years with this group and the mentorship potential of Gauld, White, Schöpf and Picault in that final third won’t be wasted.
“It was frustrating to see because Vancouver was clearly the better team in this match, but unlike their road performances this season, they just don’t seem to have that same killer instinct at home.”
Blue-coloured glasses on again with this comment. The better team in that they scored two goals to one, but otherwise over the course of the match it was an evenly-played one that SKC could have had a result in fairly, and frankly had they won it 2-1 they’d have been value for that no question.
Statistically, SKC created more chances, forced more saves, and hit the woodwork once.
The ‘Caps got away with this one, yet again at home, SKC having but five outfield subs available imo the reason they couldn’t manage it. Attempts in the second half were 15 -4 for SKC. Vermes nearly played a blinder with the triple sub at halftime. This was another uneven home performance from the ‘Caps. It’s an average team that is getting away with average performances against average to poor sides.
And on Ahmed, I agree it’s time to sell him on. He won’t improve, as he’s frankly at his ceiling. Take the money and run, as his technical ability just isn’t there on his end product.
So we’re a better team without Ahmed?
I don’t believe Ahmed is integral to the side’s performance, positively or negatively. As noted in the summary, his end-product is non-existent. He’s no more or less effective than Johnson in my opinion, however unlike Johnson with his national team caps now he’ll fetch a higher fee.
After starting in the third place game against Uruguay, now might be the best time to sell Ahmed. His stock must be pretty high after Copa and now might be the time to sell high. It might be the best move for Ali as well since a bigger club in Europe would be able to progress his development better than the ‘Caps can.
Interesting. We moan about missing Ahmed during Copa and now 1 game back it’s time to sell him. Are we a better team without Ahmed and what he brings to the team. It’s a given that he’ll get opportunities to play at a higher level and make more money but that should happen when the season is over. And a sidebar: often Canada/USA players who go to Europe end up digressing as they receive little playing time. In the summer of 2026 Ahmed will be pushing for a spot on the CMNT. Leading up to that does he want to be playing regularly or sitting on the bench
If Ahmed is considered for a significant contributor spot on the national team in a year or two, the national team has a serious issue with quality in whatever position intended.
He’s flash and dash, no end product. At 24, that’s an issue, and one that rarely is addressed and improved upon. He does not have the instincts to be an attacking player.