Coffee with the Caps: Monday March 3

Good Monday morning Caps fans and hope you all are having a good start to your March and your workweek.

No doubt that it was another good weekend in Vancouver, with the Whitecaps continuing their winning ways with a 2-1 win over the defending MLS champions, using a Brian White header to grab a deserved victory against a depleted LA side.

This is certainly a much different side than the one that put the Caps to the sword a year ago at BC Place, with Riqui Puig and Joseph Painstil out long term. But there is plenty of danger and the Caps are showing the benefits of Jesper Sorensen’s system, controlling the bulk of possession and largely forcing the Galaxy to nibble around the edges in searching for chances.

Not everything went according to plan. Some poor goalkeeping (and a lack of strength from Tristan Blackmon) seemingly let the Galaxy back into the match. And Sam Adekugbe, who sparkled in the first half hour, was forced to exit with what looked like a potentially serious injury. We wish him a speedy recovery and given that the Caps struggled in the first half after his exit, a long term health issue would be a huge problem.

But Edier Ocampo looked solid filling in, even though he was out of position. And Pedro Vite was fantastic, providing the cross that White finished off and serving as the engine behind Adekugbe’s goal. Sorensen’s system seems to have unlocked Vite, providing him more space to work in between the lines and allowing him to push forward and really influence the match. More performances like this and European clubs may finally come calling.

It is possible that the Caps are getting a bit of a new manager bounce here but overall, you have to be pleased with the bit of control that Sorensen is giving this side and the ways in which he has unlocked Vite, Jayden Nelson and Mathias Laborda. And while I’m not sure a new and improved Whitecaps can touch Monterrey, you have to think the Mexican giants are not relishing their trip to BC Place as much as they might have previously.

The Caps certainly have questions. I liked Ocampo but he has some sloppy moments and is ultimately still quite young, making me wonder whether he is ready to fill in long term for Adekugbe. And, as I alluded to above, I wonder about Yohei Takaoka’s decision making, though Sorensen will likely appreciate his comfort with the ball at his feet. I bet we’ll see Isaac Boehmer at some point but it’s going to take more errors before we see any full time changes in the starting keeper.

LA might not have started the season well but this is a result that could well be worth its weight in gold later this season. There is reason for real optimism and you know Vancouver won’t back down from a showdown with Rayados on Wednesday — game on.

Shameless Self Promotion

Read more from Sunday’s match and what the key takeaways are from the Caps’ 2-1 win.

Best of the Rest

Caps fans waded into the ongoing geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Canada, booing the Star Spangled Banner before Sunday’s game.

Jesper Sorensen indicated Sam Adekugbe sustained a quad injury that is at least somewhat serious, though hopefully it falls into the “looks worse than it is” category.

San Diego FC’s home debut was overshadowed by fans using the homophobic chant, a disappointing opening salvo.

A couple of former top CPL players are popping up in Europe.

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