Good Monday morning Caps fans, we’re back into the grind again but hope you had a relaxing weekend to help smooth the way into the work week.
It was a frustrating evening in San Diego, as the Whitecaps went up 1-0 in the first half, saw Brian White miss an open goal in the second that would have doubled their lead and then immediately conceded an equalizer (one that came off a shanked long shot from a corner). All the while they couldn’t buy a foul).
San Diego certainly had their moments and in truth a draw was probably a fair result. The home side had the bulk of the possession, the Caps had the better chances (and couldn’t finish them) and both sides had moments where they just looked tired.
But both teams also had standout performances from makeshift back lines. The Caps shouldn’t have had to rely on their depth quite so much but they saw Ranko Vesolinovic walk off worryingly with a non contact injury in the first half, forcing Belal Halbouni to enter the fray. Credit should go to him and Bjorn Utvik for managing things well for the remaining hour of the game but Caps fans will be worried about Ranko’s fate given the injury crisis that has rammed into them during the second half of the season.
The Caps tried to rely heavily on transition moments and their most dangerous ones generally relied on either Jayden Nelson or Edier Ocampo, supplied by service from Sebastian Berhalter, who was excellent. Even though they had less of the ball, you still got glimpses of the first month of the season Whitecaps in the buildup, including the run up to the second open goal White whiffed on. Chalk it up to a bad night at the office for the striker, who is still trying to find form after the Gold Cup.
The draw on Saturday leaves Vancouver with 7 points from their road trip, a bit below what I was hoping for but in the context of even more injuries pilling up, I don’t think you can be too upset with the haul. Four points from their matches against San Diego and LAFC is solid and I think the bitter taste from the road trip will only be from the manner in which they lost but the last week has washed that out a bit. Now, all that stands in the way of a well earned break is a home date with Sporting Kansas City next week. In the meantime, kick back and enjoy an All Star week filled with Whitecaps players — and hope no one else gets hurt.
Shameless Self Promotion
We break down what the Caps did right and what kept them from securing all three points on Saturday.
Best of the Rest
With more Whitecaps participating in the All Star game, it is a fair question: will Vancouver ever get to host one of the league’s premier events?
Vancouver Rise demolished Halifax over the weekend in the biggest win in Northern Super League history.
A good look at what the Caps and their Western Conference compatriots need over the summer transfer window.
Forge continued their unbeaten run as their Canadian Championship date with Vancouver looms.