Mathías Laborda – 6.0

It’s a bit difficult to say you liked what you saw from a defender in a match where the team conceded four goals, but I actually thought the Uruguayan was decent. He remained a threat in the air, particularly on set pieces, and didn’t make any major defensive errors. Overall, he was one of the more reliable members of a back line that had a difficult night.

Tristan Blackmon – 5.5

Similar thoughts to Laborda, though without the same aerial threat. Blackmon wasn’t quite the ball-carrying force we’ve grown accustomed to seeing, but he still led the side with 107 touches as Vancouver looked to build through him from the back.

Édier Ocampo – 6.0

He got turned pretty badly in the build-up to Cincinnati’s second goal, but I liked what I saw from Édier going forward. Operating in a fairly advanced role, he was positive on the ball and looked to provide width and support in attack throughout the match.

Oliver Larraz – 6.5

Maybe I’m wrong on this one, but I’ve decided I’m a Larraz truther. I think he’s a player Jesper Sørensen can develop into a very good box-to-box midfielder. He’s still only 24, and the defensive side of his game already holds up well.

Admittedly, there are still moments when he receives the ball and it looks like the game is moving a little too quickly for him, causing him to default to the safe backwards pass. That said, when he plays with confidence, you can see the attacking instincts. His willingness to pull the trigger led directly to the Whitecaps’ opening goal, and that’s the kind of decisiveness you’d like to see more often.

He’s unlikely to become Berhalter 2.0, but it’s worth remembering there was a time when the only question people were asking was whether Sebastian Berhalter was a capable backup to Andrés Cubas at the No. 6. We all know how that turned out.

Andrés Cubas – 5.0

The World Cup veteran wasn’t at his best in this one. While I wouldn’t put the blame on him alone, there were several small moments that contributed to the goals against. He couldn’t quite get enough on the chipped cross that led to Cincinnati’s second, lost the 50/50 that sparked the attack for their third, and then played an uncharacteristically poor pass straight to nobody in the build-up to the fourth, effectively putting the game out of reach.

Don’t get me wrong, there were still plenty of standout moments, as there always are from one of the league’s best No. 6s. But on another night, Cubas probably makes one or two of those plays, and that may have been enough to change the outcome.

Bruno Caicedo – 6.0

I think this is about exactly what you expect when you bring in a young winger with mercurial talent who is still limited in experience. Caicedo is dynamic going forward and can create goals out of nothing, as we saw with the Whitecaps’ opening goal. However, he’s also prone to losing his defensive responsibilities and leaving his back line on an island, which we saw at times throughout the first half.

Those are the kinds of growing pains that aren’t particularly surprising for a player in his position. Hopefully he’s alright after being forced to leave in the 44th minute.

Ryan Gauld – 8.0

His first MLS start in such a long time, and it was great to see him back out there. It’s easy to forget just how unique a player Gauld is. He’s a classic No. 10, drifting between the lines and popping in and out of the game, always looking for pockets of space to get on the ball. But he’s also a tenacious and aggressive player off the ball, pressing and throwing himself into 50/50s like his life depends on it.

The two goals were a deserved reward for his efforts, and the second was especially well taken. It was a reminder of the quality Gauld brings when he’s healthy and able to influence the game.

Jeevan Badwal – 7.5

The young Canadian scored a lovely goal, making that one-time finish look much easier than it actually was. He also linked up really well with Gauld and Ocampo, with the trio at the heart of much of Vancouver’s dynamic buildup play.

What stands out more than anything is how Badwal is starting to string together these kinds of performances week after week. Doing that as someone who just turned 20 is no small feat.

Brian White – 6.0

The striker wasn’t overly involved in this one, but it was good to see a couple of give-and-go moments between him and Gauld. That chemistry is clearly still there, and White’s ability to bring others into the game remains an important part of Vancouver’s attack.

I think his hold-up play is something the Whitecaps need to get back to relying on, especially against certain opponents where they need a way to relieve pressure and get higher up the pitch quickly.

Substitutes – 5.0

This was a major talking point from this one, mainly because of the lack of impact from the bench. Sabaly, Djordjevic, and Ngando were essentially non-factors, though I thought JC was alright and built a little bit on what we saw from him in the Canadian Championship.

After looking solid in the other competition, Djordjevic in particular appeared a bit out of his depth in this one. The Whitecaps pushed for a late equalizer, but they weren’t able to get enough of an impact from their substitutes to change the game.

Alright, those were my thoughts from this one. Let me know yours in the comments, as always.