|
|
The Whitecaps suffered their second straight road loss this weekend but this time to Californian side Chivas USA. This match was another extremely disappointing defeat as it was completely avoidable and should not have happened.
The Good
Kenny Miller And Ball Possession
The best thing about this match, without a doubt, was when Kenny Miller made his return to the pitch. He refreshed his Caps side and obviously, scored their only goal via a diving header. After watching this match, something I took away from this match is that Miller is essential to the Whitecaps if they want to win. The story may have actually been different if Kenny Miller started the match, his leadership was fantastic and it showed on the pitch.
I thought the possession from the Whitecaps in this match improved from last weeks game against Houston as well. I am not saying it was perfect, or as good as it should be, but it was better. The Whitecaps still need to improve on cutting down on cheap giveaways. If they do this, they will command possession in their matches this season. Having players like Reo-Coker, Kobayashi and Koffie will help them achieve this as well because they are all talented players on the ball.
The Bad
Finishing In Front Of Goal And Reo-Coker Lacking
Although I thought the Caps' execution was slightly better, it was still quite poor compared to the standards it should meet. I have nothing to take away from Kenny Miller's goal as it was a very intelligent finish by the Scotsman. He realized he had to put everything behind the ball in order for Dan Kennedy not to be able to reach it and that impressed me.
Nigel Reo-Coker wore the blue and white captain's armband for the Whitecaps against Chivas in the absence of Kenny Miller. In my opinion, I don't think he played up to his usual standards in this match, nor did he against the Dynamo last week either. Understandably, Reo-Coker may need some settling-in time, but his grace period will not last forever and the Caps need him at his best as soon as possible.
The Ugly
Defending And Desire To Score
Scratch out Chivas' first goal as it was a fortuitous goal for The Goats and Jun Marques Davidson was just unlucky to be the culprit of the deflection. Once again, the Caps have let a game slip out of their grip due to poor defending in the box. This was the reason for the loss in Houston and this is the reason for this loss to the Rojiblancos. What the Whitecaps have had the most trouble with is defending on crosses and set-pieces. Three of the last four goals the Caps have conceded have been off of crosses, if they want to succeed, this has to be fixed.
Something I noticed was the Whitecaps' increased desire to score when it came down to the wire. This desire to score must be there from the first minute to the very last, not just at the end of the match. When the Caps absolutely needed to score, they dominated possession and the scoring chances because they needed to. This showed that they are indeed capable of controlling matches, but they need to show the desire first.
|