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Posted by
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April 13, 2016 |
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VANCOUVER, B.C - Goals, goals, goals, always seems to be the topic concerning the form of the Vancouver Whitecaps. Either they aren't creating enough chances to fill the net, or the opportunities created are being squandered. Carl Robinson's squad is coming off a 4-0 thrashing from DC United and MLS Player of the Week, Fabian Espindola. Vancouver has a 2-3-1 record and will take on Real Salt Lake this weekend in Sandy, Utah. RSL at 3-0-2 are the only MLS team not to lose a match this season.
Whitecaps Costa Rican midfielder Christian Bolanos is recovering from a knee injury that he picked up against the LA Galaxy on April 2 at BC Place. Bolanos, Pedro Morales, Octavio Rivero, and Nicolas Mezquida all missed Vancouver's defeat on the east coast with injuries. Bolanos, Morales, and Mezquida did some light jogging at practice this week while Rivero was a full participant in training at UBC.
One of the puzzling statistics concerning the Whitecaps offensive woes is the absence of goals from open play. Vancouver has scored six goals this season and none from open play, that's 540 minutes for you math challenged folks. While fans might be concerned, Bolanos isn't ready to hit the open play panic button.
"I don't know why," said Bolanos. "We have a lot of players with quality to create chances for the strikers and midfielders for scoring goals. Right now we've had six games. I think when you lose a game you can't go with your head down. Against LA, we play with 10 players and I think it was a good game. The last game we lose 4-0 so it's not good. We have to find the right balance in the games to create more chances and be more offensive and be more strong on defense. I think that's only a number (540 minutes), it's nothing to think about too much."
The injury bug has hit the Whitecaps, a total of five players have been suspended, international call-ups have taken place. With all that happening it's difficult to form chemistry with new players like Bolanos, Masato Kudo, and Blas Perez. The only way to get better and work together is by training together. None of these factors are a reason the Whitecaps are willing to use as an easy out for no goals from open play.
"I don't want to make excuses," Bolanos explained. "If you have all the squad, you have more possibilities to have a strong team on the pitch. I don't say that the guys played right now, that they didn't do a good job so far. It's better to have everyone in good shape to be in the squad. The coach can decide, that's part of football. Everyone has to be ready, I hope it's not about the injuries and that it's just about football."
In his three appearances, totalling 227 minutes on the pitch, Bolanos has picked up an assist and has been credited with two shots on target. He's still finding his MLS legs and hoping his knee will be recovered in time for Vancouver's encounter with Real Salt Lake on Saturday evening.
"Yeah I got kicked in the side of the knee against LA. I have to take care, but right now I'm feeling very good. I hope tomorrow I can be with the with the squad and on the weekend I can be there. With fitness I am good. It's just treatment to make myself more strong to take care."
The Vancouver Whitecaps are in a crucial portion of the season and have a perfect opportunity to capture the local sports fans attention. The Vancouver Canucks season is over and the B.C. Lions won't be returning to the gridiron for months. Winning and building momentum is the best way to attract new fans and expand interest and support. Bolanos wants to see a win as much as the fans do.
"We can not take more time to lose games," revealed Bolanos. "The next game we have to win and then I hope we can be in that way. Sometimes you have to lose to see what you aren't doing in the game. You have to stay together like a group and then it's more easy. It's not about one player or two players, it's about the team."
While Vancouver's scoring difficulties have been under the microscope, so has Major League Soccer and the disciplinary committee (DICSO). Bolanos was retroactively suspended on March 10 'for serious foul play' vs Montreal. MLS is the only football league in the world that second guesses referees by handing down suspensions days after matches have taken place, and where a sending off hasn't occurred. Bolanos has played all over the globe and was quite surprised by all this.
"For me it was strange, but that's how it is here," said Bolanos. "I cannot change anything, I just have to be more smart. I don't change my way, how I see the football or how I have to play. Sometimes you lose the ball and you have to react, it's a normal reaction for the player."
The wide perception is that MLS is trying to protect players and prevent catastrophic injuries from occurring. Players are worried about going in for a tackle because any little amount of contact, embellishment, and mass confrontation could result in a red. Bolanos does not think the kick to his knee vs Los Angeles was intentional. He respects the rules of MLS and is adapting like everyone else.
"I don't know if that's a kind of protection, I think it's kind of a rule that changes football. Football is contact, sometimes it's not on purpose (accidental). You can see, the players know when a player wants to kick you in a bad way and sometimes you can see a player wants to win the ball. I got this kick, but I don't see the defender wanting to kick me. If I say something to the referee, he says, no I didn't see anything. That's the rule, I don't know if it should (be). I have to respect that and I know now that I have to be more focused in that part of the game."
Christian Bolanos and his Whitecaps teammates will be looking to knock off an undefeated Real Salt Lake team with a goal after goal from open play and a match without any cards. It's time to get back to playing football minus all the nonsense and outside noise that has taken the spotlight off the beautiful game.
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