VANCOUVER, B.C. - The Vancouver Whitecaps have a fantastic defense, a great goalkeeper, and more recently a higher success rate on set pieces. The area of concern for Whitecaps fans is trouble scoring goals. It was evident during the 2015 campaign that Vancouver can certainly create many glorious scoring opportunities, however taking those chances and converting them into goals remains a struggle.
The organizations offseason addition of striker Blas Pérez is going to help solve those goal-scoring woes. The former FC Dallas player has been scoring goals for fun since make his MLS debut on March 11, 2012. Pérez piled up 36 goals in 97 games played during his four-year career in Texas.
Making the move to western conference rival like the Vancouver Whitecaps wasn't easy. Pérez didn't really know any players on the team and was worried about how he would be received. Previous encounters for Pérez have included intense battles with Jordan Harvey and David Ousted.
"When I played against the Whitecaps I always played hard and fought hard', said Pérez. "It's the type of player I am, I've always been a fighter and it's naturally the type of player I am. Now that I'm part of the team, that's all in the past and there is lots of friendship and companionship within the team. I'm committed to the team."
BC Place can be a fortress for the Caps and a challenging place for opposition teams to come into. The fans have done a wonderful job of making BC Place one of the best atmospheres in MLS. As a visiting player, Pérez was in awe of BC Place. It's a pleasant change having Vancouver fans cheering for him.
"When I use to play at BC Place, I was always intimidated, but now that I'm part of the team I can see why the fans are so committed and why the team was so committed. I think it's a beautiful city and I'm getting accustom to the weather. I'm excited to be here for the time that I'm here."
The 34 year-old Pérez adds another offensive option for Carl Robinson and the Whitecaps. He is big, strong, and can hold the ball up. Pérez came on in the 66' minute vs Montreal on Sunday and he instantly drew attention from the Impact defense. With that extra attention, Pérez was able to create open space for Octavio Rivero. Whitecaps gaffer Carl Robinson noticed a boost from Pérez's appearance on the pitch.
"I think Blas gave us a lift in the game, which is important because of the way the game was going, 2-1 down. I think it's important to stress that we were knocking at the door throughout the game. The first 15 minutes we played very very well and had a number of chances."
If Pérez is able to create chances for a teammate or take one himself, he is happy with whoever finds the back of the net. The end goal is to win as a team. Drawing a pair of defenders, playing setup-man, or working in the air on set pieces. It's all the same for the Panama international when it comes to helping out offensively.
"For me this is a great step to be able to play with players like Octavio, Kudo. We all have to have a good fight to play together. It could be me or any one of them. It'll be a healthy fight and part of my role."
The Whitecaps abundance of depth will mean that Pérez won't see the pitch every match. It is more than likely that he will come off the bench in the second half as an option for Carl Robinson to switch things up. Vancouver has a fast, young, and exciting group of players. Pérez isn't the number 1 option as he was for FC Dallas. Early on for the Whitecaps that doesn't bother him one bit.
"I've got to work hard like everybody else for these positions. For me it's a matter of working for the position, nobody is given that."
Super Raton (Mighty Mouse) as he is affectionately called by his teammates, most noticeably by Pa-Modou Kah likes the direction the Whitecaps are heading. While an opening 3-2 loss to Montreal wasn't ideal it could prove to be a valuable learning lesson. Not everything comes easy in life or sports.
If Vancouver can cut back on the small mental errors you could see improved results. The Whitecaps are no doubt a playoff contender on paper and Blas Pérez is a believer in what this team can achieve.
"Teams lose because of little things, but I have no doubt that this is a good team. We're going to make it a long way and hopefully to the playoffs if god permits."
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