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He was the toast of Vancouver for a large portion of last season for the Whitecaps. A giant, standing 6’4 and weighing in at 200 pounds. A complex myriad of tattoos adorned each of his arms. Eric Hassli had the look of a superstar, and in his first MLS match the talent was on display for all to see.
Two goals against Toronto FC raised the eyebrows of the Vancouver Whitecaps brass. Could this be the franchises’ first bonafide star? Hassli ended up scoring again three matches later against New England. Then came his first scoring drought of the season, when he didn’t tickle the twine for seven straight matches. The scoreless streak was snapped against New York a game later.
Two games went by without a goal, and then came the infamous game, or should I say infamous goal, when Hassli showed the Whitecaps exactly what he could do. My meagre explanation of the wizardry that Hassli produced that evening could never even come close to the pure artistry that was on exhibit that evening. Two goals, including the Whitecaps best goal all year made us wonder what this man was capable of. Many Whitecaps supports rejoiced in the thought that Eric Hassli was going to be a front line player, a player that could lead the Whitecaps out of the mediocrity they had been mired in.
He scored another brace five matches later against San Jose, and two matches later, Hassli again popped two goals into a net, this time against Chicago. Hassli was proving over the course of the season that he has all world talent, but was a streaky, inconsistent scorer.
In a lot of ways, he exemplified the Whitecaps season perfectly; on any given night, he could perform, and perform well. Some nights, he could be explosive, dynamic and unstoppable. On other nights, he could do his best disappearing act. The problem was, the disappearing act happened all too often.
Punctuating this thought was his horrendous finish to the season. After his impressive streak of four goals in three matches, Hassli was a non entity in the final eleven matches. For a team sputtering into the final leg of the season, desperately searching for a superstar to emerge and lead the team to glory, Hassli was harder to find than Waldo.
In his final twelve games, Hassli had a paltry four points, three of which came in a single contest against Chicago. It is worth noting that while Hassli faltered, fellow attacker Camilio proved to be the more consistent offensive threat, notching eight points in his final twelve matches, eventually leading the team in goals with twelve. He also won the Team MVP.
Let’s get back to Hassli though. It’s troubling to think that the DP Frenchman could not find a way to get on the scoresheet in his final eleven contests, but what’s even more of a red flag is that his starting position was pinched by Long Tan, a player who came into the season with no fanfare or expensive price tag, almost the exact opposite of Hassli. He started three of the final four games of the season in place of Hassli, and while he scored only one goal, he was crafty, slippery and showed incredible poise with the ball on his foot. To put it simply, Long Tan looked like he was giving more on the pitch than Eric Hassli.
Given the Whitecaps are on their third head coach, what unfolds next under Martin Rennie will be anybodys guess. When training camp starts, Eric Hassli is going to have to raise his competitive level and prove that he is a better, more dangerous and consistent player than Long Tan - or any other player the 'Caps bring in to add competition. He’ll have to prove that he didn’t drink the same water as Mustapha Jarju and see his game dissipate over the final two months.
Hassli is a fan favourite here in Van City, with his dazzling goal against the Sounders and his likable demeanour. Fans are hoping that he will re-discover his form of old and blow the roof off of BC Place. However, as of now, I would think Long Tan is the favourite to start. Eric Hassli has the tools, and he could own this city if he consistently plays like he knows how. Until then however, he, like the entire Whitecaps franchise, has a lot to prove next season.
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