Tony Tchani scoring against the New York Red Bulls.
Can ‘Caps continue fine form against well rested Columbus?
by Graham Tooke, @chelskitooke
GALAXY RECAP
Prior to taking on LA Galaxy at BC Place Saturday evening the feeling was, are the Whitecaps capable of providing the home fans with exciting soccer or would it be a grind to reach the playoffs.
Already they had to battle to victories over Chicago and Orland on the road which was definitely possible. But after being wholly outplayed by the Timbers at home they came away with a hard earned three points. You would have expected the Galaxy to enter the artificial turf with the same intent as the Timbers. However, the opposite happened as Vancouver out worked and outplayed their opponents from the first whistle to the last.
Kekuta Manneh scores his first of the season.
The return of Kekuta Manneh gave the home side the added edge when pushing forward as the centre back pairing of Kah and Waston sent long balls the way of Omar Gonzalez in a hope they could find Kekuta in behind the US international. And for much of the first half Gonzalez wasn’t budging.
There was a definite emphasis to play out of the back after the terribly disjointed display against the Timbers. Waston and surprisingly Kah appeared far more comfortable in possession. Something aided by the willingness of Russell Teibert to show up in open areas to receive the ball and help his team build their way forward rather than bypass the midfield.
The work rate from the Whitecaps was plain to see again. A popular and recurring theme that helps keep the crowd in good voice. That extra push from the supporters groups allowed the side to push for the entire 90 minutes scoring two unanswered and continue to press.
The Galaxy were poor in possession for once, and Juninho so far looks a shadow of the player we have come to see boss matches in previous seasons. That could be down to the loss of his midfield partner Marcelo Sarvas and the lack of imagination you would normally get from a Landon Donovan.
As much as the Galaxy weren’t at their usual high standards, credit has to be given to Russell Teibert for his tireless effort in keeping Robbie Keane quiet all match long. The veteran only just returned from international duty so may already have been feeling the effects of heavy legs from the jounrey, add to that his confessed love for the artificial surface at BC Place he was unlikely to have an MVP performance in Vancouver.
CREW MATCHUP
The ‘Caps will take on the Columbus Crew in their second match in quick succession, Wednesday evening. The Crew has only played three matches so far this season and will be well rested for their trip to the West Coast.
Their last a 2-1 home defeat to the New York Red Bulls, a game in which they lost Federico Higuain to a second yellow card and subsequent suspension that will see the star playmaker left at home this week.
Higuain will be suspended for the trip to British Columbia.
A record of one win and two losses is hardly the start Gregg Berhalter had envisioned after putting together a squad more than capable of challenging for top spot in the East. And with Higuain missing, Icelandic international Kristinn Steindorsson should slot in behind Kamara in order to provide the creativity lost by the Argentines’ absence.
Stealing points from BC Place will be high on the list for the Crew as they then have to fly back to the east coast and take on New England Revolution three days later. A far trickier double header than Vancouver has to traverse.
Carl Robinson has mentioned the side may be in for a few lineup changes this week considering they have a double game week to contend with. That would likely mean a rest for Sam Adekugbe against Columbus or San Jose. It would be surprising to see him trot out to both matches as he deals with the rib injury.
Up front it would be surprising but understandable if Rivero is rested. The league leading striker scored his fourth goal edging out the Seattle focal point of Dempsey and Martins who both have three already.
Kekuta Manneh would relish the chance to play as an out and out striker something we haven’t really seen since his exploits in Seattle well over a year ago. But even Darren Mattocks could see the pitch. He has been showing signs he is up for the cause performing enthusiastically off the bench for Jamaica where he scored twice on international duty at the end of March grabbing goals against Venezuela and Cuba.
There might even be appearances for Kianz Froese, Erik Hurtado and Deybi Flores. The three are young but hungry to make their mark this season. Already we’ve seen Flores jump into midfield and provide an immense drive, while Hurtado looks sharp and Froese would relish the opportunity to make his first start in MLS.
PREDICTED LINEUP
Vancouver Whitecaps: Ousted; Beitashour, Waston, Kah, Harvey; Laba, Teibert; Mezquida, Morales, Manneh; Rivero
Columbus Crew: Clark; Grana, Pogatetz, Parkhurst, Francis; Saeid, Tchani; Finlay, Steindorsson, Meram; Kamara
7PM, TSN and TSN 1410
