We need to be patient.
The Whitecaps (obviously) needed the pre-season to work on their tactics and getting to know each other on the field. Then they (obviously) needed a few games to really hone all that pre-season work. Then they (obviously) needed the self-declared “second pre-season” to work on the initial tactics that weren’t quite gelling following the first pre-season and the initial run of games and now (obviously) they need a few more games following the second pre-season to work on the tactics that were introduced to supplant the first set of tactics that didn’t quite work.
Seems reasonable.
The 3-1 loss to Real Salt Lake was one of those games in which Marc Dos Santos could argue that the score line didn’t reflect the game. But been there, done that.
The Whitecaps had a series of chances from set-pieces that they couldn’t convert and were ultimately undone by their inability to really threaten from open play.
It sometimes seems as though most of the Whitecaps attacking problems could be solved just by encouraging the midfield to turn toward the opposition goal when they receive the ball rather than opt for the safe pass back to a teammate.
Of course it sometime seems as though the Whitecaps problems could be solved by playing as though they’ve met each other before so there’s that too.
Onwards and upwards though and hopefully the Gold Cup will provide the coaches with a chance to implement a third pre-season in which they can work on the secondary tactics that weren’t quite gelling following the second pre-season and the secondary run of games but (obviously) they will need a few games following the third pre-season to work on the tactics that were introduced to supplant the secondary set of tactics that didn’t quite work.
Time for the Soccer Shorts player ratings!
Crepeau-5, Brown-5.5, Gutierrez-5, Godoy-5, Rose-5-Bikel-2, Baldismo-5.5*, Alexandre-5, Caicedo-4, Dajome-4, White-3 (Cavallini-3)
Soccer Shorts (The Director's Cut) 