Point: This five goal victory was against the worst team in MLS who were down to ten men midway through the first half.
Counterpoint: Montreal were only down to ten men because the Whitecaps were already causing them problems and Vancouver have struggled against poor teams more times than one may care to remember in the past.
But this victory was forged in the metal of WFC2.
Simon Becher continued his remarkable (and unsustainable) scoring run. Although the way he linked up with the rest of the team was perhaps even more important than the goals.
And Ali Ahmed produced one of the best attacking midfield performances from a Whitecaps player for many a moon.
Ahmed showed the value of having a midfielder who is willing to run at the opposition with the ball at his feet and the value of having a midfielder who is willing to support the attack when the ball isn’t at his feet.
If nothing else Becher and Ahmed have issued a wake up call to their more senior colleagues.
Nobody played badly of course, but Javain Brown showed more quality on the final ball than thus far this season and Julian Gressel was almost as much of a threat as Ahmed.
The optimist would say that this result had been coming and that Vancouver can now settle into the season and move up the standings.
The pessimist would say that Sartini will see this as a license to continue to mix and match who he plays and where he plays them and so the chance of the team gaining momentum will constantly be stalled.
But credit to the coach for this one.
The Whitecaps didn’t just win. They won by playing open and expansive football.
Long may that continue.
It’s time for the Soccer Shorts player ratings!
Takaoko-5, Brown-6.5, Martins-5.5, Veselinovic, 5, Blackmon-5, Cubas-5.5, Ahmed-7*, Gressel-6.5, Vite-6, White-6, Becher-6.5 (Laborda-5, Teibert-4.5, Berhalter4.5)
Soccer Shorts (The Director's Cut) 