VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC seem to be hitting their stride at just the right time.
After a first half in which the team was plagued by a spate of injuries, the 'Caps have gone on a tear. Unbeaten now in four – and with just two losses in their last 10 matches – Saturday night's 3-2 home victory over Real Salt Lake saw Vancouver climb up to third in the Western Conference standings, three points behind leaders Portland, with three matches in hand.
As we've seen over the past couple of seasons, hitting form at the right time has carried both of Vancouver's Cascadian rivals over the line to an MLS Cup. The 'Caps following suit might make for a great trifecta on paper, but Carl Robinson said it wasn't exactly what he had planned.
“It probably just happened," Robinson told reporters after the match. “I'd have liked to have won the first 15 games of the season, but that didn't happen. We put a lot of focus on the [CONCACAF] Champions League. We went as far as we could and we had to reset after coming up with the disappointment of maybe coming up a step too short.
“We just refocused. The guys have got healthy. You see Yordy [Reyna] coming into his own now and playing … it's going to take by committee to get results and it did today. It was a perfect example.”
Reyna has been a spark to the ‘Caps in recent weeks, in what is a much changed starting lineup to that from earlier in the season. Egyptian midfielder Aly Ghazal saw his first MLS minutes in Saturday's win, and their latest addition, Nigerian Nosa Igiebor, is waiting in the wings to make an impact.
It's all part of Robinson's aim to have fierce competition at every position.
“[I'm looking] for performances like Aly today,” Robinson said. “I thought he was absolutely top class. He broke up plays, he was simple. I knew he'd get tired. I said he'd play 60 minutes, but I enjoyed watching him play so he played 90 minutes, so that will put him at risk for Wednesday.
“I need fresh bodies all over the park and I need competition for places because that brings out the best in players. Or sometimes it doesn't and the ones it doesn't, you don't play.”
Perhaps most pleasing for Robinson in the win over Real Salt Lake was the nature of the victory and the all-around team performance. That's been the story of Vancouver's rise up the table in recent weeks, with key contributions coming from every part of the pitch.
“That's what teams do,” Robinson said. “We've got talented individuals but collectively, if we're going to be successful this year, and I've said it from day one this season and day one since I took the job, we're going to do it with a team ethic.
“If anyone ever thinks that they're bigger than the team, then they won't be here. It's nice when that happens because they've got a great spirit and camaraderie amongst themselves. When you work hard you get the rewards. When you train properly you play properly. You saw a committed group today.”
