VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC were back at UBC on Monday for an afternoon recovery session after suffering a 3-1 loss to Toronto FC this past weekend in their season opener.
Here are some news and notes from the day.
<strong><b>TRAINING<br>
INTERVIEWS:</b></strong> |
<a href="//www.whitecapsfc.com/video/2015/03/09/carl-robinson-mar-9" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://vancouver-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/interview_robinson_w.png" style="width: 140px; height: 60px; "></a><a href="//www.whitecapsfc.com/video/2015/03/09/kekuta-manneh-mar-9" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://vancouver-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/interview_manneh_b.png" style="width: 140px; height: 60px; "></a><a href="//www.whitecapsfc.com/video/2015/03/09/david-ousted-mar-9" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://vancouver-mp7static.mlsdigital.net/mp6/interview_ousted.png" style="width: 140px; height: 60px;"></a> |
MOVING ON
The analysis of Vancouver’s season-opening defeat continued on Monday as the ‘Caps faced the media. Instead of dwelling on the defeat, however, Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson said he would be urging the group to “be happy.”
“We lost the first game of the season,” Robinson said. “It’s never nice to lose any game, whether it’s the first or 34th game. But there were a lot of positives to build on from the first 45 minutes. It was one of the best performances I’ve had since I’ve been here. The second half was okay. We need to improve on that and we all know that.”
MORE TO COME
Speaking of positives to build on, how about the performance of Kekuta Manneh in the first half? The 20-year-old was a handful to deal with for the Reds back line and was a key component to the ‘Caps attack, as illustrated here. Robinson called his first-half performance “fantastic.”
Manneh felt good too, but he knows he has more to give.
“I need to score goals,” Manneh told reporters. “I feel like I’m a good finisher. I have a lot of chances in games so I just need to put my head down and finish them.”
FEELING THE LOVE
I had a quick chat with Octavio Rivero (through stand-in translator Mauro Rosales) on Monday about his thoughts on the atmosphere at BC Place in his debut.
And the Uruguayan had nothing but praise for the ‘Caps supporters.
“The atmosphere was really, really good,” Rivero said. “I really enjoyed it. It was a great experience for me because I’m coming from a different supporters’ culture. It was helpful after I missed the early chance because the fans kept supporting the team. They seem like a really loyal group who are always looking out for the best for the team and the best for me.”
EXCUSED ABSENCE
Centre back Pa-Modou Kah was excused from training on Monday as his wife has gone into labour. Robinson said he expected Kah to be available to make the trip to Chicago, but they would cross that bridge when they come to it.
“We send her our love,” Robinson told reporters. “We hope everything’s okay and I’m sure it will be. I got the phone call this morning. We’ll see. There are three or four days to go before we leave. The most important thing is that she’s okay and that Pa’s okay.”
OPENING WEEKEND
It was an eventful opening weekend in MLS, to say, the least – more on that here.
When asked if anything stood out to him, Robinson said:
“What a league this is becoming. Fantastic league ... some great football, some great players.”
Robinson went on to say that he was “glued to” the Orlando City SC and New York City FC match on Sunday afternoon. He said he was happy for the Orlando supporters that Kaka scored a stoppage-time equalizer. And he also had some praise for referee Alan Kelly.
“Sometimes it’s easier for managers to criticize referees. Sometimes, they don’t get the credit they deserve. What a fantastic performance he put on. Three bookings for simulation. That’s unbelievable. That’s a credit to him. The referees talked about that before the start of the season with all the groups. I thought his performance in front of 65,000 … not getting deceived by anyone and not being afraid to do what his job is to do … was fantastic.”
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The 'Caps are off to Chicago later this week (3 p.m. PT kickoff on Saturday - TSN1) for their first road match of the season.
"If we want to go to where we want to go, we need to show that we're a strong team on the road," goalkeeper David Ousted told reporters. "That starts Saturday in Chicago. There are some tough games ahead. We need to show, mentally and football wise, that we can rise to the occasion."
Participate in the best sporting experience in Vancouver! Whitecaps FC Season Tickets are now on sale. In addition to Season Tickets, Whitecaps FC offer a flexible range of ticket products, including Half-Season Packs, 5-Packs, a Youth Soccer Half-Season Ticket, and single match tickets. For more information, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
