The big question for the Vancouver Whitecaps going into Saturday’s road match with Real Salt Lake was how the side was going to adapt given captain and creative maestro Pedro Morales was suspended.
Playing against a team known for keeping possession, Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson didn’t opt for a like-for-like switch, instead switching up his formation and leading his side to a 1-0 win—the club’s first ever road victory over one of the Western Conference’s best sides from seven attempts, and a result which means the Whitecaps hold their position at the top of the league table.
Moving away from what is essentially a 4-2-3-1 formation when Morales plays, Robinson implemented at 4-3-1-2 against Salt Lake.
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That didn’t lead to free flowing stuff from the Whitecaps, but it kept the team compact, and it was Darren Mattocks who came up with the game’s lone goal in the 80th minute with a well taken header. Russell Teibert was vital on the play, racing to the corner flag to deliver a cross into the area after a ball corralled off an RSL defender in the buildup.
When you consider that this marks the side’s third road victory of the campaign this early on, and compare that with the total of three away wins Robinson’s side picked up last season, it’s clear to see what sort of progress is being made with this unit.
This 2015 version of the Whitecaps has a resiliency about it that has resulted in the team squeaking out wins from tight games, and that’s what this game was for large stretches.
Ultimately, it was the centre of the park where the team won the match, despite the fact one of their most important midfielders wasn’t unavailable. Teibert was perhaps Vancouver’s best player, displaying his typical urgency and industry throughout the match, and showing his quality as well with a delivery on the decisive goal.
Nicolas Mezquida deserves credit for stepping into the lineup in place of Morales and playing a more defensive role than perhaps his game is best suited for. He did the basic things well and has a bite to his game that has a sort of infectious effect on his teammates.
Matias Laba was the third member of that midfield three, and it is on the road where his tenacity and defensive awareness become so apparent. After making a rare mistake that partially led to the deciding goal in the team’s recent loss, the Argentine bounced back with a more typically dependable performance.
Of course there was an element of fortune to this match for the Whitecaps, as RSL finished the match with nine men due to red cards to Sebastian Saucedo and Jamison Olave.
Then there’s also the reality that as much as Vancouver missed Morales, RSL also missed theirs, as Javier Morales couldn’t play due to a hamstring injury. In some ways the absence of both playmakers resulted in a game devoid of the sort of nuance and unpredictability that the top creative players always bring, and the Whitecaps, despite playing a large portion of the match one man up, had trouble really opening the visitors up largely due to that lack of dynamism in the centre of the park.
Observers of this Vancouver team will surely be surprised by the continued evolution of Mattocks. Many have written off the Jamaican a handful of times already as un-coachable, but it’s clear that Robinson was never one of them.
The Welshman’s work with the player was apparent again in this match, as beyond the game winning goal, the attacker did well to track back on a number of occasions and use his speed to negate more than one counterattack.
A performance like this comes at the right time for Mattocks as well given the arrival of new signing Cristian Techera. They’re very different sorts of players, but will essentially be competing for playing time on the wing and up front.
At the other end of the pitch, Kendall Waston was particularly involved and resolute in the heart of defence once again. The Costa Rican is a real star and at times it feels as if the presence of his defensive teammates is irrelevant. There is that sense that he is for key periods of games a one-man wall.
His partner, however, Pa Modou Kah, continued his habit of having at least one questionable moment. In this case it was a lapse that saw the veteran defender let Alvaro Saborio get in behind him in the first half. It didn’t cost Vancouver, but Robinson is likely watching that space to see if these little hiccups continue.
Next up for the Whitecaps is a home match against D.C. United next weekend at BC Place.
Martin MacMahon is a Vancouver-based writer. Follow him on Twitter