Every Friday, Sportsnet.ca will chat with Sportsnet soccer commentator Paul Dolan—a former Canadian national team goalkeeper—about the big stories and issues in Major League Soccer.
Pedro Morales had a bit of a breakout performance in Vancouver’s 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake last Saturday—this after looking pretty anonymous in recent weeks. When he’s on his game, the Chilean is one of the most dangerous players in MLS. Is it fair to say he’s lacked consistency since joining the Whitecaps? If so, why do you think this is?
I think it is fair to say he has been somewhat inconsistent, particularly since the World Cup break and some of that can be put down to still adjusting to MLS, the travel, the turf and the compressed schedule. He joined the Whitecaps after playing in La Liga so he has not had a break in over a year. I think after an incredible first few games for the team that opponents also started keeping a keener eye on his whereabouts on the pitch. I don’t think he was necessarily the best overall player for Vancouver in the last game but his moments of brilliance are so good that they are far and away better than anything any of the other players can provide, and in the end it was his two goals that were the difference.
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Doneil Henry has been an unused sub by coach Greg Vanney in Toronto FC’s last three games. What kind of future, both in the short- and long-term, do you think Henry has with TFC?
I think he still has a very promising long-term future for the club at just 21 years of age and already so many competitive games under his belt for Toronto FC. At this point, I think Nick Hagglund has done so well in his rookie season that he hasn’t given the manager a reason to drop him so it’s unlikely Henry will find his way back into the team for the short-term but with the way things have gone injury-wise for TFC, you would never be surprised to see him back in there. I think both players have similar positive attributes: physical, quick, very strong in the air defensively and offensively and as with all young players the areas they need to improve are decision making and communication which are things that come from experience.
Midfielder Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé has been given a lot of playing time by Montreal Impact coach Frank Klopas this season. What’s been your impression of the Canadian prospect?
He was excellent in the Canadian camp ahead of the Jamaica game and I think he has been a very versatile addition to the Impact line-up when he’s played this year as he can play both in midfield and in the fullback position. He has a very comfortable left foot and is composed defensively and in tight situations with the ball. Probably more important than anything, he’s got a good head on his shoulders and seems very grounded. I think he’ll do well for both club and country in the coming years.
Portland Timbers captain Will Johnson is expected to miss six months of action after breaking his leg in last week’s 3-2 loss to Toronto FC. How much of a blow is this for the Timbers? And does this hurt Canada ahead of next year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup?
It’s a massive blow for the Timbers because he has a positively infectious attitude on his teammates and his leadership is vital as the team’s captain. He’s such a good all-around player with the ability to set the tempo with a hard challenge or join the attack inside the penalty area and pop in a few goals that it will be very hard to replace him – you can’t, in fact. As bad as the leg break was for him, you know he’s the type of player that will put everything he can to get right as quickly as possible and with still almost a year until the Gold Cup you would hope that he could be ready to play at the start of the MLS season next year and be in top form again and available for Canada in the summer.
Dominic Kinnear has been given permission by the Houston Dynamo to talk to San Jose about possibly signing on as their new coach. Would he be a good fit for the Earthquakes? And what about current San Jose coach Mark Watson? What becomes of him?
Yes, he would be a good fit for the Earthquakes as he is familiar with the San Jose market as a long-time assistant to Frank Yallop before the team moved to Houston and he has obviously done a very good job while with the Dynamo. However, I think Mark Watson has done an excellent job in San Jose with the limited resources he’s been given and deserves the chance to move into the new stadium next year with the ability to improve his squad to his liking and build off the back of a great end of season last year and a rebuilding season this year.
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