Columnist image

TSN Soccer Analyst

| Archive

The Vancouver Whitecaps take on FC Dallas on Wednesday night in Frisco, Texas in the MLS playoff knockout match. If the Whitecaps are to progress into the next round, there are some key areas that they will need to focus on.

1.    Stop Blas Perez

The Panamanian striker is a natural goal scorer – and he has already hit the Whitecaps for three goals in three regular season games this year. Denying Perez opportunities in the penalty area is going to be central to the Whitecaps' success.

The first way to do this is to deny Perez from receiving the ball. By shutting off the supply line from wide areas – particularly from the likes of Fabian Castillo and Andres Escobar – Perez will drop deeper to try to get on the ball. The farther the Whitecaps can keep Perez from their goal, the less damage he will be able to do.

If the Whitecaps cannot stop Perez getting service in the penalty area, the next step is to get as tight as possible. No striker likes to be marked tightly, and while Perez is no stranger to physical play, he won't fancy getting roughed up by Kendall Waston and Andy O'Brien. If Vancouver's two centre halves can physically dominate Perez, the Panamanian will struggle to influence the game.

2.    Control the area in front of the back four

While Matias Laba was voted the Whitecaps' 'Unsung Hero' this season, his performances haven't garnered the attention that they have merited by the wider MLS media. Laba has been crucial to the Whitecaps' success this year because he has dominated the area in front of the back four.

Laba covers an incredible amount of ground and is tenacious in the tackle. His distribution is clean and crisp, allowing Vancouver to transition quickly from defending to attacking.

Against FC Dallas, Laba has to dominate the middle of the pitch if Vancouver is to succeed. This will not be easy, as the home side will likely try to dictate the tempo of the game by dominating possession. But this can work in Vancouver's favour, as the transition game is something at which the Whitecaps excel. When Laba wins back possession, his exit pass must find the feet of a teammate.

3.    Pedro Morales has to perform up to his ability

Pedro Morales has been a tremendous success for Vancouver this year, and he should win the MLS Newcomer of the Year award for his overall play. However, he has not played that well away from the confines of BC Place.

There are many reasons for this; visiting teams tend not to have as much possession and are forced to do more defending, for example. But in the playoffs, the Whitecaps cannot afford to have their best player be anything less than their best player.

Morales has the ability to unlock even the tightest defense; his passing range and technical ability are superb. If he can dictate the tempo of the game when Vancouver has possession of the ball by switching the point of attack and releasing either Erik Hurtado or Darren Mattocks in attack, the Whitecaps will cause FC Dallas all kinds of problems.

4.    Dominate both penalty areas

Set pieces will be a factor in this game; FC Dallas has players like Perez and Matt Hedges who are a threat in the air, while Vancouver has Kendall Waston and the delivery of both Pedro Morales and Mauro Rosales. The team that dominates both penalty areas is likely to win the game.

Until the arrival of Waston, the Whitecaps lacked a genuine goal scoring threat from set pieces. The now-retired Jay DeMerit, Andy O'Brien and Johnny Leveron have scored a grand total of zero goals for Vancouver this season. Waston has two in just nine starts since joining the club midseason, including the only goal in the 1-0 win over Colorado on Saturday that clinched a playoff berth for the Whitecaps.

With Waston in the team, Vancouver is a threat to score from every set piece in the attacking third, particularly from corner kicks. If the delivery is good from Morales and Rosales, don't bet against Waston adding to his goal-scoring tally against FC Dallas.

5.    Fortune favours the brave

Whitecaps' head coach Carl Robinson has impressed in his first year in charge of the club, particularly in his willingness to give his young players a chance.
 
In Saturday's victory over Colorado, Robinson showed no hesitation in replacing the injured Steven Beitashour with 19-year old Sam Adekugbe, nor with bringing on another 19-year old – Kekuta Manneh – in the second half. Both players played well with the game hanging in the balance, with Manneh's positive play winning the corner kick from which Waston scored the game's only goal.

If the Whitecaps are going to beat FC Dallas, their youngsters need to play like seasoned veterans. Russell Teibert, Gershon Koffie, Sebastian Fernandez, Nicolas Mezquida, Manneh, Adekugbe, Hurtado and Mattocks all have roles to play on Wednesday night. If they play like men and not like boys, the Whitecaps will fancy their chances of progressing on to meet the Seattle Sounders in the Western Conference semi-finals.