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SBI MLS Team of the Week: Vancouver Whitecaps

Mattocks-SportingKCWhitecaps-USA Today Sports

Photo by USA Today Sports

By RYAN TOLMICH

Knowing that Sporting KC had won five straight road contests, the Vancouver Whitecaps recognized that it would take a special effort to avoid becoming the latest team to fall to the reigning MLS Cup champions in front of their home supporters.

A special effort is exactly what the Whitecaps put forth, as the hosts harassed and disrupted the Sporting KC midfield all night on the way to a 2-0 victory. The result made the Whitecaps our choice for SBI MLS Team of the Week.

Pedro Morales proved to be the most difficult Whitecap for the visitors to deal with, as the Chilean midfielder made Sporting KC pay for repeatedly losing the ball in the midfield. Morales effortlessly combined with Darren Mattocks as the Whitecaps repeatedly overran the Sporting KC defense, as the 2-0 scoreline was only preserved by a pair of goalline clearances and a penalty kick save.

The Whitecaps beat out Real Salt Lake, the Chicago Fire and FC Dallas for this week’s honors.

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What did you think of the Whitecaps’ performance? Which team impressed you the most in MLS Week 22?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Yes, Vancouver is a good choice. I always like to watch Steven Beitashour even though he is no longer at the Earthquakes. The Earthquakes would be in much better shape if they hadn’t let him go. Generally the quality of individual players in a team is hard to assess when the team does not perform well. In this case Sporting Kansas City lost partly because of the own goal. The loss rested on the defense. But Kansas City also got to experience how it is to lose. It isn’t easy to tell whether Vancouver was the best team of the week. All that said, I also like the way the Earthquakes played and are finally adjusting to playing a less confrontational style of soccer.

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  2. Vancouver is a good team.

    Unfortunately, Maddux is going to frustrate forever I think.
    There was a dangerous play, I think to put Vancouver up 3-0…ball gets put behind the keeper…but Maddux had stopped running when he realized he was not getting the ball.

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  3. Man – my team, FC Dallas, has been on an unbeaten streak for 8 games now. I can’t remember a game when the play didn’t completely break down after they scored a goal or two. In fact, that seems to be the trend in MLS. Games quickly devolve into unwatchable, boring hack ball. The last truly entertaining game I watched was LA vs Seattle and Redbulls vs Arsenal.
    Ooft.

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