Issue #9 - A Bit of Adversity
The Whitecaps rally for a nail-biting 2-2 draw against LAFC, fueled by Brian White's brilliance.
Hello!
Another week and another result from the Whitecaps FC. And another edition of From 231 arriving in your inbox.
At least this one arrived on Tuesday. 😆
The View
I know I've said this before, but I have still have this gut feeling the bubble the Whitecaps are floating on is going to burst.
And with LAFC coming into BC Place, if there were ever a side that could pop said bubble, they might be it.
I was kind of nervous.
Quick note: I watched this match at home as my wife & daughter had a Mother’s Day outing. They… uhh… missed the first Whitecaps goal. 🤦♂️
Based on the first few minutes from opening kickoff, it was apparent I wasn't the only one with a touch of the nerves as the Whitecaps looked a little unsettled & uncoordinated.
Thankfully Yohei Takaoka wasn't.
Called upon early, he made a couple solid saves within these first few minutes. And while it didn't take much longer after that for LAFC to capitalize on a poorly informed decision from Édier Ocampo, Yohei did make the initial save before they potted the goal.
After the obligatory sigh and "c'mon boys" shout at home, I found myself eerily settled. The squad had been in this position before, down a goal early, and had found it simply a wakeup call to push forward.
Édier Ocampo though? He had a different take and attempted a careless tackle in the Whitecaps penalty area resulting in the easiest call referee Joe Dickerson had all night (more on him later).
Two nil less than twenty minutes in on a Denis Bouanga spot kick.
Still, there's something about this Whitecaps FC side that simply sees adversity as fuel to their internal fire.
They pushed. They pushed hard.
And minutes after Bouanga goal, Brian White notched an absolutely stellar goal off his head to cut the LAFC lead in half.
More importantly? It brought the home crowd back into the match.
With Ali Ahmed coming in for Pedro Vite at half, the 'Caps really started to dictate play. At times, it truly looked like LAFC simply lacked the gear needed to keep up with Vancouver's pace.
In the lead-up to Brian White's brace at the 70' mark (spoiler alert), Vancouver generated opportunity after opportunity.
So it wasn't too much of a surprise to witness another absolute stellar goal from Brian White's head to tie the match up.
While Vancouver did what they needed to do to get back into the match, the remaining twenty minutes were a rough watch.
Officiating was somewhat suspect.
Embellishment was the happy hour special.
And the Whitecaps looked a bit out of gas, so thank goodness Yohei still had some in reserve as he was called on absolutely late to maintain the 2-2 score line.
It wasn't pretty, and statistically, the Whitecaps technically stole the result.
But I'll take it.
Andiamo!
The Good
- Brian White's head. Brian White's left boot. Brian White's right boot. He's having himself a season, ain't he?!
- Yohei Takaoka was on. While it's unfortunate we had to learn this no more than 10 minutes into the match, he made nearly every save needed to keep the match in reach.
The Not So Good
- Édier Ocampo. I like the kid. I really do. Yet he had himself a serious "Oh Campo" style match on Sunday, contributing to both of the LAFC markers.
Around the Pitch
I think I figured out early on in my youth soccer career that I was at best a decent recreational player. I played hard. I gave my all every match. Yet I had to work mighty hard to get the results that came so easily to others.
Yet when given the opportunity to take a whistle and stand in the middle, I was a little bit better than decent. In fact, some suggested I had clear potential as a referee.
When I hung my playing cleats up in my mid-teens, I transitioned my effort in the game to become a better-than-good referee.
I attended clinics. A nationally carded referee holding a local workshop? I was there. A chance to pick the brain of a FIFA accredited referee? I showed up with all the questions. And any chance there was to be assessed, I requested it.
I poured many years into my young referee career and took my role as an official as serious as a kid could.
And in doing so, I was offered opportunities to officiate Provincial championship matches at Swangard Stadium. Run the line in semi-pro and post-secondary matches. And even be selected as a fourth official for an international friendly.
Yet before I was in my mid-twenties, the dark side of the sport reared its ugly head. The verbal abuse I received was near constant. I had instances where adults attempted to intimidate me with threats and vulgarity. Twice I was followed to my car.
And one time, I was physically assaulted by a player in the middle of an outright brawl (player knocked me out with one punch, only to take my flag and strike me across the back twice afterwards).
So when it comes to sharing my opinions on officiating, you'll rarely see me chime in.
I think we often forget that all referees are human. And we all make mistakes. Referees included.
While I won't go as far as suggest that Dickerson had a horrible match, I feel there's much for him to reflect upon.
It was clear that LAFC adopted a gameplan as the game progressed that used embellishment to draw calls at most, reactions at minimum. And they also introduced a level of physicality that slowly heightened the temperature.
Is that all on the referee? No. Absolutely not.
But the management of a match can always be improved upon, and I do hope he has an opportunity to review what he might do differently should situations like those that arose on Sunday come to light again.
At the end of the day, the referees in the MLS are professionals. They are well-paid and expected to do a very tough job particularly well.
But remember... they are people just like you & me.
Well that's a wrap.
Vancouver heads out on the road and will look to score a result against Austin on Saturday night.
I'll be back in your inbox a few days later to share my thoughts as always.
From my seat to your browser!
If you enjoyed this, please consider sharing on social media or forwarding it to someone that you think would love it just as much! ❤️
-Chris (@lyteforce.ca)