Vancouver Whitecaps win 3-0 against Minnesota United.

> Move to top of Western Conference

Katie Czenczek Staff Writer

na decisive match against Minnesota

United on September 13, 2017, the Vancouver Whitecaps were able to secure first place in the Western Conference in the Major Soccer League (MLS). Although both the Whitecaps and the Portland Timbers are both tied for first place at 44 points each, the Whitecaps have two more league games to play before playoffs start, thus giving them more opportunities to remain in first place.

The match between Minnesota United and Vancouver Whitecaps showed what the Whitecaps are truly capable of. They held onto possession for the majority of the match, and only gave Minnesota a decent chance at scoring once. Defence is what wins games, which is a concept the Whitecaps struggled with earlier in the season. In order for them to keep their position

as first in the west, they will need to continue to keep their defence unified and working as one unit.

However, capitalizing on goal scoring opportunities is just as crucial to what makes a successful team and what does not. Though the Whitecaps do not appear to have an issue with scoring goals at the moment, they will need to keep up their form. Scoring three on Minnesota United, the Whitecaps demonstrated how easy it is to score a goal when forwards are set up properly. Marcel de Jong made a beautiful long pass from centre up to Yordy Reyna within the first frve minutes of the match, setting up the tone of the entire game. Without both of these players capitalizing on a goal scoring opportunity, this goal would have not been able to happen. I guess that’s why most soccer teams are named something “United.”

Be sure to check out more Whitecaps games as they try to secure first place position entering the playoffs!

Out of the Blues

> Royals WSOC drop three points in surprise loss

Davie Wong Sports Editor

erhaps I was a tad overconfident

when I predicted the Royals to take a smashing result against the Capilano Blues. After all, this was the team that nearly ended the Royals’ playoff run early, taking them to extra time before falling. However, the Royals are a quality team, and that was on display early.

Douglas struck early with captain Sam Kell ripping her third of the season into the back of the net off an assist from rookie Martina Pettenon. But it didn’t take long for the dream start to turn into a nightmare. Blues midfielder Dominika Page scored the equalizer just seven minutes later off a set piece gone awry. Three minutes later, the Blues struck again scoring off a blast from Adrianna Babinski.

The flurry of action caught the Royals on the flatfoot. After the second goal, the team took some time to slow the game down and go back to the basics before heading into halftime. Now looking for the equalizer, the Royals struck out in the second half, playing clean aggressive football.

The team would tally four shots in the second half, including a gorgeous opportunity by Martina Pettenon, but the Blues’ keeper Nikki Gerbrandt was

impossible to solve. And so it would be that the early goal from Babinski turned out to be the winner.

The loss is a surprise for the Royals given the time they had to prepare for the game. However, the Blues seemed to have prepared for the Royals as well, given their tie result against VIU the next day. In an interview with the Other Press, Royals head coach Chris Laxton gave his insight into his team’s play. “We controlled the first half for maybe 10 minutes. We scored and then had a good surge. Unfortunately, Cap got back into the game and scored off a second phase of a set piece. We were really chasing the game for the majority of it.”

While a loss like this is always a bitter pill to swallow, it’s the losses that help build a team. For coach Laxton and the Royals, it’s about building towards their results. “We learn from our early performances, win, draw, or loss, and get better. It is a steady climb to our peak and we are nowhere near it. This team has always dealt well with adversity and challenges. I don’t expect anything less this time around.”

The result bumps the Royals into third place, trailing the tied leaders Capilano, and VIU by one point. It’s worth noting that the Mariners have a game in hand, and will still as they take on the Royals next week.

photo by Aaron Lavinsky via Star Tribune

Photo by Sean Velasco