RSL vs. Vancouver Whitecaps: What we learned from 1-1 draw

I love doing these pieces and I love watching two different RSL teams play so well for these matches, but I hate staring at broken links and from the sound of it, we were all in that boat for this one.

The following are my thoughts on what I saw from another great match that brings us one more closer to Toronto. I encourage any comments that showcase things I may have missed.

1st Half

The Good:

This seemed to look a lot like our starting back line, give or take a few guys, and they were solid. They had a good, albeit “second-team feel” midfield and front three ahead of them, but handled pressure incredibly well. The fact that we have four solid center backs to plug in when needed should excite all RSL fans.

Also, Luis Silva is playing really well and connecting with Barrett for some quality plays. I can’t wait to see how the line-ups work out, but we seem to have depth at key places. In addition to Silva’s play, I would like to recognize Omar Holness for his outstanding play. He is shaping up to be a very solid player, and if we can get him regular minutes with the Monarchs or RSL, he will likely be our future star.

The Bad:

I’d really like to see more from Chad Barrett than we have so far. He connected well with Silva, but I would have liked to see him go all the way in on some chances than he did. I know he won the ball in a dangerous spot for us and almost had a goal to show for it but came just short. More chances like that will likely be good for him, and what’s good for him is great for RSL.

The Ugly:

Portland’s IT Crew streaming the game. I tried turning it off and on again at least a dozen times, but I still missed portions of each half.

Editor’s Note: It might have been a more general YouTube issue, with nationwide reports of issues with the service.

2nd Half

The Good:

Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

I loved seeing what our starting attack will likely look like; I firmly believe that Jordan Allen and Albert Rusnak have what it takes to fill the holes that Burrito and Javi left last year and I think their speed can get Joao Plata and Yura Movsisyan in on great attacks. What they lack in experience, they make up for tenfold in speed and ability to come back and help defend when needed. Seeing Rusnak give the ball to Plata who whipped in a perfect ball for Allen to score off of was the highlight of the match for me, and shows that these guys will be a force in the league.

The Bad:

It’s hard to blame anyone when a goal gets scored because when all is said and done, it isn’t any one person’s fault. With that said, I think Mulholland did the best he could do when three Vancouver players were closing in on him, and I think a lot of great players would have been fooled like Aaron Maund was. If nothing else, these can all be learning lessons for those guys and we can start tightening things up as the pre-season moves on.

The Ugly:

*See first half ugly*