VANCOUVER -- Its early yet, but the Vancouver Whitecaps are showing signs that they will be more of an attacking team this season.
Dani Alves Jersey . Kenny Miller scored two goals as the Whitecaps opened the 2014 Major League Soccer campaign with a 4-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday before a sellout crowd of 21,000 at B.C. Place Stadium. "Were absolutely delighted with the way weve played," said Miller. "A lot of the things that we worked on in the pre-season really came into fruition today." The Whitecaps had been concerned with how their offence would shape up after losing 2013 MLS scoring leader Camilo Sanvezzo to a Mexican League team this off-season. Miller scored on a penalty-kick in the 34th minute and a breakaway in the 70th while second-half substitute Pedro Morales had a goal and an assist. Sebastian Fernandez also scored for the Whitecaps, who missed the playoffs in 2013. Bradley Wright-Phillips scored for New York with only two minutes left in the game. The Red Bulls placed first overall in the regular season last year but were ousted early in the playoffs. Carl Robinson, who pledged during the pre-season to put more offence in Vancouvers game, posted his first regular-season win as Vancouvers head coach following two years as an assistant to Martin Rennie. "I think it was written in the stars, the way the first game came out, and it was my old team, things like that," said Robinson, a former Red Bulls player and assistant coach. "But its just the beginning." Despite starting eight returnees, Robinson succeeded in his quest to create more scoring opportunities from mid-field as new midfielders Fernandez and Morales also hit the scoresheet. Vancouvers midfield play has been the subject of intense criticism the past two seasons. But the Whitecaps controlled play in the middle of the pitch for most of the game, generating several chances in the first half that were missed or stopped by New York goalkeeper Luis Robles, who kept the score lower than it could have been. Vancouver had 10 shots on target compared to New Yorks four. The Whitecaps put six shots on target in the first half. "Its what the boss (Robinson) wants," said Miller. "He wants them to be up against it. He wants us (forwards) to be pressing from the front and working hard." The Whitecaps remained unbeaten in five all-time meetings with the Red Bulls, who only put four shots on target in the game. The Red Bulls showed signs of fatigue in the second half after a long travel day from the East Coast on Friday. But defender Richard Eckersley, who made his regular-season debut along with fellow fullback Bobby Convey after an off-season trade from Toronto, said the long trip was not a factor. "We cant use excuses," said Eckersley. "We got well beaten today." Miller opened the scoring on a penalty-kick in the 34th minute as he sent a shot into one corner while Robles went the other way. The spot kick was awarded after Eckersley was called for a hand-ball in New Yorks box off a Matias Laba shot. Fernandez, a 24-year-old Montevideo, Uruguay native, who played with Perus First Division champion Universitario de Deportes last season, gave the Whitecaps a 2-0 lead early in the second half. He fired a shot from about 25 yards out into the top right corner of the net in the 49th minute. "It was just a good strike," said Eckersley, who was marking the Whitecap closely on the play. "What can you do?" Robles got his hand on the shot, but could not stop the ball from going in. Vancouver went ahead 3-0 as Morales sent Miller a long lead ball from deep in Vancouver territory. Miller ran onto it well beyond defenders and lobbed a bouncing ball over a helpless Robles. "I think weve seen, with (Morales) coming on, his vision -- his awareness in whats going on," said Miller. "There were a couple little flips out of the corner. Thats not by chance. He knows theres a guy in space and, obviously, that pass on my second goal was a sublime pass. But hes finished as well. "Weve seen flashes of him playing (25) minutes, but Im really excited about, hopefully, playing alongside him a lot more," said Miller. Morales, a 28-year-old Chilean who played in Spains La Liga the past two seasons, put the Whitecaps ahead 4-0 in the 89th minute as he fired in Nigel Reo-Cokers rolling pass from the right flank from outside the New York box. The only disappointed Whitecap, albeit slightly, was goalkeeper David Ousted, who had a quiet second half before Wright-Phillips spoiled his shutout bid. Ousted, who robbed Peguy Luyindula in the 12th minute, deflecting a hard shot off a goalpost and out of play, said the game was one of his easiest since he joined Vancouver midway through 2013. "Too bad about the (missed) clean sheet," he said. "We wanted a clean shot and I thought we deserved one." But Ousted was still pleased with Vancouvers offence and a steady defensive effort against a New York lineup that included star Australian striker Tim Cahill. "It was one of those games where I thought we were in control," he said. Notes: The Red Bulls will host their home opener next Saturday against Colorado, while the Whitecaps visit Chivas U.S.A. in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, Calif., on Sunday. ... The Whitecaps have won all four of their MLS season openers. a Ex-English Premier League star Thierry Henry, who does not like playing on artificial turf, did not make the road trip with the Red Bulls. a Ousteds high punt in added time got caught up in the B.C. flag hanging from the bottom of the giant scoreboard at midfield. a The game was officiated by replacement officials as MLS regulars were locked out due to a labour dispute.
Rafinha Barcelona Jersey . The Brazilian heads into Saturday afternoons race coming off a close runner-up finish to Ryan Hunter-Reay in the Indianapolis 500.
Claudio Bravo Jersey . In question is whether 26-year-old Matt Frattin will be on it. A a€?mediocrea€? training camp, as Carlyle put it earlier this week, has Frattin lingering nervously on the bubble at the end of the exhibition season, pushed out of a likely job by Brandon Kozun, the small, but feisty winger determined to make the NHL for the first time.The Montreal Impact loaned midfielder Zakaria Messoudi to Ottawa Fury FC for the 2014 North American Soccer League (NASL) season. "Its a good opportunity to gain valuable experience," said Impact head coach Frank Klopas. "Hell get more playing time in real game situations, which is very important for his development as a young player." Messoudi, 20, joined the Academy in 2010, playing three seasons with the U211 team before signing a professional contract with the first team on June 4, 2013.
Sergio Busquets Jersey. That year, he tallied three assists in 10 starts and 900 minutes in MLS Reserve League play. The previous season, he scored one goal and added an assist in four reserve league games. At the international level, Messoudi played three games with the U20 Canadian national team at the 2013 CONCACAF Championships, in Mexico.
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