Vancouver Whitecaps defeat Oxford United 4-0 in first preseason win

Vancouver Whitecaps FC picked up their first victory of the 2017 preseason. The Whitecaps defeated Oxford United U-23s 4-0 on Monday.

It wasn’t the most glamorous of opposition, but a win is a win. The Vancouver Whitecaps won 4-0 in the second match of their British preseason tour, against English Football League One side Oxford United’s U-23 team. Erik Hurtado, Marcel de Jong, Kyle Greig, and Cristian Techera scored the goals.

It was a more positive result for the Whitecaps, after they lost their opening preseason match 1-0 against Cardiff City. Coach Carl Robinson put out the same starting lineup as against Cardiff, in an interesting blend of youth and experience. Here are the highlights:

Highlights, get your highlights!

Today's friendly vs. Oxford United in 5. #VWFC pic.twitter.com/9c7xKVnulf
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) January 30, 2017

David Ousted started in goal. Christian Dean partnered Tim Parker at center back. Jakob Nerwinski started at right back and Jordan Harvey at left back. Andrew Jacobson and Matias Laba paired up in central midfield. Marcel de Jong and Alphonso Davies played on the left and right wings, respectively. Kekuta Manneh and Erik Hurtado played centrally as forwards.

On the hour mark, Robinson swapped out nine of his starters. Paolo Tornaghi took the gloves from Ousted. Defenders Francis de Vries and Daniel Lovitz (a camp invitee) replaced the fullbacks. Ben McKendry and Russell Teibert took over in central midfield, and the attacking front four were replaced with Cristian Techera, Marco Bustos, Nicolás Mezquida, and Kyle Greig.

Only limited conclusions can be drawn from preseason matches. Several key players were missing, including new signing Yordy Reyna who is still waiting for his visa. However, here are some trends that are starting to develop.

A Mobile Front Four

The Whitecaps have an abundance of speedy players who are most comfortable playing on the wing, as well as running at defenders. What they’re missing is a proper #10, an advanced creative midfielder. With the departure of Pedro Morales, suggested replacements have included Nicolás Mezquida and Christian Bolaños. Robinson, however, has found a different solution. In both preseason matches, he’s simply stacked his team with a mobile front four who are comfortable dropping wide or playing in front of goal.

Against Oxford, it finally paid off with four goals. Robinson also employed a similar formation in the final match in 2016, a 4-1 demolition of Portland Timbers.

Dean’s Season to Shine

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Christian Dean had a tough year in 2016, missing the entire season through injury. This year, however, he has no such excuse. David Edgar’s injury has paved the way for Dean to stake his claim in central defense. Tim Parker and Kendall Waston will likely start when available, but Waston misses a lot of matches through international duty and suspension. That means Dean will get plenty of chances this year. Dean and Parker were the only Whitecaps to play the full 90 minutes, which suggests that Robinson is trying to give them a chance to build a partnership.

Dean graduated from Generation Adidas during the offseason. That means his salary now counts against the salary cap. With several young defenders knocking on the door, this season is now vital for Dean. Waston will miss the season opener through suspension, so expect Parker and Dean to start together.

Solid Right Back Options (Finally…)

Jakob Nerwinski stood out positively in the first match against Cardiff City, and followed it up with a solid match on Monday. Viewers complimented his confidence moving forward and defensive awareness. Robinson is no stranger to dropping SuperDraft picks into the first team in their first year (just ask Tim Parker), so Nerwinski could see some MLS minutes this year. He seems a solid deputy for the experienced Sheanon Williams. After the comedy of errors from Jordan Smith and Fraser Aird last year, it looks like right back has been removed from the list of problem positions for the Whitecaps.

The Whitecaps will wrap up their British preseason tour on Thursday (4 am PST) against Bristol City’s U-23 side at The Vale. Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.