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MLS Week 1: First impressions of all 24 teams

By Christopher Dodson

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 3: Los Angeles FC's head coach Bob Bradley prior to Los Angeles FC's MLS match against Sporting Kansas City at the Banc of California Stadium on March 3, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles FC won the match 2-1 (Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 3: Los Angeles FC's head coach Bob Bradley prior to Los Angeles FC's MLS match against Sporting Kansas City at the Banc of California Stadium on March 3, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles FC won the match 2-1 (Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images) /
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Vancouver Whitecaps, Marc dos Santos
CARY, NC – MAY 06: San Francisco head coach Marc Dos Santos (CAN). The North Carolina Football Club hosted the San Francisco Deltas on May 6, 2017, at Sahlen’s Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC in a 2017 North American Soccer League Spring Season match. San Francisco won the game 2-1. (Photo by Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Vancouver Whitecaps

Eric Godoy gave Marc dos Santos a dream start to his managerial debut in Vancouver but it was Hwang In Beom who impressed the most in a 3-2 loss. In Beom was the pulse of the team in the second half even with fewer touches than Jon Erice. Erice tried passing just beyond his range on several occasions but the idea of reaching Yordi Reyna with space is likely a priority to begin the season.

There is plenty to build on, and with only a couple of weeks worth of full team training, dos Santos’ squad showed heart in a tough loss. Doneil Henry paired with Erik Godoy is a playoff-caliber center-back pairing. The outside-back situation needs sorting before clean sheets can be expected, however.

Vancouver looked most threatening on the break. The team had ideas going forward but just needs more time together to sustain possession and create chances against settled defenses. Too often, it resorted to half-hearted and blindly hopeful crosses into an overmatched Fredy Montero. Montero is not the most threatening aerial presence, but he can create magic with the ball at his feet. As the team finds a comfort level, it should find even more goals.

Conceding goals will be the issue. The Whitecaps defense is far from a finished product, and the depth is not sufficient to cover any injuries. Either way, the Whitecaps under dos Santos looks far more entertaining than previous seasons.

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