Soccer: Whitecaps Kick Off Gruelling Road Slog at Rapids

Barry Robson is set to make his debut for the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday night and Al Dannity says his arrival couldn’t come at a more important time.

Robson can steady the ship
Scottish international Barry Robson will bring a veteran presence to the Whitecaps roster as they embark on a 4-game road trip over 11 days. The tough slate begins tonight at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park against the Rapids, who sit right behind the Caps in the Western Conference standings. That’s followed by a clash at playoff contenders Chivas on Saturday. Toronto will host the Whitecaps on July 11 before the road trip ends with a tough test at Chicago on July 14.

Squad rotation will be important across these games but expect Robson to feature heavily despite being one of the older players on the Vancouver roster. The new marquee signing isn’t just in Vancouver to bring his intelligence to midfield. Martin Rennie brought in Robson partly because of his versatility across midfield. When others rest, Robson will likely step up and be noticed. The Scot also brings a significant boost to the Caps’ attack. Goals haven’t been easy to come by but Robson can prove a creative presence, one who will likely link up well with the speedy Darren Mattocks.

“We haven’t scored too many goals from midfield and, right now, I think it’s important to add that to our game,” Rennie said. Robson scored 9 goals for Middlesbrough last season in the Championship, the second tier of Soccer in England, and will be a threat to find the net with Vancouver.

A lot done, more to do
The Caps have lost some momentum in their playoff charge and must now be wary of the chasing pack. The LA Galaxy, Chivas, and tonight’s opponent Colorado will all be gunning for Vancouver over the next few weeks. Rennie knows he needs to come out of this road trip with some good results before the Whitecaps welcome the Galaxy to BC Place for their next home game. David Beckham and pals ran roughshod over Vancouver when these sides met in the Home Depot Center last month. Vancouver will need to be playing better Soccer before they welcome the playoff challengers north in a couple of weeks. Robson is going to be a key factor in any upturn for the Caps. The Scot brings a lot to the table and has the ability to plug a lot of gaps for Rennie. Now the question is whether he will be the difference maker in a playoff push.

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