EDITORIAL – It was no secret heading into round one of Thursday’s MLS SuperDraft that Vancouver Whitecaps FC was looking for a full back. A physical, attacking, smart on the ball, smarter off of it sort of player. Bret Halsey checked those boxes. Instead, the Vancouver Whitecaps strikers room is getting more crowded then it was already.
Ranking the Vancouver Whitecaps Striker Room
Real Salt Lake, two positions ahead of Vancouver, snatched him off the board, sending Whitecaps twitter into a frenzy. With a significant drop off between Halsey and the next best right back, Vancouver could have gone in any direction and no one would have been the wiser. So at the 9th overall pick, head coach Marc Dos Santos announced that it would be David Egbo from the University of Akron. The physical, attacking, smart on the ball but smarter off of it striker.
Right back Javain Brown from the University of South Florida was also taken by Vancouver at pick #23, but for now we’re looking at The Kid From Akron. (Yes, you better believe I will over use that saying this year).
Egbo, who managed 21 goals and 13 assists in 56 college appearances, will have some steep competition for the striker spot. Lucas Cavallini (who is a Designated Player) is the only one for sure that we can pencil in as a starter. Veteran Tossaint Ricketts and proven youngster Theo Bair battled in 2020 to be the first off the bench to replace Cavallini.
Throwing another hungry, young striker into that mix will force one player to sit at the bottom of the pile, snatching up Canadian Championship quarter finals appearances and the occasional substitution in the 87th minute. This article is my poor attempt of figuring out that pecking order. To clarify, this list is for who comes off the bench first. Not who starts if Cavallini is out.
#1 – Lucas Cavallini
The only surefire bet in this article was that “El Tanque” was going to remain the starting striker. Now, Vancouver has had crowded striker rooms before and only played one up front. I struggle to think of a time after 2013 when it was consistent to see two men in white up front. Especially as out and out strikers. And given that Ricketts, Bair and Egbo don’t really fit the “creative #9, sit behind the main goalscorer” profile, all signs point to another campaign of a lone striker.
Cavallini notched six goals in 16 appearances, winning the club’s top scorer award. Averaging out to a goal every 2.67 appearances. A couple missed penalties and time away due to red cards/yellow card accumulations also may have hurt his goal scoring record, but at the end of the day, it is what it is, and that is pretty meh.
#2 – Tossaint Ricketts
Now here is where it get’s tough. Ricketts turns 34 this season, and his days of beating out strikers to start games seem to be behind him. Luckily for the veteran Canadian, this list is focusing on being brought on as a sub. Who is going to be the guy to come on in the 65th minute when Vancouver is down a goal and give them the best chance of equalizing. In both analytics and the good old fashioned “eye test”, that honour falls to Ricketts.
Ricketts played only ten more minutes than Bair this season, with 16 appearances each. So stats wise, it’s a pretty level playing field. Boasting the second highest goals/90 minutes percentage on the team at .39, and the best shot/goal conversion ratio at .40, Ricketts just seemed to be in the right place at the right time, mostly. And that’s nothing against Bair, Ricketts has just developed a nose for goal over his 12 year career. Very few players gain that instantly. So that veteran presence, eye for goal, and overall clinical finishing ability, is why he should and will be the go-to replacement for Cavallini in 2020.
#3 – David Egbo
This is a risky move since there was no 2020 MAC season and Egbo hasn’t played a minute in the MLS. So some cobwebs could be in need of shaking off. However from the short research I have done, a major bright spot is his willingness to shoot. Countless times in 2020 saw Vancouver being too cute with the ball (which is not their strong suit). 132 shots in 56 games helped land Egbo in the All-MAC team. He seems as though his style would be more impactful than Theo Bair’s with 20 minutes left in a game. In terms of starting however, Bair definitely is ahead of the latest draftee, considering MLS experience and proven ability.
The biggest concern is that obviously Egbo hasn’t stepped foot in the pros yet, and would not have played a competitive game in close to 500 days by the time the MLS season starts. Now, I’m an optimist, not an idiot. I realize Egbo won’t be a day one starter next to Cavallini, so it could be even longer before he steps foot in a live match. However, the Nigerian’s physicality, mixed with how direct he is towards goal, could be a huge arrow in Marc Dos Santos’ quiver late in a game.
#4 – Theo Bair
Unfortunately for Theo Bair, someone has to be at the bottom of this pile. While his stats and experience do trump Egbo’s, it simply comes down to what he brings to the team. Ricketts has pace, physicality and experience, and Egbo has a more straight forward and ruthless approach. Bair has spent two years now in the MLS, notching just three goals in 16 starts (with 33 total appearances).
To be fair to Theo, I would start him over anyone in this list apart from Cavallini. He’s serviceable, not a game changer. Vancouver was notorious for leaving strikers isolated and without help in 2020, so his stats could be a little bit skewed in that sense.
My biggest positive from Theo in 2020 compared to 2019 was his increase in energy and tempo, everything physically was kicked up a notch. His technical side didn’t age the same way though, or at least not yet.
Last Word on the Vancouver Whitecaps strikers room:
This is the final year on Ricketts’ contract extension, and with CEO Axel Schuster putting an emphasis on the identity of this club becoming younger, I wouldn’t expect to see him return. That being said, Bair and Egbo could essentially be competing for 2022’s back up role. With Cavallini and Bair both being Canadian Mens’ National Team players, and a busy international year laying ahead for the Canadians, Egbo will be a nice relief incase of fatigue or injury while on international duty.
Again, this is purely for who would replace Cavallini in a one for one swap. If Marc Dos Santos does goes for two up front, all fingers would have to point to Bair until Egbo gains MLS minutes. Plus, with “El Tanque’s” history with yellow card accumulation and seeing reds, you can bet that he’ll be missing a game or two in 2021.
David Egbo is a prospect that should excite Whitecaps fans, while potentially bringing out the best in both Ricketts and Bair as well. While there is reason to have the “too many chefs spoil the broth” narrative in the back of your head about the 2021 Whitecaps striker room, Vancouver has had a fairly impressive draft history over recent years.
Tim Parker, Jake Nerwinski and Ryan Raposo highlight some of the names, and while Vancouver fans still shudder at the thought of another Omar Salgado, there is reason to feel optimistic about Egbo. His time will come. There is no rush, as this team enters its third season as a rebuild. It is not a “win now” situation, which benefits the youngsters of BC Place.
