Gershon Koffie's effort against Seattle bodes well for young Whitecaps

Gershon Koffie broke out of his defensive shell Saturday.
For much of this MLS season, the Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder has played a holding role intent on stopping the opponent’s top offensive players. But against the Seattle Sounders, he moved up into the attack.
He was rewarded with a goal and was robbed on a last-second shot while enjoying several other scoring chances, helping the Whitecaps earn a 2-2 draw with their regional rivals before a sellout crowd of 21,000 at B.C. Place Stadium.
“The manager (coach Carl Robinson) asked me to move forward a lot, and we can’t play with so many guys back, so I got the opportunities to score,” said Koffie afterwards.
The Whitecaps improved to 4-2-5. The Sounders, who entered the same in first place in the Western Conference, now stand at 8-3-1.
Koffie’s goal in the 66th goal was a gimme as Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei rushed out of the net to get an errant ball on the right flank. In a desperate attempt to keep the ball in bounds, he volleyed it into the middle of Seattle’s half. Koffie chested the ball down, waited momentarily and sent a high shot from distance into the net as Frei came up just short of getting back to it.
“I think last year I scored (a similar one) against Chivas – same except the goalie went off his line to play the ball,” said Koffie.”
The goal, Koffie’s first of the season, put Vancouver ahead 2-1. But Gonzalo Pineda netted the draw as he scored on a penalty-kick in the 82nd minute.
The spot kick resulted after Whitecaps captain Jay DeMerit was called for a foul as he and second-half substitute Cam Weaver went up for the ball and both fell on the way down.
As six minutes of added time were coming to an end, Frei robbed Koffie as he raced in on goal. The ball went off the goalkeeper’s hand and into touch, but the final whistle sounded before the Whitecaps could take their corner-kick.
Six minutes into the game, Koffie sent a volley just wide of the goalpost and then, about three minutes later, nailed a shot off the crossbar after making a fine run up the middle of the pitch. Simply put, the XX-year-old Ghana native was a force in midfield both offensively and defensively – and the obvious choice for his club’s player of the match.
Koffie overshadowed Vancouver’s new attacking midfielder Pedro Morales, who stood out at times but was less visible than usual. Ironically, Koffie excelled in the second half even though he took a yellow card in the first half after he fell, apparently faking an injury, after he ran onto a cross at the far post and went down after Frei got his hands on him.
“When you get booked early you have to be careful about what you do, and you can’t create any fouls, so the manager told me I had a yellow card, so I should be careful,” Koffie said.
Koffie’s effort was evidence that he still has plenty of upside to his game after coming under criticism from Robinson at times this season and former coach Martin Rennie in the past.
“Yeah, it was probably his best performance,” said Robinson. “He’s been excellent the last three or four games for me. I keep saying to him that he needs to keep scoring goals. He’s a midfield player. Not just his goal, but I think he hit the bar in the first couple of minutes, and then could have nicked it in the end with two more chances. It was an all-around performance from him today, and he should be proud of himself.”
Whitecaps management, coaches and player development types can also feel good about their efforts, too.
One tends to forget that, although Koffie is in his fourth MLS season and fifth overall with the Whitecaps, he is only 22 years old. It’s evident that he is gaining a vision for the pitch that he has been accused of lacking even this season and in previous years. Such improvement often comes only after years of staying after practice to do extra work, countless hours of fitness workouts and dedication.
Thanks to Koffie’s efforts, the Whitecaps controlled play for most of the match and thought, justifiably, that they should have won easily.
If Koffie, Erik Hurtado, who scored Vancouver’s other goal on a super individual effort, and Kekuta Manneh had not been foiled by Frei on several opportunities, it could have been a blowout.
Chad Barrett scored Seattle’s other goal on a header that gave Seattle a 1-0 lead in the 36th minute after the Whitecaps had dominated the first 30 minutes.
While the Whitecaps were dejected about allowing the Sounders to come back and earn a point in the standings, the performance was a sign of the upside that the Caps have after deciding to part ways with Scottish international Kenny Miller. Robinson was not about to rip his young forwards ad midfielders after coming up empty, often due to Frei, on several scoring chances.
“It’d concern me more if we weren’t getting chances,” said Robinson. “Obviously, we’re getting chances. We got to work at that, or do something about it. I’ve openly said we’re looking at trying to bring in (offensive) players to help this group, and I’ll continue to do that. But the player has to be the right player or players, and if they are, then we’ll move forward with that. But the guys in there, I said I’m delighted with them today, and I’m proud of them. Erik Hurtado again, another fantastic goal and performance and we’re just moving in the right direction slowly.”
Koffie’s improved play demonstrates that the Whitecaps’ strategy of developing players from within their system can pay off.
Since arriving in Vancouver while still in his teens, he has demonstrated strong skill on the ball, the ability to play physical when necessary, a strong shot and decent speed. But he has also committed poor passes, struggled to communicate with teammates in the silent language of the game where moves offer unspoken instructions, and missed shots on many nights. Now, it appears that he is adding another dimension – field smarts – which can overcome inconsistency that has been glaring at times.
Koffie’s showing and those of his mates bode well as the Whitecaps prepare for a game in Portland next weekend.
“The manager told me I did well on my performance, and I could have got more than one goal,” said Koffie. “I guess we will take it to the next game and see what happens.”