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In a night in which Alphonso Davies once again dominated the headlines, the Whitecaps won a six-pointer against Minnesota United and movefd back into playoff contention.
Davies shows maturity after big-money move
In his first match after completing his transfer to Bayern Munich, Davies showed he was unfazed by the events of the last few days.
Davies scored two goals and two assists and would have won the Man of the Match award if he was of legal drinking age. The Man of the Match award is sponsored by a brewery, which means Canadian law makes it impossible for Davies to be voted as the Man of the Match by fans.
But even though Davies is not yet old enough to win the award, he showed maturity beyond his age by dominating the opposition after being two weeks without a game.
Does Davies require special protection?
“It concerns me,” Vancouver head coach Carl Robinson said after he was asked about how Davies was handled by opposing defenders. “The league needs to ensure that the like of Villa, Almiron, Martinez are protected, and Davies is definitely in that category.”
“I feel that there is a difference,” Davies added when asked about the special attention received by defenders. “But I play a grown-man game, and as such, I have to get used to it.”
A hefty price tag and more performances like that one will earn Davies even more attention by opponents. There is no doubt Bayern’s scouts will closely follow Davies’ progress and how he handles the pressure of being the league’s most expensive player in history.
Yordy Reyna shows Whitecaps have depth
With Davies unable to pick up the Man of the Match award, the title ended up with Peruvian attacking-midfielder Yordy Reyna.
Reyna’s performance was entirely overshadowed by Davies’ standout game, but he was brilliant and not only scored a goal but also assisted one of Davies’ goals.
Reyna partnered up well with Davies, and it was only thanks to the Peruvian that Davies had the room to roam in Minnesota’s defensive end almost at will.
The resurgence of Reyna’s form is good news for Vancouver down the stretch as the Whitecaps will need attacking depth to make a late playoff push.