We've never been ones to shy away from proclamations over the years. We have learned, often the hard way, that it's sometimes better to dip your toe in the water before diving in head first.
As confident as you are about your team, sometimes you just need that one special moment to reaffirm that your belief is not misplaced.
Vancouver Whitecaps had that moment, that game, against San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.
The 2012 Whitecaps are the real deal and are serious playoff contenders this season. Let no-one tell you otherwise.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
We've felt it since pre-season. We've hinted at it over the past nine weeks. And on Saturday, the team showed all of MLS that they should be taken seriously. Downplay what they've achieved so far at your peril.
I'm still not saying that they're going to go on and win the whole shebang, but I certainly wouldn't bet against them either. Team spirit and self belief can take a team a long way.
Some, especially certain writers of a red persuasion in the east, will still say that this is not a good Whitecaps team. That they are still unproven. That there's still a long way to go. I think they're working through a list until they grudgingly have to give credit where credit is due.
There is a long way still to go and the West is going to be so tight this year. Every team that makes one of those five playoff spots will have earned the right to be there. The Caps may still not be one of those five, but they ARE going to be right in the mix.
Saturday's game against San Jose was massive. On many levels.
A loss would have put the Caps eleven points behind the Conference leaders. We may only be nine games into the campaign but that is a huge mountain to climb in such a competitive environment. Not to mention the psychological impact that such a deficit can put in a team that hasn't been used to winning in the first place.
As it stands, knocking off the Conference leaders did everyone a favour and leaves the Caps five points behind the top two.
San Jose Earthquakes, Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders have all made great starts. They've all wobbled at times but they don't show any real signs of slowing up.
If they keep going, that's three of the five playoff spots accounted for. Assuming LA Galaxy do wake from their nightmarish slumber, that would be number four.
The Caps are battling for that fifth spot and every single point counts. We now have 17 of them. Like the other teams, we're not slowing up either. We most certainly can be one of the five playoff hopefuls, and we won't necessarily be in fifth place.
Saturday's match was a game changer.
The Caps two defeats this season came against top teams (San Jose and KC). Questions were being asked. Could this team really hang with the big boys? We got our answer.
Not only did they secure those three points against the Western leaders, they fought back from a goal down to do it and took game to San Jose. They thoroughly deserved that victory.
Every single Whitecaps player, to a man, played their part. Some shone more than others, but they were all integral.
Such a win gives the whole squad, and everyone associated with the team, something that is just as important as the three points - belief.
Martin Rennie can work on the players' self confidence all he wants. That can only take a player so far. What makes the vital leap in their mind is then seeing that mental work turn into results.
Rennie has done a lot of one to one work with certain players. He loves the psychological aspect of the game and the player, and it's working wonders.
He sat down with Omar Salgado and has given him a new lease of life. He has transformed him from a sulky teenage striker that looked more likely to leave than get any minutes to an unselfish winger that is tearing up the left flank and giving the team a new major attacking asset.
He sat down with Eric Hassli and showed him videos of his play from last season. To show the big Frenchman just how he good he is and that you don't lose that overnight. He gave an impassioned post-training espousal in his defence when some in the media wanted to focus on his drought. He's now got two goals in two games from the big man to repay that faith.
Are the Whitecaps punching above their weight in this early part of the season? Are they just an average team? Seasons aren't just nine games long or whatever, as we keep hearing every week.
A good man manager can be the difference between an average team being good, and a good team being average.
Martin Rennie is a good man manager. The Whitecaps are certainly not just an average team.
The current Whitecaps squad is far from perfect. The midfield isn't the strongest and we still struggle to get all our attackers to click together. Set pieces, at both ends of the field, continue to be a weakness.
I'm pretty confident that the management team, hard work and the next 25 games will more than take care of those aspects.
Barry Robson will be here in less than two months to bolster the middle and we are going to have one hell of a tasty bench once Etienne Barbara and Darren Mattocks are both fully fit, and they are close, and we have very strong defensive cover.
No-one can get carried away just yet, but equally no-one should be dismissive of what is going on here.
We may be winning ugly at times. We may have an older average squad age. We may have no "real Canadians" playing for us.
You can take what pot-shots you want at the current Caps, but what we also have is a winning mentality and such a mentality does more good than having a losing one and the cancer that spreads.
There's a long road ahead. We've just passed the quarter stage and what a springboard we now have for the rest of the season. It's going to be bumpy ride, so strap yourselves in.
Let's just hope that the general Vancouver public appreciate what they have this season. If nothing else, it would be nice if they at least had the decency to respect the team and be in their seats by kick off time. It annoys the hell out of me so much. Seriously, how hard is it to do? Anyways....
'Mon the Caps.
<center>********************</center>
<b>AFTN 3-2-1 :</b>
3 points - GERSHON KOFFIE (his goal doesn't even come into my reckoning with this. He had what I feel was his best outing in a Caps jersey so far. Covered so much ground and set up a lot of the attacks.)
2 points - CAMILO SANVEZZO (was great to see him back. Looked a threat throughout)
1 point - ALAIN ROCHAT (just edges out Salgado for the final point. What a difference to the left back slot to have him return and gives a whole new attacking dimension too, especially at set pieces)
<p>