Every team needs an unsung hero. The quiet player that goes under the radar, but who works his socks off week in and week out.
It's obviously far too early days for us to go proclaiming such the unsung Whitecap, but when has that ever stopped us?! If I was forced to place a bet on who it might be, you have to feel that Jun Marques Davidson could be taking that accolade come the end of the season.
Well on the one hand he could be, but on the other hand, you also feel that several people will be singing his praises at the same time, so maybe not so much under the radar, as in full view of it.
The Caps' new defensive midfielder covered a lot of ground, without really venturing into the final third of the pitch against Montreal. Just what you want and need from a DM, and what the Whitecaps were desperately missing last season.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
He passed, he moved, he held the game up and provided a strong support for the backline throughout the match, including a vital last man tackle just before half-time, which probably kept us level at the break.
It was a performance that won him the first 'Man of the Match' award of the season and Martin Rennie acknowledged Davidson's contribution in his post-game press conference:
<i>"He won 'Man of the Match' and I think he was justified in that selection.
He's very good on the ball. He controls the tempo of the game and he also wins headers and wins tackles.
I was very pleased to see him perform to that level. But of course, I've seen him play and I believe he's a guy who could be a very good player for this club."</i>
Rennie knows Davidson well, having had him for a year in Carolina, before the midfielder decided to go back and ply his trade in Japan.
When we spoke to Jun after the game, he immediately strikes you as a quiet, thoughtful individual and not one to go around keen to grab the limelight. He has a job to do and he just wants to go on the pitch and do it.
So how did it feel for him to win 'Man of the Match', and get a victory, in his first game for the Caps? :
<i>"It felt great. We got the best result that we could get. We got two goals, two fantastic goals, and everyone worked hard and we got a clean sheet. That is very important for the team too, cos that's a basic."</i>
And if you're looking for an all-round team player, then you've found your man in Davidson, who was keen to view the victory as a team effort more than down to anything his own performance brought about:
<i>"Personally, I'm very happy to get the 'Man of the Match' but you see all these players that played today. I feel that the 'Man of the Match' was the whole team."</i>
It's a nice attitude and one which fits in well with the Whitecaps dressing room just now.
This IS very much a team effort. Martin Rennie has everyone on the same page of the playbook and, for now at least, egos are in check and people are happy and smiling.
Some players will inevitably stand out and shine as the season goes on and if his performance in his first game is anything to go by, then Jun Marques Davidson could be one of the Whitecaps key players for the season ahead.
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