After putting on a passing clinic at BC Place against Houston, where he showed a breadth and depth of passing abilities that made the entire league take notice, Pedro Morales has been called a "maestro" by many fans and pundits.
It’s a title that is apt for a player who, much like the conductor of an orchestra, has such an ability to dictate the overall direction of the event. Robinson quite successfully altered his tactics last week to give Morales the space and time on the pitch to impose his authority over the game. As a result, it really did make for the appearance of a man, in Morales, with all the instruments around him, each one springing to life when he lifted a finger (or sometimes a foot) in their direction.
While Morales may be the man coercing the sound and emotion from the song, there is another man who is equally as important to the ear of the audience.
While he is a mere colleague, just another member in the symphony, it is the percussionist that keeps the group together. Whether it’s the resounding and rhythmic boom of the bass drum that keeps everyone in step, or the massive crash of a cymbal to focus a single moment, it is he who is critical to the rest of the group to establish harmony.
For the Whitecaps, that man is Matias Laba.
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Although he didn’t necessarily excel in either away game, he may be Vancouver’s most consistent player through four games. Whether playing beside another midfielder in a double pivot, or even more impressively as the lone holding midfielder like the match against Houston, Laba has been an ever present hunter who impressively balances between fiery tenacity and calm control.
After he was bled into the league on a very poor Toronto FC team last year, reports were that he was one of the lone bright spots on an otherwise bleak roster. The reports have proved accurate, as Laba has hit the ground running in Vancouver.
Laba has a strong 85% passing completion rate, which includes a dominant 44 of 46 passes completed versus Houston. He also is responsible for 13 interceptions through the first four games, not to mention 17 successful tackles and only three lost tackles.
Even beyond the statistics, it’s easy to see why the Whitecaps have had so little of their opponent’s attack come down the middle. Laba is always either in an advantageous position, or is nipping at the heels of his opponent causing decisions to be made under pressure and with limited options.
In addition to his robust defensive work in the middle of the park, Laba has shown he’s a much more capable attacker than the holders seen on previous iterations of the squad, as he is much more involved in the build-up play and is even occasionally seen in and around the opponent’s 18 yard box.
Laba won’t get the fanfare that Sebastian Fernandez, Kenny Miller, or certainly "Morales the Maestro" will get, but one thing is for sure: the Whitecaps' song just wouldn't sound as good without Laba keeping the beat in the back.
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