Vancouver Whitecaps head off to the sunny climes of Charleston on Wednesday, but for some currently in the training camp it's a trip they won't be making.
With 26 players currently signed, and a couple of new additions seemingly imminent, places on the Caps final 30 man MLS squad are already at a premium. Even some of those already on it can't get too settled in their Vancouver surroundings quite yet, with trades expected to happen shortly.
It's quickly getting to make or break time for many involved with the Caps' preseason camp.
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The Whitecaps' six supplemental draft picks have already left the camp but the Caps retain their rights for two years and will be keeping a close eye on them. Bringing them back in for PDL play is one option they can look at.
Whilst the first team regulars trained as normal this morning, there was a 90 minute scrimmage featuring mostly reserve players and trialists against Trinity Western University Spartans.
A few may make the trip east for further evaluation, with squad numbers depleted due to Canadian U20 duty and injuries, but for some it will have been their last chance to impress the coaching staff before the expected cuts come. Others will maybe get the chance to hang around and train in Vancouver over the coming weeks, whilst some will no doubt find their way onto the Caps PDL side.
Despite going a goal down early on (and it really should have been two if TWU had buried their chance two minutes in after a bad mistake by Jacob Lensky), the Caps ran out easy 5-1 winners in the end with a brace from Dever Orgill, one from Evan James, a wonderfully placed penalty from Crispin Olando and a fifth from Paulo Jr. There were also a couple of disallowed Caps goals.
The line up was as follows:
Simon Thomas (Sean Melvin 46); Andres Fresenga (Carlyle Mitchell 46), Ethen Sampson, Jacob Lensky, Emmanuel Adjetey; Jaime Peters, Crispin Olando, Aminu Abdallah, Evan James; Tom Heinemann (Paulo Jr 46), Dever Orgill.
So who impressed? And who should be fearing their next one to one chat with Martin Rennie?
It's harsh to be too judgemental on ninety minutes of football, especially considering that this was the first time that these players have played together as a team. As such, timing was off to start with and the defence looked a bit all at sea in the early portion of the match (Jacob Lensky is not a centrehalf!).
As the game went on, the Caps took control and it was one way traffic in the second half with Trinity Western finding it hard to even get out of their own half for most of it.
The stand out player was two goal Dever Orgill. The former Residency product, and Jamaican international, took the full opportunity to showcase his talent, backflips and all, and was dangerous in front of goal throughout the ninety. He was just a few inches away from nabbing at least four, hitting the post on one occasion.
He will have done himself no harm at all today, although Martin Rennie cautioned afterwards not to read too much into one game against Trinity Western. We <a href="http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?4190-Dever-Orgill-back-in-Vancouver-with-a-bang-and-a-backflip-or-two" target="_blank"><b>spoke with him after the game</b></a> and got his thoughts on his chance of making a Caps return and what he's been up to since he's been away.
Whilst Orgill covered himself in glory, his strike partner Tom Heinemann didn't impress me much at all. He had a couple of chances but looked a step off the pace as he still recovers from an injury.
It you were picking only one between the two based solely on today, it was Orgill all the way, but Heinemann is the one with a MLS contract right now. From what I've seen of Orgill in the past, I'm rooting for him to get one as well.
Evan James had a slow start in left midfield but soon came on to a good game, taking his goal well after a nice pass from Jaime Peters. He looked good going forward, with some nice touches, but whether he can offer anything better than what we already have at MLS level, I don't know, but at this point, I would say no.
That is the case with pretty much all of these guys.
Peters himself also came to the fore as the game went on and did well playing right midfield. He moves well, plays some nice passes and is hard to get off the ball with his stocky build. I think he is a player that the Caps will keep around if they move others on in trades or loan deals. He would definitely be a good squad player to have around.
Kenyan trialist Crispin Olando was patchy. He had some nice moves but also gave the ball away quite cheaply in the first half. The trouble Olando has is that his blond hair makes him stand out, so every little thing he does right or wrong is picked up on more than some of the others.
What did impress me was the confidence he showed at the penalty kick. With no player designated to take it, Paul Ritchie, who was coaching the team today, told the players to sort it out amongst themselves. With a couple of players wanting to take the kick, Olando picked up the ball right away and no-one was getting it off him. He then struck it with aplomb into the postage stamp corner.
Another player who seems to have a pretty sweet strike is Ghanaian trialist Emmanuel Adjetey. Playing at left back he liked to get forward, not so good tracking back, and wasn't afraid to have a shot.
His fellow Ghanaian, midfielder Aminu Abdallah, didn't really impress at all and looks a little clumsy on the ball due to his height. I would definitely need to see more of him.
Of the others, Paulo Jr looked pretty lively when he came on at the half, but overall there was little out there to really impress or disappoint. Even Andres Fresenga didn't really stand out one way or the other.
From all that we've seen so far, and what we know of them before, Orgill and Peters are really the only two players I would say would be worth a MLS shot right now. Possibly Fresenga too, but I would need to see him more challenged so the Charleston trip may let us see that.
Some, like James, are worth watching but they're not going to be anywhere near the first team reckoning any time soon, so bringing them in now at the expense of who is already there or who may be coming would seem pointless.
The Whitecaps wrap up training in Burnaby tomorrow before flying off for four games in Charleston and a further friendly in South Carolina against the RailHawks.
<center>[Christopher Vose's photos of today's training game can be seen <a href="
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