Four points from two huge home games wasn’t a bad haul for Vancouver Whitecaps this past week.
Every team wants to make the most of their home field advantage, especially against Conference opposition. The Whitecaps are doing just that, but it wasn’t only beating the League leaders and getting a draw against one of the strongest teams in MLS that impressed.
With the overall team performances in the last two games, many in Major League Soccer will be starting to take a little bit more notice of the Caps.
We asked Martin Rennie after Sunday's game whether beating the leading team in MLS gives out a message that the Whitecaps can compete with the best and are serious contenders?
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<i>"Well I think we've still got a lot of work to do to get to the very top. We've always believed that if we play our best we've got a good chance against anybody, so I still believe that.
And really it's up to our team to get the belief. It's not about whether we send out statements or messages about where we are or what we're doing, we've got a long way to go.
But we need our belief to grow. We need our confidence to increase because we're right there with anybody and we must believe that and know that and expect to win whenever we step on the field."</i>
That belief will come.
There will be knocks along the way. We can’t afford to keep losing leads and late goals. It's something everyone connected with the Club is painfully aware of.
Having suffered that fate once again against LA, the way the team bounced back, took the game to San Jose on Sunday and held on to secure the full three points does more to help boost team belief than just seeing positions in the table.
The win against the Quakes was big from more than a morale point of view. It gave the Caps an important boost in the standings.
A loss would have left Vancouver a massive fifteen points behind San Jose. Instead we sit nine behind. Still a huge margin but psychologically it's great to be closing the gap and keeping it to single figures.
A loss would also have meant being level on points with a Seattle Sounders side who have two games in hand and only a point ahead of the resurgent LA Galaxy.
Now though, the Caps sit third in the West, with the joint fifth best record in all of MLS. Most importantly, they have an eleven point gap over the first team outwith the playoff places.
With two back to back games coming up against Real Salt Lake, Vancouver have a great chance of taking that second spot in the West, or at least getting very close to it.
The new look team is starting to click.
With all the upheaval and big name departures, there were many out there questioning Martin Rennie's sanity, never mind his ability.
I've spoken enough to Rennie this year to know that he has a very clear vision of where he wants this club to be and there has been frustrations this year that they haven't got there quicker.
He is not always going to make popular decisions and fan favourites will move on, but if it improves performances on the pitch then it's hard to argue with what he is doing.
"In Rennie We Trust" is one of the supporters taglines we've been using after all.
The additions of Barry Robson and Dane Richards are already seeing the fruits of their labours.
Robson is becoming dominant in the middle of the park. A playmaker, a goalscoring threat and a leader. It's what we've been missing since Martin Nash hung up his boots, only with an even better player.
The pace of Richards is just something else. I knew he was fast, but actually seeing him in person takes it up to the next level and the partnership he is going to have with Darren Mattocks is going to give defences nightmares.
Mattocks has fallen off his game a little in the last two games, although he came roaring back in that second half on Sunday. We may find him rested, especially for away games, or even moved out to the left wing to allow Kenny Miller to adopt the main striker's role.
I've watched Kenny Miller enough over the years to know what he will bring to the party.
Having the Reggae Boyz tearing up the right and potentially the Flying Scotsmen on the left, it is going to give us an attack that can really do some damage in this League run in. The cross field balls from Robson to Richards is what is going to be our soon to be not so secret weapon.
Camilo Sanvezzo has looked reborn out there too. He has to be really if he wants to keep his place in the team.
All we need to do now is to shore up the back and have some strong defensive cover for injuries, suspensions and tiredness.
We should see that in place by the end of the week, as we fully expect to see at least one, and maybe two, new signings by the close of the transfer window. Centrehalf/right back cover would be my thoughts, along with another holding midfielder (we're still also holding out hope for Adam Moffat!).
The next couple of days are certainly going to be worth keeping an eye on.
We'll leave you with this quote from Rennie:
<i>"We’ve had a busy few weeks. We’ve had to evaluate all the players, some of which you would have enjoyed watching and become fans of. Unfortunately we need to add to the team and improve upon it, so some of those players aren’t going to be here next year.
What I would say is that the players we’re bringing in, I think you’ll be really excited to see them and watch them play."</i>
That was Martin Rennie talking to us <a href="http://www.aftncanada.blogspot.ca/2011/12/martin-rennie-impresses-fans-at.html" target="_blank">back in December</a>.
Seven months later and it's still as relevant as it was then, and when Rennie says there's still a lot of work to be done to get the Club to where they want it to be, you know that the rebuilding certainly isn't over.
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