Brek Shea鈥檚 critics have plenty of pointed questions about the way he plays soccer.
They wonder about the Vancouver Whitecap midfielder鈥檚 passion for the game. They don鈥檛 think Shea鈥檚 production equals the salary paid to the designated player which, according to the MLS union website, was US$670,000 last September.
Coach Carl Robinson answers those critics by pointing to the two goals Shea has scored on the road this season, both in games the Whitecaps have won.
鈥淚鈥檓 a big fan of Brek Shea,鈥� Robinson said after a Whitecaps鈥� training session this week. 鈥淚 think sometimes he gets unfair criticism. People always look at what players can鈥檛 do rather than what they can do.
鈥淏rek has got us six points already this season because of his play.鈥�
The Whitecaps (3-1-1) will need another strong road performance when they play Real Salt Lake (1-2-1) Saturday in a Major League Soccer match at Rio Tinto Stadium.
鈥淭hey have a young team and a good team,鈥� said Shea. 鈥淪ome results haven鈥檛 gone their way. At the end of last year, I think they were playing really well.
鈥淭hey have threats all over the field. We have to go there with the mentality like we had the last road games and try and get three points, stick to our game plan.鈥�
Vancouver obtained Shea in February 2017 in a trade with Orlando City SC for Giles Barnes. The long and lanky 28-year-old from Bryan, Texas, has scored six goals in 30 games with the Whitecaps. Five of those have come on the road.
Shea scored the tying goal in the 51st minute of last week鈥檚 2-1, come-from-behind win over the Columbus Crew. Often a man of few words with dealing with the media, he shrugged when asked about his ability to score goals away from BC Place Stadium.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 thought about that,鈥� Shea said. 鈥淵ou just go out and try to get three points for your team.
鈥淚f you score it鈥檚 good, whether it鈥檚 home or away. If the team wins, it鈥檚 even better.鈥�
Some Whitecap fans expected more out of Shea, a former U.S. international who spent two seasons with Stoke City of the English Premier League.
Robinson is quick to defend Shea.
鈥淵es, there are areas he needs to work at and he wants to work at and he does on a daily basis,鈥� said Robinson. 鈥淟et鈥檚 focus on what he鈥檚 good at.
鈥淏rek is a key part of his squad because he brings something different. He鈥檚 a very direct runner. He likes to get in behind, he鈥檚 got good delivery. He鈥檚 got good goal scoring ability with both feet.鈥�
The Whitecaps鈥� 10 points leaves them tied with Sporting Kansas City for first place in the MLS Western Conference. Vancouver and Los Angeles Football Club also have the best road records in the West at 2-1-0.
鈥淲e just go there with a mentality to get three points,鈥� said Shea. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 get them every time, but we enjoy it the times we have.鈥�
Real Salt Lake is ninth in the West, one of three teams with four points.
Coach Mike Petke said his team needs some mental adjustments following a 3-1 loss at Toronto last weekend.
鈥淵ou can teach players to pass the ball from A to B,鈥� Petke told the Salt Lake City Tribune. 鈥淵ou can teach a player to move three yards to the left to receive the ball.
鈥淚鈥檓 not a psychiatrist. It鈥檚 going to be interesting to talk to individuals and collectively about our mentality. It鈥檚 early in the season, but that鈥檚 clear. When I say mentality, it covers a lot of things.鈥�
One of the Salt Lake players the Whitecaps must maintain close watch on is forward Joao Plata. He leads the team with two goals and is second with six shots.
Vancouver defender Jake Nerwinski said the five-foot-two, 157-pound Ecuadorian isn鈥檛 easy to move off the ball.
鈥淚 played against him twice last year so I kind of know his tendencies a little bit,鈥� said Nerwinski. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a quick guy. He鈥檚 small, he鈥檚 low to the ground.
鈥淗e鈥檚 very good with the ball. I just have to be aggressive with him early.鈥�
Jim Morris, The Canadian Press
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