VANCOUVER, B.C. – There are a number of different factors playing into the Vancouver Whitecaps' hot start to the 2015 season – as one would expect.
Striker Octavio Rivero leads the league with five goals. Goalkeeper David Ousted shares the league lead with four shutouts.
But in helping Vancouver atop the early Supporters’ Shield standings, one factor that has gone somewhat unheralded is the ‘Caps defensive spine, led by Matías Laba.
"He's very important to this team," Whitecaps head coach Carl Robinson said of his defensive midfielder as Vancouver prepare to host D.C. United on Saturday at BC Place (10:30pm ET, TSN1, MLS LIVE). "He does all the nitty, gritty jobs as well as anyone in the league. I'm not just saying this, but I wouldn't swap him for anyone in this league, because I think he's fantastic at what he does.
"His performances in games have been absolutely fantastic, and he's getting better and better every game. He's a privilege to work with. I think he can still get better. He can influence games a little bit more than he does, and already I think he's one of the top, if not the top, midfielders in the league."
Now in his third season in MLS, the Argentine made the move to Vancouver on a season-long loan ahead of the 2014 season when he was deemed a Designated Player surplus after Toronto FC's big-spending rebuild last season. It turned out to be one of the best bits of business Robinson has done in his short time as 'Caps head coach.
Laba has become a mainstay on the team sheet for the Whitecaps. He missed only two matches last season, and his consistent performances made the finalization of his permanent transfer to Vancouver the No. 1 priority for Robinson this offseason. The deal was completed quickly, and the faith that Robinson has shown in Laba has meant a lot in what could have been another unsettling time.
"For me it was very important, because Robbo and the staff, they showed an interest in me," Laba told MLSSoccer.com. "It gave me confidence. Now I can do the best for me and to repay them for the trust [they've put in me]."
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Laba has certainly been doing that with his performances this year. But with strong competition in the defensive midfielder position from Russell Teibert, Gershon Koffie and new addition Deybi Flores, the Argentine cannot rest on his laurels and agrees with his coach that there is still better to come from him.
"I'm working hard to do the best in the team defensively, but I think I could do more about attacking and to help Pedro Morales," Laba said. "I'm continuing working, and Robbo will teach me about positioning, possession of the ball and movement because he played in the same position. So I'm trying to learn more, to practice more about attacking."
Vancouver's strong start to the season has only bolstered the 23-year-old’s high expectations for both himself and the team. He echoes the thoughts of many in the 'Caps locker room that this year could be something special.
"We have a very good team, a very good group," Laba said. "We've shown this, but we can do better, we know. We can do much better because we have so many qualities, many different qualities, here. First we need to qualify for the playoffs; then we can do our best to make history here."
