VANCOUVER, B.C. -- The Vancouver Whitecaps' hectic month of August draws to a close in Houston on Saturday evening (9pm ET; TSN in Canada, MLS Live in US). It will be the Whitecaps' eighth game across three different competitions over the month, and it's been a productive time for Carl Robinson's men.
They've taken nine points in MLS action, won their first Canadian Championship and look to be in a strong position in their CONCACAF Champions League group.
The busy schedule has meant that Robinson has utilized his squad to the fullest, giving a number of his fringe and younger players time to shine--perhaps none more so that rookie center back Tim Parker.
"The month's gone really well," Parker told reporters at training on Thursday. "Coming into this month we all knew that there were going to be a lot of chances for a lot of guys to get games. I was fortunate enough to get some games this month."
The 22-year-old center back has started five of Vancouver's matches in August, two in MLS, one in the Champions League, and each time in both legs of the Canadian Championship final.
He's excelled, scoring his first professional goal against Seattle in the Champions League. He then added the security goal in Vancouver's 2-0 Voyageurs Cup victory over Montreal on Wednesday, and has overall put in a string of performances beyond his years that have impressed Robinson.
"From the moment he's come in, he's been outstanding," Robinson said. "His mentality has been spot on. He's been calm, he's been cool and he's playing very good games now. He's taken his chance in the first team."
The whirlwind debut MLS season, says Parker, has exceeded everything for which he he hoped when Vancouver drafted him back in January.
"As a center back, as a defender in general, it's tough to get games as a rookie," he said. "It requires a lot of trust or it requires that learning curve that you get from coming to college to MLS. For me, I've been fortunate enough to play in a bunch of games and get a lot of experience this year."
Parker has proved a valuable and versatile asset for Vancouver with his ability to play effectively as both a center back and right back, and he's looking to continue both his and Vancouver's fine form in the heat and humidity of Houston on Saturday.
"It's really important [to end the month on a high]," Parker said. "We did win the Canadian Championship and that's great for the club and all, but there's more goals to come. For us, winning on Saturday or getting points on the road on Saturday is going to be vital."
And despite the midweek celebrations, Parker doesn't expect any Canadian Championship hangover once the 'Caps get back to league business.
"We all enjoyed Wednesday night," Parker added. "We got to hoist the Cup and it was awesome. It was something that a lot of us will remember, but now our focus goes right back to Saturday. We expect a hard game. We know they're fighting for a playoff spot as well. The whole West is going to be a tight race until the end."
