Price is Right: Is Lucas Cavallini playing his way off Canada's World Cup roster?

At the time of his acquisition, Lucas Cavallini made quite a bit of sense for the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The ‘Caps needed help scoring and in the promotions department. A resume’d goal scorer from a better league that doubled as Canadian national teamer was a perfect way to tick both boxes.

Cavallini had back-to-back double-digit goal seasons in the Liga MX before a pandemic-shortened season kept him to six goals in 18 appearances for the Whitecaps in 2020.

But overall, 30 goals in 81 club appearances was intriguing. Add in the fact he just scored eight goals in seven matches for Canada in 2019, and it was a fabulous idea.

But between injuries, assignment, and national team duty, it’s been a stop and start kind of tenure here in Vancouver.

It’s 17 goals in 66 appearances now. Needless to say, he would have to go on quite a goal-per-game tear to equal his Mexican production rate.

Combine the production issue with his penchant for bookings of both the yellow and red variety, and, well, patience seems to be growing thin for ‘Caps fans.

The bigger imminent risk for Cava himself is the question of patience from each of his head coaches. If he’s available again for the Whitecaps, how much does Vanni Sartini trust him in these critical late season situations? And for Canadian coach John Herdman, who gets only three matches to make any sort of history at the World Cup, can Cavallini get the tap for late-match assignments in Qatar?

Herdman has seemingly had a loyalty to Cavallini. He likes him. But there are limits. And it’s too bad. The World Cup was a massive goal for the player. Cavallini would light up at the very mention of going. And now, maybe his unbridled enthusiasm could be what gets him in trouble.

Canada has two matches coming up in the final week of September. And safe to say Herdman will want to see some players on the bubble in action, while also keeping his regulars sharp and integrated in the game plan. When that squad is announced in the next week or two, we could have our answer on whether Lucas Cavallini has played his way, or even stomped his way, off the plane to Qatar.

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