For 21-year old Union fullback Olivier Mbaizo, the match against Vancouver Whitecaps was a learning moment -- and head coach Jim Curtin made the lesson clear: Remember you are a defender first!
Wednesday night, Mbaizo got an opportunity to show he is a fast learner, and he added some high-class playmaking skills to prove there is yet another level his game can still hit.
“He was in a really high advanced position," Curtin said on Tuesday when asked about Mbaizo's first start of 2019. "His starting point was high -- and maybe too high in some instances -- so we will talk with him on that, especially when you play Cincinnati who is looking to break in behind he’ll have to do some recovery sprinting.