The Vancouver Whitecaps are reportedly finalizing a deal for Japanese goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka (26), currently of the Yokohama Marinos. In fact, Yokohama has put out a statement saying that he is going abroad to complete negotiations. So we can be pretty confident this one is happening. According to fbref, the Whitecaps had the worst-performing goalkeeper corps in the league last season, conceding almost 11 more goals than expected. So adding a top goalkeeper to the side could be a significant swing in their favour. Is Takaoka that guy? Let’s discuss.
Before we get into any specifics about what to expect from Takaoka let’s discuss some suitable benchmarks for the ‘Caps’ #1 keeper.