<center><i>"If you wish to reach the highest, begin at the lowest."</i></center>
<p align=right><i>(Publilius Syrus)</i></p>
A new year, full of hopes and aspirations.
Vancouver Whitecaps fans will want to put most of 2011 behind them. There was the high of 'First Kick' and the ultimate low that greeted the final kick, but onwards and upwards.
Resolutions are currently everywhere. People are full of good intentions. Gym memberships are foolishly bought, anti smoking patches are stuck all over people and many other misguided and unrealistic promises are made, only to not be kept.
It's hard at this time of year not to look forward to what the year ahead will hold in store.
The Whitecaps have a new management team, will have several new players for the fans to cheer on and aim to restore some pride and add to their proud history.
There's a lot we, and everyone connected with the Caps, hope to see in 2012, both on and off the pitch.
We got together a mix of Caps players, pundits, writers and fans, sat them down with Gene Genie, who granted them three Whitecaps wishes for 2012. They could be on field, off field, personal or a combination of all three.
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To kick things off, here's our three top Whitecaps wishes for each.
On the pitch we have three clear goals, all of them firsts. We want to see the Caps reach our first MLS playoffs, win our first Voyageurs Cup and give a good account of ourselves and give some Canadian pride in our first CONCACAF Champions League campaign. No pressure on Martin Rennie to perform from the off then!
Off the pitch our main wish is for a better way of handling the away ticket allocation for the games against Seattle and Portland. We would love to see the Caps give the Southsiders half of the ticketing allocation received and not have Uniglobe handling them again. It's a win-win for the Caps and the supporters' group. Less administrative hassle, fans can sit with their friends and not be given tickets all over the section, and the Southsiders can know ahead of time how many buses they need to lay on. The games had a great atmosphere last year, but this can only make it even better.
Secondly, we'd like to see a much bigger impact in the Vancouver community. The Caps recently ran an <a href="http://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/2011/12/year-review-caps-community" target="_blank">article</a> about their achievements in this field. Compared to what the likes of Portland do in their community, it was very underwhelming.
Finally we'd like to wish that Vancouver fans, stadium wide, can actually get their asses in their seat in time for kick off. It baffles me that people will spend money on tickets at all sporting events in the city, only to miss minutes of a game to stand in line for over-priced concessions.
So that's AFTN’s wishes for 2012, but what about others out there?
<b><u>Eric Hassli (Vancouver Whitecaps Designated Player):</u></b>
My wishes are simple and straight to the point
- Going to the playoffs
- To win the Canadian Cup
- And for me personally, to score lots of goalssssss!
<b><u>Ben Fisk (Vancouver Whitecaps Residency and Canada U20 player):</u></b>
- My wish for the club would be to have a positive, consistent season and to make the playoffs.
- My off-pitch wish would be for the club to continue to receive the same amazing support as last season.
- My personal goal would be to earn a spot on the 1st team roster and make my MLS debut.
<b><u>Peter Schaad (Radio voice of Whitecaps FC. Host of Whitecaps FC Daily on Team 1410)</u></b>
- A drama free season:
2011 will be remembered for firings, abandoned games, dodgy red cards, a DP signing that didn't work out, capped off with a CEO resignation. 2012 needs to be remembered for what happens ON the pitch.
- Set piece success:
By my recollection, the Whitecaps scored only twice from set plays all season. If two thirds of all goals in the game come from free kicks and corners, the club needs to make it a bigger priority on the training ground.
- Leaders must lead; the money men must earn their wages:
In 2011, there were too many times when the players earning the most dollars disappeared on the field, and failed to show leadership in the locker room. If MLS is about spending shrewdly, the guys earning the bigger bucks must justify their salaries.
<b><u>Steve Clare (Editor of <a href="http://www.prostamerika.com" target="_blank">Prost Amerika</a> - Cascadia's premier football website):</u></b>
- Twelfth Man:
Having attended the first and last games in Empire Field and the first in BC Place, it seems that the supporter culture has finally begun to spread beyond the devoted hardcore. This is undoubtedly good news for both the sport and the club. My first good wish for the Caps is that all parties work together in a spirit of goodwill to allow and encourage more noise at home games along the lines of the other Cascadian clubs. Encouraging strong independent Supporters Groups should not be viewed with the fear of a dictator allowing opposition parties for the first time. In words Canadians will understand better than Americans, they are more 'loyal' than 'opposition'.
So my first wish is that the Caps fans are allowed and encouraged to be as loud, raucous and tuneless as their American cousins and even, dare I say, as those excellent Toronto fans.
- Credibility:
Many people will be asking for an away win. Others for a home win against a Cascadian rival. Going in another direction but wrapped up in that, is the desire to see the end of the screwball crazy gang stuff that provided Michael McColl with way too much material. Administrative mix ups are part and parcel of any operation especially one living in a temporary home. A smooth year in which the headlines are made by the players would restore some damaged credibility.
- Rien ca change:
Michael never said every wish had to be for a change. My last one is for something to stay the same. Even through a turbulent year, the Whitecaps media folk remained cheerful and friendly. Admittedly, <i>Prost Amerika</i> didn't always agree with stuff that went on but even when we were drilling the Front Office, the staff never took it personally and never lost their courtesy and professionalism. One of the nicest things about going to watch a match in Vancouver is the warmth and sincerity of the smiles that greet you. This starts with Bob Lenarduzzi and cascades down through his staff to the people we have to deal with. Let's hope that never changes but maybe they are given a little more to smile about.
<b><u>Steve Pandher (Blogger - <a href="http://whitecapsbeat.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Whitecaps Beat</a>. New AFTN writer for 2012):</u></b>
- To win the Voyageurs and Cascadia Cups:
These are the goals the Whitecaps should have started with last year instead of the reoccurring "Top 25 club in the world" mantra at every press conference. With a new manager and a significant turnover in players, the club needs to learn to win as a group and why not start with beating their rivals. Besides, the MLS Cup is just a popularity contest.
- A job for Tom Soehn:
No offer is too small. A rumoured finalist for the Colorado Rapids opening, Soehn needs to think bigger and not limit himself to the MLS. I think he should try for the head spot in North Korea as he has experience working for unstable leadership (Paul Barber) who treat their supporters poorly.
- #ACanadianMustPlay:
As a person born and bred in Canada is it too much to ask for the club I support, located in Canada, to play a Canadian in a significant role. A <a href="http://www.aftncanada.blogspot.com/2011/10/twitter-campaign-supports-philippe.html" target="_blank"><b>twitter campaign</b></a> couldn’t even help Phil Davies get on the pitch for season finale. There are some positives going into next season with Martin Rennie praising both Russell Teibert and Bryce Alderson, whilst Davies remains on the roster.
<b><u>Wendy Jo (Season ticket holder and columnist for AFTN):</u></b>
- Playoffs:
Obviously. Not even asking for the MLS Cup, just making it to the post-season... Or at the very least, being over .500.
- Win back the Cascadia Cup:
We haven't hoisted the cup since 2008, which is way too long!
-Better beer at BC Place:
Not likely to happen, but paying $8 to drink Bud hurts my soul.
<b><u>Devon Rowcliffe (Long time Caps fan and editor of <a href="http://groundhoppingca.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Groundhopping Canada</a> website)</u></b>
- Bigger crowds at Residency matches:
These USL PDL / USSDA matches are great fun, and are played in intimate settings that large stadiums such as BC Place can't offer. Free admission, witty banter, and tremendous craic. Support the future!
- FC Edmonton in the Voyageurs Cup:
Please, not another semi-final against Montreal! It would be great to play a competitive cup match close enough to Vancouver that hundreds of Southsiders could travel to. I'm also keen to see the development of a western Canadian derby, to have some rival banter with the <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fcesg" target="_blank">ESG</a>, and to help plant the seeds of a football supporters' culture in a city with a young club.
- Formal voice for supporters:
The unofficial relationship that the Southsiders re-established with club staff is great, but could Whitecaps supporters have an official voice in how the club is run? Could there be a Vancouver Whitecaps <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supporters%27_trust" target="_blank">supporters' trust</a>? Will the club appoint a <a href="http://www.fsf.org.uk/news/Supporter-Liaison-Officers.php" target="_blank">supporter liaison officer</a>? Could we ever see a supporters' representative on the club's board of directors?
<b><u>Chris Deal (Vancouver Southsiders President):</u></b>
- Jarju to confound his numerous critics and remembers where he left his shooting boots, starts banging in the goals, and becomes the MLS Top Goalscorer. He blames his 2011 form on #FOTS
- Whitecaps earn their first ever MLS away win at Seattle, silencing the moronic dancing cyborgs
- We qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League by beating L’Impact in Montreal, with Big Phil Davies playing and scoring the winning goal on a cross from Russell Teibert
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And there you have the dreams, hopes, wishes and aspirations of a cross section of those of us connected with the Whitecaps in various shapes and forms.
Do you have a wish that no-one else has mentioned?
Serious, humourous, positive, negative. Let us know below, and we'll see which dreams will come true as the year goes on.
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