As reported earlier today by Duane Rollins, The Whitecaps signed 2 of their standout players from last year. USSF D2 Defender of the Year Greg Janicki and fan favourite Terry Dunfield. However, that was just the tip of the iceberg here in Lotusland. As the sun dropped behind Vancouver Island and the air got cooler, 3 players had their MLS Dreams dashed.
The Vancouver Whitecaps made it official this afternoon that Luca Bellisomo, Simon Thomas, and Willis Forko will not be running around Empire Field this summer. Or in Simon's case, forming an ass shaped groove in the bench.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Luca being cut is a bit of a surprise, but also not a huge shock. He is too old to fit into the homegrown player range designated by the league last month. That would mean that he'd potentially be taking a roster spot away from a more established pro who might see more time on the field, but still have his salary count against the cap. Bellisomo was one of the teams leaders in minutes played, and among the league leaders in fouls. I'm not sure if that's really all that glamorous a stat, but it will be something he can cherish for the rest of his days. He's a good Canadian Boy (although he was born in South Africa) and getting more minutes with another Second Division squad is probably the best thing for his progression as a professional. In all reality he was never going to start in the MLS. Best of luck in your future endeavours kid. You gave it your all and that's all anybody can ask. Thanks for the memories.
Willis Forko on the other hand... his most memorable moment with the club was a crappy header that he almost sent past Jay Nolly, in the first round of the playoffs. A left footed player who plays on the defensive back four, Willis never seemed to click with Teitur's tactical approach. While Forko was fairly capable on the defensive end, we failed to see the offensive flair that Teitur values so much in his outside fullbacks.
Simon Thomas... what can I say about Simon Thomas... I think the only time he got any action this year was in the Supporters Shoot-Out against the Timbers Army. He did manage to stop 2 of their shots that actually made it on net. The only reason he even got in there was because Dan Pelc had a hissy fit and wouldn't do it. His departure isn't a huge surprise he didn't really bring a whole lot to the table. He's young though, and hopefully he took some notes while under the top keeper in the league, but realistically he was a back up keeper in the second division. If Jay Nolly was lucky to get a contract then Thomas had no chance in hell. Hopefully he goes back to the Island and gets some first team minutes with the Highlanders.