Vancouver Whitecaps - 2024 Season Thread

[SpursFlu]

So Miami get to sign Di Maria and the Whitecaps have to go in their pocket to cough up hundreds of thousands of dollars to fans. I feel a successful summer transfer window upcoming for the Whitecaps 

This is such a Vancouver scenario about to play out. We demand a winning team! Oh and we hate you. Give us all our money back!

Edited May 24 by SpursFlu

[Soccerpro2]

This is like the inevitable sob stories that come out in the media when Lebron James doesn’t play when his team are in Toronto to face the Raptors.

There’s never a promise an opposing player is going to play, especially a 36 year old whose team is based in South Florida that also plays at home Wednesday night to a conference rival and has the Copa America coming up soon.

Messi skipping this game was always more likely than not. I don’t understand what goes through people’s heads shelling out big money for a big gamble.

Edited May 24 by Soccerpro2

[BearcatSA]

2 hours ago, Soccerpro2 said:

This is like the inevitable sob stories that come out in the media when Lebron James doesn’t play when his team are in Toronto to face the Raptors.

There’s never a promise an opposing player is going to play, especially a 36 year old whose team is based in South Florida that also plays at home Wednesday night to a conference rival and has the Copa America coming up soon.

Messi skipping this game was always more likely than not. I don’t understand what goes through people’s heads shelling out big money for a big gamble.

I have zero sympathy for the rubes who shelled out for this shit show.  BTW, get that Apple MLS Pass so you can watch Messi and his Barcelona friends team up with soccer guy Chef Gordon Ramsay to discuss then make their favourite Catalan cuisine. (Not sure if it is available yet but I am sure it is in the works!)

[masster]

4 hours ago, Kingston said:

One other perspective on this:  All the MLS teams are essentially giving up money for the Messi deal with the expectation of increased fan support and revenue.  So, should the other MLS teams have the right to expect Messi to be there (as much as that might not always make sense from a workload perspective)?  Or, at the very least, to still make the trip with the team and do some PR stuff?  Otherwise why is Vancouver (in this case) indirectly helping fund his salary?

Good point. I hadn't thought about that. But we all know that MLS doesn't really care about Vancouver or the Canadian teams.

When I saw the announcement the other day that the MLS All Star game will be in Austin in 2025, it got me thinking back to the expansion announcement in 2009 when Vancouver was promised a big 'league event' in their first 5 years. By 2026...it will be 15 years in MLS and still waiting.

Don't get me wrong, I don't give a shit about the all-star game, but it would be one hell of a way to make it up to the casuals. MLS All Stars vs Barcelona at BC Place??

[saladroit]

6 hours ago, Watchmen said:

I'll be interested to see what they do this summer when the transfer window opens.

about that... vanni was on extratime this week and was asked about the summer transfer window (skip to the 1:08:20 mark). perhaps take it with a grain of salt since vanni prefaced his answer with saying that it's more of a question suited for the front office, but it sounded like they might lean towards signing u22 initiative players rather than a 3rd DP (new rule changes basically allow teams to choose between 3DPs/3 U22s or 2 DPs/4 U22s/$2M GAM). which, considering that cubas/gauld/white are in their primes and thus there's a limited window to capitalize on them with additional in-prime signings as opposed to younger players, would be a huge mistake in my opinion. par for the course in the post-overheul era of roster building then! 

Edited May 25 by saladroit

[Goal_Kick]

8 hours ago, SpursFlu said:

But how much are they making?

Dunno.  Good question.   Does anyone know how much any MLS team is making?

[Watchmen]

4 hours ago, saladroit said:

about that... vanni was on extratime this week and was asked about the summer transfer window (skip to the 1:08:20 mark). perhaps take it with a grain of salt since vanni prefaced his answer with saying that it's more of a question suited for the front office, but it sounded like they might lean towards signing u22 initiative players rather than a 3rd DP (new rule changes basically allow teams to choose between 3DPs/3 U22s or 2 DPs/4 U22s/$2M GAM). which, considering that cubas/gauld/white are in their primes and thus there's a limited window to capitalize on them with additional in-prime signings as opposed to younger players, would be a huge mistake in my opinion. par for the course in the post-overheul era of roster building then! 

I heard that.  It was also recorded/released before the Messi news, which might change the equation.  Don't get me wrong- I wouldn't mind a quality u22 signing (emphasis on quality), but I don't think that's what the casuals want (and that's the core of the group that's currently furious).

[narduch]

Would be pretty embarrassing if the Whitecaps don't win today. 

 

[Vancouver Fan]

3 hours ago, narduch said:

Would be pretty embarrassing if the Whitecaps don't win today. 

 

Whitecaps only missing Adekugbe and Kreilach as far as I know. Imagine if the Caps were missing 7 of their top players. Miami can still compete despite their stars being out. It would be embarrassing to them if they do not win MLS Cup with the amount of depth they have.

[BearcatSA]

13 hours ago, saladroit said:

about that... vanni was on extratime this week and was asked about the summer transfer window (skip to the 1:08:20 mark). perhaps take it with a grain of salt 

I take almost everything Sartini says with a cattle lick-sized block of salt.

It's pretty clear that he likes and wants utilitarian grafters who follow the defensive shape-turnover-counterattack script.  Vite, also a u22 signing, took time to settle but now is  really "just another guy" out there who is replaceable in the "next man up" ethos and is not the impact player fans hoped he would become.  Ahmed has plateaued this season as teams now have a better read on him and game plan for it.  Fans hoping for a magic bullet u22 attacking signing will be disappointed. 

This team could rattle off some more wins this summer in the same tactical fashion, either against weak conference opponents or smash & grabs vs top of table sides, still maintain a 4th-8th placing, then will head off to the playoff lottery (is it the same as last year?).  

 

[Watchmen]

4 hours ago, narduch said:

Would be pretty embarrassing if the Whitecaps don't win today. 

 

The modern history of the Whitecaps is if it's a big game, they've no-showed.  The moment gets to them and they're dreadful.  I know there's a number of reasons the big 3 didn't make the trip to Vancouver, but I think the quiet part Miami won't say is that they think they can get a result right now against this Whitecaps team without them.

Edited May 25 by Watchmen

[BearcatSA]

1 hour ago, Watchmen said:

I know there's a number of reasons the big 3 didn't make the trip to Vancouver, but I think the quiet part Miami won't say is that they think they can get a result right now against this Whitecaps team without them.

I think Sartini-ball will result in a few bad  turnovers by some Miami lesser likes, create a go ahead goal, followed by a late insurance marker to seal victory, and then the bandwagon's shocks will get a serious work out (again). 

Edited May 25 by BearcatSA

[Watchmen]

7 minutes ago, BearcatSA said:

I think Sartini-ball will result in a few bad  turnovers by some Miami lesser likes, create a go ahead goal, followed by a llate insurance marker to seal victory, and then the bandwagon's shocks will get a serious work out (again). 

I would love it if the Whitecaps won. They could at least spin it as "Miami made mistake in not bringing their full team". But, we'll see.

[Watchmen]

13 hours ago, Watchmen said:

The modern history of the Whitecaps is if it's a big game, they've no-showed.  The moment gets to them and they're dreadful.  I know there's a number of reasons the big 3 didn't make the trip to Vancouver, but I think the quiet part Miami won't say is that they think they can get a result right now against this Whitecaps team without them.

I was sadly proven correct.

Post game, Vanni continued to insist that it's not the formation.  Just "one or two mistakes", they "just need to work harder", they're "just a bit unlucky."  Absolute madness.  Maybe that excuse works for a game or two.  It's been that way for 7 games now (all competitions).  The formation has clearly been found out and teams know how to beat it, and they're doing so easily.

[Watchmen]

On 5/10/2024 at 8:00 AM, Kingston said:

I'm surprised at the negativity here from Whitecaps fans. 

Your team is one of the top in the West, is playing well, and has a reasonable chance at a third straight Canadian Championship trophy and the subsequent return to the CCC.  You're maybe a DP away from being one of the truly elite teams in MLS.  

Considering that the team has often been middling to poor in recent years, I thought fans would be quite happy with the season so far.

How about now? 😉

[nolando]

56 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

How about now? 😉

Haha.

 

I was thinking of exactly this post tonight.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

[BearcatSA]

The biggest issue with the Caps right now is that they have no open play goals in five consecutive matches.  How many shots and saves did the Miami keeper have to make last night?  Picault hit a post (did he hit another?) and agitated an opponent into conceding a brain cramp penalty.

Of course formation and tactics are big parts of that problem, too.  But if you make a couple of mistakes that get punished by clinical finishing (and I thought Taylor's first touch and then finish were excellent:  if Ahmed ir Raposo did the same, we'd be oowing and awwing it as world class!), you're suddenly behind the 8 ball. 

It's not going to be the "sexy" attacking choice people would want, but a big engine, ground eating central mid like LAFC's Tillman to partner Cubas would really help this team to dictate play more.  Neither Vite nor Schopf has the engine and the former in particular comes up small in big opponent games too often.

As I posted yesterday, they are a team of utlitarian grafters who are hitting their ceiling.  7th is about right but fortunately there is a ton of mediocrity in the conference (Dallas & Colorado blowing home leads, Portland still a defensive question mark) to keep them in a playoff spot.  An equally stale last placed SKC on Wednesday night should make for an interesting match up.  Hopefully it will be entertaining and not dour.

[Goal_Kick]

2 hours ago, BearcatSA said:

It's not going to be the "sexy" attacking choice people would want, but a big engine, ground eating central mid like LAFC's Tillman to partner Cubas would really help this team to dictate play more. 

As a supporter of the sexy attacking choice I have to ask:  how much impact is a big engine midfielder going to have if there is no one to finish?

With Brian White in a slump, the Caps have no-one who can consistently score goals.

 

[Watchmen]

45 minutes ago, Goal_Kick said:

As a supporter of the sexy attacking choice I have to ask:  how much impact is a big engine midfielder going to have if there is no one to finish?

With Brian White in a slump, the Caps have no-one who can consistently score goals.

There's definitely areas they can upgrade. Bench is thin. But there's a reason we're seeing half the team or more struggle right now, and it comes back to Vanni's "clever' formation.

[masster]

8 hours ago, BearcatSA said:

It's not going to be the "sexy" attacking choice people would want, but a big engine, ground eating central mid like LAFC's Tillman to partner Cubas would really help this team to dictate play more.  Neither Vite nor Schopf has the engine and the former in particular comes up small in big opponent games too often.

Unfortunately the team needs both, a strong CM and more help up front.

I think the deficiency in midfield is also exacerbated by the switch in formation. Now they only have 2 players in the engine room as opposed to the 3 they had last season, so they are asking a lot more of the player (usually Vite) starting next to Cubas. In addition, Gauld is occasionally having to drop deeper to help out, which is taking further away from where we want him to be.

[masster]

Laborda gets absolutely cooked on both of the goals.

I haven't seen anything from Bovalina yet.

Even though Kreilach was subpar to start the season, they really need him back, because the depth up front without him is atrocious.

Kudos to Raposo who really brought some energy when he was subbed on last night.

[Ed_S]

No one has mentioned the dog-shit turf they play on as a reason for keeping players out of the game. Why risk an injury for your stars??

[Watchmen]

1 hour ago, Ed_S said:

No one has mentioned the dog-shit turf they play on as a reason for keeping players out of the game. Why risk an injury for your stars??

Because if the same stadium was on the other coast he would have played. Stars with LAFC/Galaxy have played on it routinely.

[BearcatSA]

9 hours ago, Goal_Kick said:

As a supporter of the sexy attacking choice I have to ask:  how much impact is a big engine midfielder going to have if there is no one to finish?

With Brian White in a slump, the Caps have no-one who can consistently score goals.

 

Here is my reasoning:  first off, a box to box mid can contribute to that offence, getting into the box with late runs or providing shooting support from distance.  Secondly, Gauld does far too much running and movement away from the attacking area as well as defensive back tracking:  A strong box to box 8 allows him to stay more advanced.   Finally, though I also would love to see a genuine forward or winger type brought in, if it is a u22 type, he's a more likely a prospect who needs seasoning as opposed to being an impact player.  And if, you don't control midfield against the upper echelon teams in this league, that player with Gauld and White will still be waiting more for their opponents screw ups in the block to get offensive opportunities as opposed to dictating the flow of the match and being on the front foot more. 

In addition to what @masster noted about the midfield set up this year as opposed to last season, what was particularly glaring in the second leg playoff loss vs LAFC last year was how much better their midfield (two athletic box to box 8s in Tillman and Acosta in front of the deep lying but less mobile Ilie) was compared to the central midfield three of the Caps (Cubas, Vite, Ahmed).  How much offensive contribution have Vite and Schopf contributed together so far this season?  A goal?  Three assists maybe?  Ten key passes?

They're not getting a bigger money DP attacker in this summer window so right now, things hinge on White regaining his form and maybe a healthy Kreilach can provide a poaching bump off the bench.  Hopefully, a possible u22 attacker can have an impact, but I doubt it.  As I suggested earlier, the best thing in the Caps' favour is the overall conference (league?) mediocrity, so there are many beatable teams allowing them to stay playoff bound.