Vancouver Whitecaps - 2024 Season Thread

[Watchmen]

22 minutes ago, RJB said:

No matter who they started, the whitecaps lost to a newly promoted league 1 side who were in preseason.

They started 6 regulars and the game was decided against WFC2.

[BearcatSA]

30 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

They started 6 regulars and the game was decided against WFC2.

The kids looked like kids, often getting outmuscled and not situationally aware in marking.  But hey, when the majority of them graduate from WFC2 and move on to their post playing careers, they can look back on this match as a memorable experience.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

[BearcatSA]

...

 

 

Edited July 28 by BearcatSA
Wrong thread!

[Stanley]

18 hours ago, Watchmen said:

They started 6 regulars and the game was decided against WFC2.

Way back in the old days I remember they used to have pride when they played international friendlies and would start their first team and played to win.

[Watchmen]

7 hours ago, Stanley said:

Way back in the old days I remember they used to have pride when they played international friendlies and would start their first team and played to win.

Back in the day, players used to try during All Star games too, but those days are long past.

[MtlMario]

Didn't sound like it was a Whitecap home game to me.☹️

[Watchmen]

2 hours ago, MtlMario said:

Didn't sound like it was a Whitecap home game to me.☹️

It technically wasn't. They were "invited guests to play Wrexham". Having said that, people applauded all the goals, regardless of who scored. The Whitecaps simply only scored 1.

[BearcatSA]

50 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

It technically wasn't. They were "invited guests to play Wrexham". Having said that, people applauded all the goals, regardless of who scored. The Whitecaps simply only scored 1.

Is it much different from Messi fans swelling the stands to watch visiting Inter Miami in a competitive match?

 

[Watchmen]

1 hour ago, BearcatSA said:

Is it much different from Messi fans swelling the stands to watch visiting Inter Miami in a competitive match?

The Vancouver fans reaction to Miami was actually pretty good - Miami was loudly booed for the first 15 minutes or so. Unfortunately, under Vanni the Whitecaps killed any fan involvement by playing at a turtle pace, getting no attempts early, and falling behind. Took the crowd right out of it. Had Messi been there, I'm sure there would have been less booing, but the Whitecaps sure did themselves no favour's by losing that game to a B team.

[Watchmen]

Brown placed on waivers.

[BearcatSA]

37 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

Had Messi been there, I'm sure there would have been less booing, but the Whitecaps sure did themselves no favour's by losing that game to a B team.

A whole lot less.

[BearcatSA]

21 hours ago, Watchmen said:

Brown placed on waivers.

Couldn't trade him?  A just-a-guy type but you'd think he'd have been moved for a return of some sort. 

[Watchmen]

1 hour ago, BearcatSA said:

Couldn't trade him?  A just-a-guy type but you'd think he'd have been moved for a return of some sort. 

Yup. Especially considering all the rumours surrounding some teams in Europe being interested. I'm not saying it's a huge sale, just more than "waived".

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

[BearcatSA]

I'm glad that Schuster hasn't traded Picault.

[saladroit]

2 hours ago, BearcatSA said:

I'm glad that Schuster hasn't traded Picault.

based on what schuster's said, it sounds like that trade rumour was an agent-fed thing when fafa wasn't getting regular starts

[Watchmen]

7 hours ago, saladroit said:

based on what schuster's said, it sounds like that trade rumour was an agent-fed thing when fafa wasn't getting regular starts

And not helped by Vanni singling him out as "not working hard enough defensively" in a game Picault was possibly MotM.

[Unnamed Trialist]

On 8/4/2024 at 7:27 AM, BearcatSA said:

I'm glad that Schuster hasn't traded Picault.

True, but a player saying he wanted to be in a different part of the country for personal reasons when he's on contract, well that isn't a thing. It seemed immature when I heard it, I am glad he's gotten over it.

I might go to Pumas as I realize I've never seen a Mexican team, don't think.

[Watchmen]

58 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

True, but a player saying he wanted to be in a different part of the country for personal reasons when he's on contract, well that isn't a thing. It seemed immature when I heard it, I am glad he's gotten over it.

I might go to Pumas as I realize I've never seen a Mexican team, don't think.

The tournament is flawed, and it's disgraceful that MLS is attempting to prioritize it over the US Open.

Having said that, I find the Leagues Cup games to be fairly entertaining. There's more at stake than a friendly, but not so much that you're upset if your team loses, and it gives an opportunity for a number of players lower in the squad to get some (somewhat) meaningful minutes

In Vancouver, I've also noticed that it does bring out Mexican fans, even if its obviously not their team playing. 

So the tournament works, sort of. But not at a level where I think it continues long term.

[Unnamed Trialist]

5 hours ago, Watchmen said:

The tournament is flawed, and it's disgraceful that MLS is attempting to prioritize it over the US Open.

Having said that, I find the Leagues Cup games to be fairly entertaining. There's more at stake than a friendly, but not so much that you're upset if your team loses, and it gives an opportunity for a number of players lower in the squad to get some (somewhat) meaningful minutes

In Vancouver, I've also noticed that it does bring out Mexican fans, even if its obviously not their team playing. 

So the tournament works, sort of. But not at a level where I think it continues long term.

For me it is really just a private exhibition series. It is ridiculous that the Mexican teams are playing away for weeks, travelling constantly, never home. It also seems unfair we can't play in Mexico, which would be a good experience, and surely their fans at home deserve to enjoy the competition. So it is summer? Then play it earlier, in the spring, another time of year. 

Then the idea that a private tournament between two leagues qualifies for a Concacaf competition, I think that should be rejected by FIFA: any qualification for any confederation has to be based on the idea that any team can play in it. As we know, in Europe there are teams from Faroe, Lichtenstein and Andorra in the early Champions League rounds (who also get through their first ties too, I think), so potentially they could make Group Play. Just the same: a Belize or Trinidad club should be able to participate in any competition qualifying for a Concacaf tournament. Otherwise, just eliminate that entirely. 

Another ridiculous feature is that the division East-West means you could repeat a rival, as Whitecaps did last year I think. And then never play certain rivals unless you make the final. I mean, at least start to cross the two groups by quarter finals or something.

I really wonder how much Concacaf is being pressured the way UEFA was with the Super League to start to offer financial solutions to the stronger clubs, and whether this is simply them giving in, unlike UEFA, without imposing any criteria of their own.

[Watchmen]

1 hour ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

For me it is really just a private exhibition series. It is ridiculous that the Mexican teams are playing away for weeks, travelling constantly, never home. It also seems unfair we can't play in Mexico, which would be a good experience, and surely their fans at home deserve to enjoy the competition. So it is summer? Then play it earlier, in the spring, another time of year. 

Absolutely. Don't disagree with any of this.  As I said, the tournament has flaws.

1 hour ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Then the idea that a private tournament between two leagues qualifies for a Concacaf competition, I think that should be rejected by FIFA: any qualification for any confederation has to be based on the idea that any team can play in it. As we know, in Europe there are teams from Faroe, Lichtenstein and Andorra in the early Champions League rounds (who also get through their first ties too, I think), so potentially they could make Group Play. Just the same: a Belize or Trinidad club should be able to participate in any competition qualifying for a Concacaf tournament. Otherwise, just eliminate that entirely. 

Yes and no - by this logic, you'd also be eliminating the Caribbean Cup and Central American Cup, since both of those are also limited in who gets to compete in them and lead to qualifying for the CCC.  Maybe you're ok with that, and that's fine. But really, right now it's only the CPL that doesn't have this "3rd tournament" option to participate in the way the rest of CONCACAF does.

1 hour ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I really wonder how much Concacaf is being pressured the way UEFA was with the Super League to start to offer financial solutions to the stronger clubs, and whether this is simply them giving in, unlike UEFA, without imposing any criteria of their own.

This is certainly a big part of it, yes.  I think the closest thing CONCACAF got to "imposing their own criteria" here is that they forced the two leagues to essentially sanction it through them and are almost certainly taking a cut of it.

So yes, I know all that.  I don't disagree with most of it.  And still, the games I've attended have been quite enjoyable and the ticket price has been very reasonable (at least where I am, at $16 for the game).

[Watchmen]

Interesting to see what happens today. The Whitecaps have obvious weaknesses that should have been addressed this transfer window. They have currently made zero moves, with the long-rumoured Edier Ocampo transfer still pending. Vanni was on the radio yesterday still talking up "how hard the club is working" and that he expected 1 or 2 moves. We'll see.

[narduch]

Whitecaps announcing a signing soon