OT: 2023 Soccer and Vancouver Whitecaps Thread

[Jyrki21]

This team really sucks.

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[Just A Bit Outside]

Solid start.

Sorry, forgot to add shit in that sentence.

 

[trellaine201]

Forgot the game was on. Maybe it was a good thing. Must have been ugly to watch.

 

[CanadianFlyer88]

Turned it off after 2-0.

I had deferred my season's from 2020 through to this season. Almost certainly will be my last year.

The Caps make the Flyers look like a well run organization.

 

[Javaman]

Nerwinski seems like a solid human being, but he's just not all that good at defending.

You can complain that the red card was an overly harsh outcome, but the yellows ultimately stem from the fact he's nearly always overmatched and consistently puts himself in a position where he has to commit fouls to prevent scoring chances.

Sometimes I think the culture of soccer places too much emphasis on "training" and not enough on what actually happens on gameday. Nerwinski must look great during training to get the start on opening day

 

[VanJack]

Whitecaps got a 'Sartini bounce' in the last of the season a year ago.....but made few changes in the off-season and lost one of the best goalies in MLS.

It'll be another year of just scraping by, poor on the road and passable at home (opener excepted). But losing 4-0 in your home opener is still pretty embarrassing.

 

[Jyrki21]

Whitecaps got a 'Sartini bounce' in the last of the season a year ago.....but made few changes in the off-season and lost one of the best goalies in MLS.

It'll be another year of just scraping by, poor on the road and passable at home (opener excepted). But losing 4-0 in your home opener is still pretty embarrassing.

What I find worrying/puzzling in particular is that almost from the moment Sartini took over last year, their attack looked like it had a clue last year, after 2.5 years of doing virtually nothing under MDS. And yesterday looked full MDS right away... just totally unable to cleanly find passes to make, and they were constantly turning the ball over.

The personnel for the most part is the same, except that White was injured (but he was never the playmaker). I do wonder if not having Owusu or Bikel there – both of whom I think were quietly quite effective last year in turning the ball around – made something of a difference. But it did feel like men against boys otherwise.

 

[trellaine201]

This NY team looks very good. But it’s still 0-0

 

[Red]

Cavallini with his best game (so far) in a very, very long time. Great hold up play.

 

[Red]

A pretty boring an uninspired tie. Hasal had a good game.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Did anyone even watch this game?

Winless. Already last place. 1 goal through 3 games.

 

[Javaman]

Did anyone even watch this game?

Winless. Already last place. 1 goal through 3 games.

I watched.

It's still early in the season, but I'm seeing the same sort of thing I've seen in the past few seasons from the Whitecaps. Basically, they just don't seem to be a good enough team to compete in MLS.

I'd love to be proven wrong, but I've grown jaded over the past few years.

 

[Petey But Really Jim]

I watched.

It's still early in the season, but I'm seeing the same sort of thing I've seen in the past few seasons from the Whitecaps. Basically, they just don't seem to be a good enough team to compete in MLS.

I'd love to be proven wrong, but I've grown jaded over the past few years.

It’s ok. There is a game worth the time in 12 or so days.

 

[Jyrki21]

I watched.

It's still early in the season, but I'm seeing the same sort of thing I've seen in the past few seasons from the Whitecaps. Basically, they just don't seem to be a good enough team to compete in MLS.

I'd love to be proven wrong, but I've grown jaded over the past few years.

I am legitimately curious how they fare against Valour in the Canadian Championship. Once more, I'm not taking anything for granted.

 

[Petey But Really Jim]

I am legitimately curious how they fare against Valour in the Canadian Championship. Once more, I'm not taking anything for granted.

Haven’t they lost twice to CPL teams in the last few seasons?

 

[Jyrki21]

Haven’t they lost twice to CPL teams in the last few seasons?

Yep, and they look more poised than normal to do it again.

 

[Petey But Really Jim]

Yep, and they look more poised than normal to do it again.

Ownership don’t care about soccer in Vancouver so neither do I. They’ve wasted such an opportunity to be loved in this market.

 

[Hit the post]

Ownership don’t care about soccer in Vancouver so neither do I. They’ve wasted such an opportunity to be loved in this market.

Oh they care to the extent to see how much money they can squeeze out of the organization & line their own pockets. For all the grief Aquaman gets, you can’t really accuse him of that. If the franchise folded, I’ll be honest & say, the team died already a long time ago when the NASL folded for the most part.

 

[Petey But Really Jim]

Oh they care to the extent to see how much money they can squeeze out of the organization & line their own pockets. For all the grief Aquaman gets, you can’t really accuse him of that. If the franchise folded, I’ll be honest & say, the team died already a long time ago when the NASL folded for the most part.

Aquilini is who I want to own the Caps.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Oh they care to the extent to see how much money they can squeeze out of the organization & line their own pockets. For all the grief Aquaman gets, you can’t really accuse him of that. If the franchise folded, I’ll be honest & say, the team died already a long time ago when the NASL folded for the most part.

The golden era for the Whitecaps FC (this incarnation) in the MLS was between 2013 and 2016 when they were able to compete in the MLS. Yeah we weren't good enough to win championships but we had some decent players and could generate offense on most nights. Camilo was brilliant and we actually had decent results in 2015 and 2016.

Then the salary expectations went up and the owners became so f***ing cheap. Nearly always in the bottom 5 in payroll. We also know we are destined to another losing season with another cheap inexperienced manager that got lucky catching lightning in the bottle down the stretch last year.

I will commit my dollars and time to watching a local CPL team because at least the games will be lively and competitive.

 

[Hit the post]

The golden era for the Whitecaps FC (this incarnation) in the MLS was between 2013 and 2016 when they were able to compete in the MLS. Yeah we weren't good enough to win championships but we had some decent players and could generate offense on most nights. Camilo was brilliant and we actually had decent results in 2015 and 2016.

Then the salary expectations went up and the owners became so f***ing cheap. Nearly always in the bottom 5 in payroll. We also know we are destined to another losing season with another cheap inexperienced manager that got lucky catching lightning in the bottle down the stretch last year.

I will commit my dollars and time to watching a local CPL team because at least the games will be lively and competitive.

I could give the owners a 'pass' on being cheap if they themselves didn't have deep pockets. Think the entire Caps ownership group has about as much financial muscle as the Aquilini empire. That's what REALLY bothers me.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

I could give the owners a 'pass' on being cheap if they themselves didn't have deep pockets. Think the entire Caps ownership group has about as much financial muscle as the Aquilini empire. That's what REALLY bothers me.

It's an equity group/hedge fund and their primary focus involves maximizing returns each year. The end goal is probably selling the team once expansion slots have been maxed out and relocation becomes the only alternative for cities wanting MLS teams. Expansion fees right now are nearing 350mil. Owners only paid 33mil for the team back in 2009 without having to build any sort of stadium. Realistically, I could see $500 being the sale point of this franchise in the near future at which point the owners may look to just sell it.

 

[Hit the post]

It's an equity group/hedge fund and their primary focus involves maximizing returns each year. The end goal is probably selling the team once expansion slots have been maxed out and relocation becomes the only alternative for cities wanting MLS teams. Expansion fees right now are nearing 350mil. Owners only paid 33mil for the team back in 2009 without having to build any sort of stadium. Realistically, I could see $500 being the sale point of this franchise in the near future at which point the owners may look to just sell it.

Sounds like they're apostles of T. Boone Pickens.

 

[Javaman]

I am legitimately curious how they fare against Valour in the Canadian Championship. Once more, I'm not taking anything for granted.

Yeah well, will the Caps play their best 11 against them? Otherwise, you just know they'll describe a loss as "difficult to take, but ultimately good for the development of our young players" or something along those lines.

 

[Jyrki21]

A promising start, with Blackmon scoring against Crépeau in LAFC's home park, but it has since slunk back into reality.