Issue #19 - Are You Excited?
Catching up on health updates, Whitecaps FC's triumphs, and potential player transfers!
Hello!
To everyone who reached out after the last issue with kind words and thoughts, and to everyone who reached out beforehand, thank you! I truly appreciate the support y’all provided over the past couple of weeks and am happy to report things are better.
After I clicked publish, my Dad suffered a setback in his recovery and ended up back in hospital. The positive development was it allowed his medical team to definitively figure out what was wrong and to get in and get him all fixed up. That happened Thursday.
So much like the many injured Whitecaps FC players, my Dad is on the shelf and hopes to make a return before the season is done.
Speaking of injured Whitecaps players, I really undersold the injury to Ranko Veselinovic, eh? Never crossed my mind that it would be as catastrophic as a torn ACL, yet having experienced that myself, I wish Ranko nothing but the best in his recovery. Look forward to seeing him lace those cleats up next season.
Anywho, on with the newsletter!
The View
Boy was it nice to be back in the regular seat this past weekend. Felt right.
And despite my worries the Whitecaps FC backline could be hard-pressed to handle things with Utvik playing the entirety of the match, the backline did what needed to be done.
We saw goals from Emmanuel Sabbi, J.C. Ngando, and in a “shots fired at Chris moment” Mathías Laborda.
We saw Yohei Takaoka come up big the few times he was called upon. In fact few seems like an overstatement.
And we also saw Andres Cubas leave at halftime with calf tightness - obviously a concern.
Despite all this, the biggest news of the day-ish… had to be word the Vancouver Whitecaps FC - I’ll say it again for those in the back, the Vancouver Whitecaps FC - were seriously in on Thomas Müller.
Wowza.
The Good
A definitive win. It was nice to see the ‘Caps get a solid result, albeit against a team with a negative xG on the season. But a win is a win is a win in my books.
The Not So Good
Ranko Veselinovic’s torn ACL. There’s a reason Ranko has worn the captain’s arm band since Ryan Gauld went down with injury. And while the news of Thomas Müller brings excitement, here’s hoping Axel can find someone that can fit into Ranko’s shoes the rest of the way.
Around the Pitch
Where were you when this news broke?
As a long-time Vancouver sports fan, I’ve had big news like this break my heart so many times that I don’t believe anything I ever hear.
I’m jaded.
And with Axel shooting down the idea the team had discussed the possibility of bringing Thomas to Vancouver, I considered the rumours as just the scuttlebutt that gets created amongst all the noise.
Yet here we are as I write this issue of the newsletter, with the understanding that not only has Vancouver sorted out a deal with Müller to bring him here for this season (under a TAM contact) and next (as a DP), but a deal with FC Cincinnati to obtain his rights (guess they were at his birth or something) has been hammered out.
Obviously nothing is official until it is official. And there’s potential for a deal of this multitude to fall apart over something silly.
But I can’t remember a time when I was more excited as a Whitecaps FC supporter than I am now.
How about you?
With no Whitecaps FC action until August 9, I’m guessing the next issue of the newsletter will be all about the Summer transfer window action.
Unless y’all have a topic you’d want me to discuss.
If you do, feel free to reply to this email to shoot me that idea. Or that comment. Or that critique. Or the winning lottery numbers.
Simply put, my inbox is always open to you and I read every email you send (and try to reply to them as well!).
From my seat to your browser!
If you enjoyed this, please consider sharing on social media or forwarding it to someone that you think would love it just as much! ❤️
-Chris (@lyteforce.ca)