Issue #2 - Broken With No Break
The Whitecaps FC lose players due to injury and international play, Ralph Priso gives it all away, and the team loses their first of the season. Yet the View from 231 remains optimistic.
Hello all y’all!
While the dream of an unbeaten Whitecaps FC run to MLS dominance has come to an end, the dream of a dominant Whitecaps FC team still remains! More on that below.
Before we get to The View from 231, I want to thank you again for signing up to receive the newsletter! To those of you who reached out with kind words, they mean so much to me. And to the few who asked how you can support me, the best way to do that is simply tell someone about From 231!
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The View
With the Whitecaps FC dealing with an absence of key players due to international duty and injury, I was curious how Jesper Sørensen would approach his starting side.
Staring Daniel Rios in place of an absent Brian White was a given. Ralph Priso for Andrés Cubas equally so.
The big surprise was seeing recently signed Whitecaps FC Academy graduate Liam Mackenzie slot in for the absent Pedro Vite. It’s not that I didn’t think there was a chance that Liam could find minutes in the match, just didn’t have him starting over Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau.
With the “drive for five” still a possibility for the ‘Caps, the squad found themselves already on the back foot with the Chicago Fire netting a 1-0 lead within the first minute of play. While it’s hard to fault Takaoka for much this season, I feel he could have dealt with the cross much more effectively.
Yet from that point onward, the Whitecaps FC did what they have done most of this season. They maintained possession, they pushed with ambition, and aggressively defended and harassed Fire players.
It truly felt like the team had a few goals in ‘em and could turn things around.
When Daniel Rios notched his first of the season only 14 minutes later - from a beautiful set up by Jayden Nelson (more on him from Darcie Kerr below) - I sat back down with a smile on my face as any fan would and should.
The problem? The Fire were completely unfazed and seemed determined to slow the pace of play down at every opportunity.
Unlike matches past, where the Whitecaps were able to dictate the style of play through their precision passing & aggressive pursuit of the ball, they often disrupted their own momentum with cavalier touches on the ball and frequent giveaways.
In fact, the most egregious giveaway took place nearly six yards from the Whitecaps FC goal line when Ralph Priso missed an opportunity to clear a dangerous ball and instead provided “great service” to the Fire who notched their second of the match.
And if that wasn’t enough, a J.C. Ngando giveaway in the dying minutes of the half allowed Chicago to ice the game with a third goal of the match.
Thankfully we’ll see a return (mostly) to our first squad in time for the ‘Caps next match against Toronto FC on Saturday afternoon.
The Good
Liam Mackenzie didn’t look too out of place with the ball, though he needs to learn how to better distribute the ball once he’s had his time with it.
Newly signed Emmanuel Sabbi received limited minutes off the bench, and while it’s hard to judge his play completely, he showed glimpses of potential during desperation time.
Sebastian Berhalter played like a man inspired. Maybe it’s was due to his family being in the building. Maybe it was his role within the depleted side. Whatever it was, he was the best Whitecaps player on the pitch.
The Not So Good
Ralph Priso. He is what he is and we shouldn’t expect anything different.
Ball control & distribution. I still can hear my youth coach telling me “when it doubt, kick it out.” Obviously a far too simple approach for the professional game, yet it represents making the simple and straight-forward choices to avoid catastrophe. All three Fire goals came from poor choices & giveaways.
Around the Pitch
Whitecaps FC Bluesky Starter Pack - are you on Bluesky? If you’re looking for a collection of Whitecaps FC friends to follow, this Starter Pack is for you. And if you’d like to be included in it, just let me know.
Jayden Nelson Is Bringing the Spark the Whitecaps Need - a great introduction to Jayden Nelson from Darcie Kerr & the South Sisters.
Impact Ratings: MLS Games Hit Hard by International Duty (March 2025) - with the absence of international breaks in MLS play, Matthew Hall breaks down the metrics to identify which teams were hit hardest during this last spell of International Duty (spoiler alert: Whitecaps FC were hit hard, but not the hardest).
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If you create content you’d think fits the vibe & should be showcased, or if you have some thoughts on anything I said that you agree or disagree with, send it my way.
Until then, we focus our attention to Toronto FC on Saturday.
See you next week!
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-Chris (@lyteforce.ca)