Issue #25 - Back in Action... Soon
Busy life, Whitecaps FC updates, playoff hopes, and spotlighting Vancouver Soccer Stories!
Hello!
Today is Wednesday. Yesterday was Tuesday. And this the newsletter that arrives a bit late once in a while.
Sorry about that!!
With the kid back in school, and me busy getting her everywhere she needs to go all week (swimming, soccer, etc.), I completely lost track of time over the past few days.
But at least the Whitecaps FC are back in action this weekend, am I right?!
Before we dive on into The View, thanks to the couple of you that shot me an email in response to call-to-action in the last newsletter. Remember, the inbox is always open!
And one last thing - while this issue is shorter, please make sure you give Around the Pitch a read!
The View
Ryan Gauld is training with the squad. I repeat, Ryan Gauld is training with the squad.
Sure he’s still limited in what he can accomplish, having been held to 40 minutes yesterday, but the fact he’s been on the training pitch with the regulars instead of on his own has to be a progressive sign.
And the word-on-the-street is that Brian White has equally been progressive in his recovery and might not be out as long as originally feared.
Huzzah!
Obviously the Whitecaps FC are still looking at the depth of their bench being stretched to the limit, but with the post-season fast approaching, it would be mighty nice to have a relatively healthy Starting XI by October.
Speaking of October, there’s a chance the ‘Caps could lock up a post-season berth this weekend. While my Vancouver sports-centric instinct tells me this won’t happen… yet… it’s nice to be talking about locking spots up rather than chasing the last couple.
So how does it break down? Har shared the following on X/Twitter:
- Vancouver win/draw vs. Philadelphia or...
- San Jose lose/draw vs. LAFC or...
- Salt Lake lose/draw vs. Kansas City or...
- Colorado lose vs. Houston
Do we bank on the first scenario? And if not, which of the subsequent three seal the deal?
Around the Pitch
When I spun up this newsletter, it was a combination of me wanting to scratch a “creative itch” and a conversation I had with my father-in-law about the lack of Whitecaps FC coverage.
I did absolutely zero market research, didn’t consider the even the concept of a business plan, and dove directly in to the registration of the From231.ca domain and set myself up here on Buttondown.
And y’all responded. Y’all responded mighty well.
But one of my goals with “my view” was to never think of myself as the only game in the market, and instead as simply being another voice to help amplify the club I love (and sometimes love to hate).
So let me start by amplifying another newsletter I recently came across - Vancouver Soccer Stories!
Authored by Corey Almond on a somewhat irregular cadence, Corey shares stories “from the understated soccer scene of Metro Vancouver, through the people and places that shape it.”
While lurking in the Whitecaps FC subreddit, I came across a post sharing the latest issue where Corey spoke to Kris Aug (if you don’t know of Kris, you’ve likely seen him on TV at an away match or two). The two discuss Kris’ experience supporting the ‘Caps at the ~73 away matches (?!) he’s been to and how he continues to be a season ticket holder despite not living in Vancouver.
I encourage you to give it a read! And give Corey a sub!
It will be nice to watch the Whitecaps FC in action again this weekend - you’ll find me in the usual seats.
And it will be nice to talk about a match and share all the vibes again.
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)