Issue #32 - Texas BBQ
Celebrating Vancouver Whitecaps FC's domination of Dallas FC & discussing the Whitecaps' jersey shortage.
Hello!
22-0.
That number above was the total shot attempts from the Whitecaps FC to the total number from Dallas FC. If you happened to miss the match and simply looked at that stat alone, you could probably surmise one thing.
Utter domination.
Before we dive into The View, I just wanted to recognize the support y’all have provided this newsletter over the season and into the playoffs. One question I get asked from time-to-time is how you can better support From 231. The easiest thing you can do is keep reading, and keep replying to me to let me know what’s what.
Yet something further you can do is help amplify our reach by introducing this to others who you think might enjoy getting all the Whitecaps FC vibes on a weekly basis. Whether you pass this along to a friend or family member who bleeds blue & white, boost recent posts across your network (if we made it on r/whitecapsfc that would be mighty cool), or engage with me on socials, it all helps!
The View
After the Decision Day loss to Dallas, which saw Dallas not only qualify for the MLS post-season but keep the ‘Caps from obtaining “best-in-the-west,” and lineup a post-season rematch, Michael McColl from AFTN asked Thomas Müller whether he thought the result might give Dallas confidence.
Suffice to say, Müller was having none of it:
“Do you think they’ll come here and have more confidence after getting outplayed by 10 men for 80 minutes? Have you played soccer?” - Thomas Muller.
And if that answer wasn’t sufficient, the Whitecaps FC decided to put on a masterclass of dominance from the opening whistle.
Much like they did the week before, Vancouver passed the ball around the pitch with ease, and utilized the speed down the wing from Sabbi (who played like a man possessed this match), Ahmed, and Ocampo to stretch and punish the Dallas backline.
It felt as if it were only a matter of time before the floodgates would open and the ‘Caps would run away with the match.
But as any long-term Vancouver sports fan will tell you, dominant possession and multiple missed opportunities don’t mean squat when the other team comes back and scores off an unexpected counter. It’s simply the “Vancouver” way.
And this had me worried.
While the team was down a man the week before, they were equally dominant and simply couldn’t find the equalizer they needed. Sure you could chalk this up to Dallas always having that extra body in defense, but chances were missed, woodwork was struck, and a hot goaltender was making outrageous saves.
And here in the first half, we were seeing the same thing.
Again.
But after questioning the purpose of Daniel Rios on the pitch over the likes of Rayan Elloumi, it seems like Daniel felt the need to show me up as he scored an absolute delight of a header just before half.
All was well in the world.
And instead of taking the foot off the gas going into the second, the Whitecaps FC chose to press down harder.
As mentioned above, Emmanuel Sabbi played like a man absolute possessed. The entire match he gave the FC Dallas backline fits, generated opportunity after opportunity, and put on an absolute masterclass of power and possession.
Heck, the fact he didn’t notch a goal of his own is a shame considering the effort he provided.
But what he did contribute to was the second Vancouver goal off the foot of Müller on a Vancouver PK - one he drew simply by being a player Dallas could not stop, let alone contain.
Despite a two-goal lead, Vancouver continued to maintain possession, generate opportunity after opportunity, and show Dallas no quarter. And again found themselves rewarded on a delightful strike from Kenji Cabrera.
3-0.
When the match came to a close, it was clear which team came into the match with confidence. And it was equally clear which team was the better. Heck, the stats below back that up significantly:
Talk about hot.
I understand it’s important to consider each match on its own merits, with no guarantees of what one result means to the next, but I’m pretty darn optimistic as this team heads down to Frisco for match 2.
And as a Vancouver-biases sports fan, optimism is a rare thing.
The Good
Ralph Priso. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, anytime this kid finds himself as a starting CB and acquits himself accordingly, he finds himself a member of The Good. And if I’m being honest, he was even better than that this go round.
Emmanuel Sabbi. While it took him a bit to find his place here in Vancouver, he’s certainly done everything he can to establish himself as a top-tier forward in the league. He’s strong, he’s fast, and he exudes confidence.
The Not So Good
The MLS post-season format. Round One is a best-of-three (straight to PKs, no aggregate), while all subsequent Rounds are single elimination (with extra time & PKs if needed). In what world does this make sense?! The league needs to pick a lane and own it.
Around the Pitch
Are you looking for a Whitecaps FC jersey? You’re not alone.
After replying to a post in r/whitecapsfc, I was surprised by the number of people who were unaware of jersey shortage and the driving reasons behind.
So I figured it might be helpful to share a little knowledge here, in case a few of you were in a similar position.
As part of the deal the MLS has with jersey supplier Adidas, an approximate 8 month lead-up is required to print a jersey order. With this in mind, Vancouver likely placed what it saw as a reasonable order to ensure they had enough retail stock to cover a good portion of the season based on the sales data they’ve obtained over the past few years.
While the 8 month lead-up might be somewhat shocking, it’s not been an issue in past seasons, so I doubt anyone thought it would come to bear in 2025.
What the retail operations staff didn’t expect was the success this squad has had over the season. Nor did they expect the team to go out and sign international superstar Thomas Müller.
If a successful season had already exerted increased jersey sales pressure, something I imagine generated a small “early season back order,” Müller’s arrival in August sent that sales pressure through the roof.
And simply put, the team not only sold out its current jersey iteration, but cleaned out the storerooms of jerseys from years previous.
Word has it another order has been placed, in the hope that stock is replenished in time for the holiday season.
But if you hope to grab one in time for the MLS post-season, I wish you the best of luck!
One win down. Four more wins to go. Vancouver still needs to get business squared away against FC Dallas, and I hope they do just that down in Frisco this weekend.
From there, the winner will face the eventual winner between LAFC and Austin FC (who only get underway tonight).
And then it’s on to a Conference Final.
And then an MLS Final.
Oh boy am I excited!
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)