Issue #34 - So... How You Been?
Covering a Whitecaps FC break, player health updates, BC Place lease news, newsletter tweaks and meeting Ryan Gauld!
Hello!
Here we are in week two of a three week break in Whitecaps FC action, and while I appreciate that it appears injured players are getting themselves healthy, I do feel a little starved for action.
Despite watching the “Icicle Kick” as it happened.
But to mind the time, I’ve been messing around with things as it pertains to the newsletter and will share a bit more on that front Around the Pitch.
Lets first talk about the ‘Caps and how things look to be setting up against LAFC in just under two weeks’ time.
The View
As we’ve mentioned before, getting some extra time off between matches is somewhat of a godsend for the walking wounded that dress for the Whitecaps FC.
Reports from Har have Brian White 100% fit and training with the team, Tate Johnson taking part, while Daniel Rios is still only in the gym.
We also have to believe Tristan Blackmon is getting closer to match fitness and Ryan Gauld potentially getting close to being a starter over one of the first off the bench.
Hope is one heck of a drug, y’know?
Yet maybe it’s the pessimistic Vancouver sports fan in me that has me worried that all these key injuries could finally catch up to us in the biggest match (yet) of the season.
This side has played well throughout the season with adversity, showing that when it matters, the depth on the bench can handle the load.
And we’re playing LAFC in BC Place.
Which helps too.
Speaking of BC Place, Don Garber was in town last week and shared a few thoughts on the ongoing negotiations between the Whitecaps FC and PavCo (spoiler alert: they aren’t going well).
I have to imagine a deal gets done prior to the end of the calendar year, yet if it doesn’t… how does that play out? Do we see temporary stands go in at Swangard in Burnaby or Percy Perry Stadium in Coquitlam? Do the ‘Caps go halfsies with Vancouver FC at Willoughby Stadium in Langley? Or something even wilder, such as a shift over to Langrod to play in an expanded (maybe) Starlight Stadium? Rumours have Pacific FC experiencing some cashflow issues so the stadium may need a new tenant.
The scarier thought is the team expands their search for a potential venue elsewhere. But lets not think of that quite yet.
Around the Pitch
As mentioned earlier, I’ve spent a little time over the past week messing around with things.
For instance, I only just discovered the link to the underused Threads (@from231ca) account was broken. That’s been fixed.
You may also be surprised to learn I’ve had the from231.ca domain since the get-go, yet only had it auto-forward anyone who typed/clicked it over to the newsletter here on Buttondown. Which… apparently caused some issues. Like having your browser warn you that going to from231.ca would cause Gremlins to eat all your poutine or something like that.
So I finally got my act together and put my entire newsletter budget (zero dollars!) into a better option - creating a website (kinda) on Github Pages.
One of the benefits of going this path is that it should be pretty simple and affordable (free!) to get things sorted and have a somewhat more official presence on the internet.
But it also requires me to work on my Markdown skills and figure out how to improve my rudimentary understanding of CSS to make it look better than it does (P.S. if you’ve got suggestions on this front, I’m all ears).
And finally, I penned out some plans to keep things going over the course of the post-season. While nothing is official, I’m thinking of adjusting the cadence to be twice-monthly with a broader look at what’s going on in the world of Canadian soccer. I’ll still speak to everything Whitecaps FC that I can first, but when the MLS doldrums hit - which I know always do - this gives me something I have a passing understanding of to adequate drop a few vibes your way.
Oh… and maybe a guest author or two to discuss topics that suit their fancy.
Hot off the presses - my daughter gets to meet Ryan Gauld on Sunday!! And because she needs a parent escort, by extension I get to meet Ryan Gauld too!
He’s coming out this way as part of a sponsorship activation or something, and has graciously offered his time to sign autographs for the local soccer club. And while demand was pretty high, my daughter’s name was selected as someone who gets to take part.
How cool is that?!
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)