Issue #6 - Messy and Messi
Whitecaps FC earn a road result but leave fans wanting more as injury struggles linger.
It seems odd to be writing this newsletter and only having one match to discuss over the course of a week. Good thing there will be two to discuss next. 😆
The View
If you're a long-time fan of any Vancouver sports franchise, you know matches and games against opponents your team should have no issue with are the ones where there are often the most issues issues. Sure this is likely something that can be said by supporters of nearly any club, yet as a Vancouverite I'm certain it happens more frequently here.
And while it's unfair to suggest that any opponent in the MLS should be an easy one, St. Louis FC was in a definite funk. A funk the red-hot Whitecaps should have been able to take advantage of.
Spoiler alert; they did not.
First you had Pedro Vite having an unusual off-night, one where his touch was heavy and his distribution suspect. And then you had Andrés Cubas getting caught spectating a handful of times - highly unusual - including on a St. Louis goal that was called back due to offside.
Yet there were also a handful of bright spots. Ali Ahmed appears to have found his form & confidence, and made some daring sprints of the side. Édier Ocampo also acquitted himself well and really endeared himself to the home supporters (I'm guessing they didn't see the replay). And Yohei Takaoka got himself a clean sheet, having found himself called on twice to make point blank saves to keep the score-line knotted at zero.
At the end of the day, maybe I'm being too harsh in my assessment (or lack thereof) of this “messy” Whitecaps effort. They got a result on the road, they remain top of the MLS table, and they did so with a tired squad that's still fighting the injury bug.
But I'm a greedy Whitecaps supporter this season and I want all the points.
All of them.
The Good
Ralph Priso. I give Ralph stick on the regular, so it's only fair to shout out his effort off the bench in this match. If only he could package that effort regularly.
The Not So Good
The Rest of the Squad. They were tired. They got a result. Likely unfair for me to say they weren't that good, but I expected more.
Around the Pitch
While I won’t be at the Champions Cup match against Inter Miami, I know many of you will be and I have an ask - send me a picture of your view:
Tag @from231ca on Bluesky (seems the Threads account is still locked).
Send it by email to from231@proton.me.
Whether you’re watching the match live from BC Place, with a group of people at a bar, or from the comfort of your home, I want to showcase the varied views we all have from around the globe.
So… will Messi be here this week? If so, does he see the pitch at BC Place? And will Sam Adekugbe and Jayden Nelson return to match fitness?
I’ll talk to you all again next Tuesday!
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)