Issue #8 - With a Little Help from a Friend
This edition highlights the Whitecaps' impressive wins, a guest recap, and family priorities.
Hello!
First of all, many apologies for this arriving to your inbox a day late. Due to some “logistical issues” (i.e. locking myself out of the account due to a CAPSLOCK issue 🤦♂️), it took a bit longer than normal to be able to click the send button.
And second, we have a guest contribution in this issue from Mark Goodman who graciously stepped in to share a few thoughts on the Whitecaps FC effort against Inter Miami. If you think you’d be up to sharing a few thoughts in a future newsletter, simply reach out and we can discuss making it happen.
Now let’s get on with it…
The View
While the Whitecaps FC won two matches this past week, the one that caught the most attention was the one I missed - the second leg against Inter Miami.
You see, my daughter had her first softball game of the season this past Wednesday and as I’m head coach, my priorities were straight.
Family first and miss the match.
Thankfully Mark stepped up to share a few thoughts, so I thought I’d start off The View with them:
Leagues and cups are two very different beasts. While winning the former is more about sustained excellence, the latter is all about moments.
In their run to the Concacaf Champions Cup final, the Vancouver Whitecaps have had plenty of winning moments. Some - the goals - are obvious: Tristan Blackmon’s equalizer at Pumas, Sebastian Berhalter’s goal at BC Place against Inter Miami, Brian White’s score in the second leg that essentially sealed the tie.
But there were two moments during the second half in Miami last week that, to me, perfectly encapsulate what we’ve seen from this team during this incredible start to the season:
Not long after Pedro Vite’s goal that really put the tie beyond doubt, Inter Miami stormed forward and got a shot off in the box. Who blocked it for Vancouver? Emmanuel Sabbi. A winger, 10 metres in front of his own team’s goal, getting down to block a shot.
It would have been so easy for a forward to not track back and wait for his chance to score, given that the series was basically over. What this moment showed to me - something we’ve seen consistently this season - is that the Whitecaps aren’t just good, but they play hard. And they play for each other.
Several minutes later, Vite had the ball just inside his own half, surrounded by three Inter Miami players. He turned, took one touch past Jordi Alba, and left the former Euros and Champions League winner in the dust. Now, imagine your 2022 self time-traveling three years and reading the following sentence: “Jordi Alba then grabbed at his hamstring trying to chase Pedro Vite’s shadow.”
Of course, I don’t root for injuries (he finished the game). But this was just another demonstration of the confidence, the skill, the panache that the Whitecaps have played with all season. And the leap that Vite has taken this season is at the forefront of all that.
So now, our Whitecaps are in the Champions Cup final against Cruz Azul on June 1. Whether they win or lose, this team has given us moments that we’ll remember and talk about for a long, long time.
Thanks Mark!
I was back in my usual seat, with the usual View from 231, this past Saturday when the Whitecaps FC took on Real Salt Lake.
And while I remained confident we’d see a good showing from Vancouver, I did have some reservations on what result the side might get out of the match.
First you had Jesper Sørensen rotating a few players out of the starting XI, including Brian White who was given the night completely off. And second, you had the potential of an emotional crash coming off victory on Wednesday.
Apparently Vancouver didn’t share these same reservations.
As is usual this season, the ‘Caps got things on the front foot straight off the opening whistle. And only 20 minutes into the match, Jayden Nelson - who’d been given as much real estate on the pitch he wanted until this point - notched the opening marker for Vancouver.
It should be noted I missed the lead up to this goal as my daughter lost her “toy phone” as it fell between an opening in the collapsible seats (thankfully BC Place operations staff located it after the match), so I was consoling a very distraught 8 year old.
If I had one complaint about the Whitecaps effort in the first half, they were a little loose in their own penalty area. I suppose this can be understood as Utvik had slotted in to rest Veselinović, but this “looseness” continued into the second half.
Speaking of the second half, we saw everything we might think to see. Penalties awarded. Penalties taken away. Penalties saved. Penalties scored.
Regarding the penalty saved, while I understand the desire to give Daniel Ríos a chance to see his name on the scoresheet, having two of two stopped this season doesn’t bode well that he gets a third opportunity.
And speaking to the penalty scored, thank goodness Tristan Blackmon was set up earlier by Sebastian Berhalter to give the ‘Caps that two-goal lead. You have to give credit to RSL for not rolling over and keeping themselves in the match through to the final whistle.
So here we remain. Top of the league. Top of the MLS power rankings. Top of our hearts.
The Good
The Vancouver Whitecaps FC. The entire squad is playing so well, it’s hard to single anyone out.
Sebastian Berhalter. Okay, let’s single out Seba. When Ryan Gauld went out with injury, we hoped Berhalter would bend and not break. Instead he’s chosen to break the hearts of the players he’s played against. I’m all for it.
The Not So Good
The collapsible seating at BC Place. They know what they did. And my daughter has a long memory.
Around the Pitch
I thought I’d take this opportunity to share a few things that caught my eye this week:
My father-in-law (and loyal reader Tony) shared this article with me on whether the game has started to move on from generational talents in Lionel Messi & Cristiano Ronaldo. While still great players, age catches up with everyone.
I have always been fascinated by supporter culture and the songs they sing. So I found this recent episode of the podcast 99% Invisible quite interesting. A small part of me was inspired to try and create my own. A very small part.
Much gets made about the MLS Power Rankings. While it’s nice to see the Whitecaps FC sit atop their list, it’s fair to say that most spots are assigned purely on vibes. So what does the data actually suggest? Well SixOneFive Soccer has attempted to tackle data-driven power rankings, and while Vancouver is clearly at the top, they are at the top and then some.
So that’s a wrap for this one. I’ll make sure not to have my CAPSLOCK on next week, so expect this to arrive on Tuesday as it should.
I’ll also be catching the next Whitecaps match here in the comfort of my home as it’s on Mother’s Day, so my wife will be accompanying my daughter for some good times and hopefully a great match.
Andiamo!
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)