Good Signs From the 1-0 Loss to the Colorado Rapids

Every loss will be a stepping stone, especially in this first MLS season. The final preseason friendly against the Colorado Rapids was a strange one: while the Whitecaps wanted to show the fans a strong team, the players and coaches also wanted to make sure nobody got injured before the big debut against TFC. In the end, the 'Caps suffered a 1-0 loss in front of many young fans who were hoping for a little bit more. Here's a bit regarding the experience at Empire Field, if you're interested in the match report look below.

The final score was 1-0 for the Colorado Rapids

I was lucky enough to attend the match, and I got a glimpse of what Empire Field will look like next week when the Whitecaps play their first MLS match against Toronto FC. Entering the stadium, I even passed by Whitecaps legend and current president Bob Lenarduzzi, who was keeping a watchful eye on everything. I was going to bother Bob, ask him for a photo and say something generic like, "Hoping for a great season!", but then I realized that the man probably had enough things to worry about.

In the stands there were about 2,000 fans, with many kids and families happy to watch the Whitecaps. It was great seeing a young audience, and it shows that the Whitecaps are really trying to attract fans of all ages, especially the fans of the future. The crowd was responsive to what was happening on the field, and very happy to be watching the Whitecaps.

The two teams walked onto the field, with little children beside them as they lined up in front of the supporters. Then came the anthem singer Marie Hui, who did a fantastic rendition of the American and Canadian national anthems. When everybody and everything was cleared off the field, the two teams began to play the preseason finale.

Match Report:

Eric Hassli made his debut, starting up front alongside Atiba Harris. The Frenchman made himself dangerous from the beginning, shimmying past defenders and taking shots on goal. But the Whitecaps weren't very confident. The team had difficulty keeping possession, and without the captain Jay DeMerit, things were a little shaky at the back.

Eric Hassli played a good game alongside Atiba Harris

The Rapids were happy to keep possession when they got the ball, circulating it through their team before launching precise and often dangerous attacks. While the Whitecaps were also creating opportunities, the team was often too hesitant to take a shot when the possibility arose. When halftime came, Hassli and Harris had played well together, along with the wingers Khalfan and Teibert. 

For the second half Teitur replaced the keeper Jay Nolly with Joe Cannon. The second half also featured the Whitecaps's best opportunity to score, with a rebound in front of the empty Rapids goal falling to Dunfield, who put it over the bar. The entire crowd thought it was "the moment", yet the Whitecaps captain was unable to score.

Teitur began to make more changes, replacing a hard-working Hassli with Omar Salgado, and later on giving Long Tan a chance to play. The new pair of strikers weren't as effective as the previous pair, with Long Tan too selfish with the ball and Salgado unable to get into the game. Teitur Thordarson also replaced the wingers Khalfan and Teibert with Wagner and Knight, yet the substitutes were unable to give the spark that the previous wingers gave.

The Rapids were very dangerous in the second half, with Joe Cannon forced to make plenty of great saves. Yet the Rapids managed to score in the 79th minute, the speedy Sanna Nyassi raced through the Whitecaps defence, squaring the ball to Jamie Smith who was unmarked in the middle of the box. Smith put his shot into the top of the net for the only goal of the match, dampening the atmosphere in the stadium. 

While the Whitecaps certainly didn't want a defeat, it shouldn't affect the team very much. Teitur Thordarson was doing a few experiments, and he was missing some important players like Jay DeMerit and Shea Salinas. In the end the best players for the Whitecaps were substituted. Alain Rochat was solid on the left side of the defence, and the wingers Khalfan and Teibert were dynamic and dangerous to Colorado. The forward pair of Hassli and Harris also showed promise, with the two of them playing a strong game.

A disappointing result which left some fans wanting more. Yet putting things into perspective, a 1-0 loss to last year's MLS Cup champions isn't that bad. Hopefully the team will take the positives from this match, and carry them into the MLS debut against Toronto FC which is just six days away.