Let the Chaos Reign: Teitur Thordarson Dismissed

For one post, I will speak my mind. It will be a sort of verbal diarrhea, because I don't think I'll be containing anything I want to say regarding the Whitecaps coach being dismissed. This post is entitled "Let the Chaos Reign" not only because of my fears of what might happen to the Whitecaps, but also because I won't be talking about just the dismissal of Teitur. I'll be talking about the steps I think the club should take for a brighter future. So let the chaos reign for this one post where speak my mind without holding back.

Let's make one thing clear, results haven't been the best. In fact, being a Whitecaps fan has been a little frustrating, with continuous 1-1 draws and the overall inability to win an MLS match since opening day. It has been tiring, depressing, and just about every other negative descriptive word watching the Whitecaps over the past weeks. 

But among this ocean of inability to reach victory, there were the great moments. The wonderful moments when something 'clicked' perfectly, whether it be a killer pass by Chiumiento or a magical stepover by Hassli. And those moments seemed fueled by the man watching from the sidelines, who among his multiple tactical failures was able to make the little things work. 

The little things, like team spirit and like a physically prepared team. These little things have been making this every minute of every disappointing draw or desperate loss worth watching. It's because while there were many problems, Teitur Thordarson was managing to fix them, one by one, little by little.

I'm very disappointed with this dismissal. I find it to be too sudden. For a team in their first year in the MLS, we can afford to come last. It shouldn't be all about the results right now. It should be about crafting a true identity for a team which just got rid of the closest thing they had to one. 

These two are rarely the tallest on the field, but they're
often the ones who make the biggest difference.

Teitur worked with the players he was given. He was given many tall, strong, and physically prepared players. While most Whitecaps players can outrun a cheetah (not actually, but you get what I mean), there is also a group of players which lack proper technique. By technique I mean: first touch, dribbling, and passing. 

I might be a little picky, and maybe I'm expecting too much, but I want to see a team comprised of technically skilled individuals. I want to see players who can "keep the ball on the ground", beat a defender without having to hopefully toe punt it by him and race around him, and keep possession from the opponents. Often-times, a player I'm envisioning isn't above six feet, they're small and compact. Quick with their feet and minds, without needing to barge opponents off the ball. 

I've been mulling over this in my head for quite a few weeks, and the recent Champions League final which was played out convinced me that maybe I was on to something. Because if you look at the winning Barcelona team, the best players in that side aren't tall or big, they're smart and technically capable. While the Whitecaps won't be signing Xavi or Iniesta anytime soon, trying to head towards a more technical game could be the step forward for the team, and maybe for all of the MLS to take.

Thank you for everything you have done Teitur.