RSS Feed Tweet!

Three Impressive Caps From Opening Day

After the solid 1-0 opening day victory over Toronto FC, I couldn't help but realize that the Whitecaps had some solid performances from certain individuals which I wasn't expecting. While I don't mean this in a derogatory way, but often in the past, the Whitecaps have been a team which had a couple of notable players, with the rest being "team-players". Yet after seeing the Whitecaps in action the past weekend, there were plenty of impressive individual performances which deserve to be noted.

Koffie Ensures Opening Day Win

As a new season begins, the Whitecaps begin to ease into a steady rhythm of what will hopefully be victories. A 1-0 win over Toronto FC showed two different sides to the Whitecaps, with plenty of good and bad news to go around.

New 2013 Primary Kit Unveiled

As the 2013 MLS season is set to begin on Saturday, the Vancouver Whitecaps have unveiled their newest primary kit. If you were worried that there were going to be massive changes, you'll be glad to know that the kit has retained the same simplistic style with a few tweaks here and there. For anyone hoping a return to the retro, or something bold and mind-blowing, I guess you'll have to wait for next season.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Empire Field's Bittersweet Last Night

11:03 PM NC

The best photo from a blurry batch of cell-phone pictures.
I'm glad to say that I was lucky enough to be able to go to Empire Field's last Vancouver Whitecaps game against the Seattle Sounders. When I go see matches live, I'm usually too engrossed in the action and swept up by the atmosphere to be able to properly focus on what I'm going to write later in the match report. So I decided to wait a little bit, reflect on the Caps and their last match at the Empire, and then share my thoughts.

I rarely decide to splash the cash when it comes to seating at Whitecaps games, yet I was lucky enough to have a pair of tickets on the East side of the stadium. The plastic chairs, wide view of the field, and quieter people around me made my final night at the Empire a comfortable and enjoyable one. So did the first half dominance which the Whitecaps were displaying, eventually topped off with a goal by Camilo.

The Caps were creating plenty of chances (mostly put wide or completely missed by Mustapha Jarju), and the crowd was loving it. That is, the Whitecaps faithful, because a large number of Seattle fans were in attendance at the Empire as well. A large group of Sounders fans occupied a corner of the West side of the Empire, and here and there you could notice occasional blotches of green elsewhere in the stadium.

While the match finished 3-1 for the Seattle Sounders, the Caps played an excellent first half. The downfall was that they weren't able to capitalize their scoring chances, and instead saw Seattle have some luck with a deflected shot as one of their goals. Of course, the result was bitter, but the whole experience for me was a sweet one.

What really made me happy was at the end of the match, seeing the Whitecaps players and staff circling the field and applauding the fans. The stadium was packed, and tickets aren't cheap, so it's nice that the players recognize the support that the fans have given them even when the times were tough (and maybe they still are tough...).

I'm hoping that with the next game being at BC Place, against the bitter rivals the Portland Timbers, that the Caps finish the season strong. I once heard a cheesy line saying something about every exit being a new entrance, and in a way the sad departure from Empire should also be a sparkling new beginning at BC Place.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Whitecaps Fall 3-0 in LA to Brilliant Galaxy

7:31 PM NC

Keane's well placed header
Preparing myself mentally to watch the Whitecaps is a nerve-racking process. Especially when they're facing the top of the table LA Galaxy, at the Home Depot Center, where the Galaxy have yet to lose. Yet as the match kicked off, the Caps seemed organized, hardworking, and ready to create a few attacking opportunities of their own.

The first half was probably some of the best playing I've seen from the Caps in a long time, especially if you consider the opposition they were facing. The team defended fairly well, and did its best to counter-attack with decisive speed. In fact, an early goal almost came for the Caps with a low Hassli strike which the LA keeper parried, Chiumiento not reaching the ball in time to tap it in. The other chance was Camilo being blatantly brought down in the box, yet the referee gave no penalty and saw it as "just another dive by a Brazilian".

While I was hoping for a Caps goal as halftime approached, the opposite arrived with Magee scoring for LA in the 40th minute. It was a decisive strike which the Caps didn't deserve. It should be noted that the Caps player who lost the ball, allowing for LA to attack was Shea Salinas, who was having a horrible first half.

Magee celebrating his double
The second half was more like what I was initially expecting, while the Caps were still fairly solid, they eventually conceded the second goal about 20 minutes in. It was a wonderful header by Robbie Keane, and while it will always be tough to stop a striker like him from scoring, he had way too much space and time given to him by the Caps defence.

The game was lost, while Tom Soehn tried to revitalize the tiring forwards with Long Tan and Mustapha Jarju, the Galaxy eventually found their third goal with another header by Magee. By now, I had noticed a small trend going on which I'd love if Tom Soehn could notice. Three goals by LA, all three made by crosses, and the scorers were rarely marked properly.

Maybe it was the good start that the Caps had, but for some reason I come away from this match with a positive outlook. While a 3-0 defeat isn't a good result, it isn't horrible if you look at the way the Caps played, the few good chances they created, and the penalty which wasn't given. I actually saw a team I was proud of, and I hope to see the same team next week when I go watch them live at Empire Field against the Seattle Sounders.