Empire Field's Bittersweet Last Night

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.