Author

Michael Martinez

Seattle Sounders

Sounders win Champions League in Style

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

They’ve done it. The Seattle Sounders have finally done what no other MLS team could in the modern iteration of this tournament. They managed hostile terrain, historic Mexican sides, the reigning MLS Cup champions, and the usual array of Concacaf-ing to become the league’s first continental champions. Time to be insufferable.

Lineups:

Seattle Sounders: 4-2-3-1

Pumas:

Match Report

Although the Sounders ultimately beat Pumas UNAM 3-0 in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions League — 5-2 on aggregate — and looked pretty comfortable doing it, the opening half provided more than enough reason to worry. Seattle created chances early but lost Nouhou in the 11th minute and João Paulo in the 29th to injuries. After that, both sides pushed, but Stefan Frei stood up to the challenge at each turn to keep Pumas out.

Then in the final minute of first-half regulation time, Raúl Ruidíaz did what we all knew he would: hammered a ball in the area that beat the goalkeeper after a deflection. After that, Lumen Field exploded, and while we didn’t know it then, nothing was ever the same again.

Pumas only had one decent chance in the second half, which drew an excellent save from Frei.

The final 45 minutes were effectively all Sounders, and the payoff came in the final 10 minutes. Ruidíaz doubled his tally on an excellent team goal in the 80th minute, finishing off a sequence that included a ball from Alex Roldan that released Jordan Morris down the wing. Morris drove at the penalty area before playing a drop pass to the top of the box for Nico Lodeiro, who found Ruidíaz running into the box.

Minutes later, Lodeiro hammered the ball home, finishing the rebound following a great play by Morris to create space and get a shot off from the right side. 

That settled any questions about a possible Pumas comeback as the Sounders took their final steps into glory. The Seattle Sounders, Concacaf Champions. History has been made.

Post Match Thoughts

Sounders Striker, Ruidiaz, scores in the final

Image via Steph Chambers/Getty Images

I have never heard Lumen Field this loud. Seattle came out to party and the stadium was BOOMIN. You could even feel the noise and vibrations in the press box! The atmosphere was euphoric, to say the least. I would even compare it to some of the biggest games in Europe. Who would have thought we’d be saying that 10 years ago?

The Sounders deserved to win.

One of the talking points coming into this match was how the Sounders would deal with the pressure of a championship match at home, with the expectations of seemingly the entire league on their shoulders. The last time the Sounders hosted a final was the 2019 MLS Cup, where they started slowly before finishing strong. Unfortunately for Pumas, that wasn’t the case here, as the Sounders dominated for the overwhelming majority of play. That isn’t to say Pumas didn’t have their opportunities, but thanks to another stellar performance from Stefan Frei, they couldn’t breach the Sounders’ net, and the Sounders defense kept Pumas mostly at bay.

A title run for the ages

While the Sounders didn’t face off against Tigres or Club America, they ran through serious competition for the title. The Sounders went undefeated during the run, including twice in Mexico and on the road in New York. Tossing in their opening series against Motagua, they had a dominant run. Four road draws with four dominating wins at home sealed the deal.

Ruidiaz shows up when we need him.

One of the nerviest situations for a soccer team — aside from hosting the Biggest Match in Team History — is when you’re dominating play and don’t have anything to show for it. One misplay or bad bounce could mean heartbreak. But when the tension is at its highest, teams need their stars to shine. Enter Raul Ruidiaz, who always seems to show up when, and where the Sounders need him most. While his first tally won’t win any Goal of the Year nominations, it did give the Sounders the advantage, significant in Concacaf matches, where deficits mean time-wasting and cynicism.

Sounders’ midfield maestros

Much of the credit for the Sounders’ dominant display has to go to the midfield. In particular, Nicolas Lodeiro and Albert Rusnak gave Pumas fits with their dribbling ability and close control, helping the Sounders keep the ball when they needed to or spring attacks when the opportunities presented themselves. Rusnak was instrumental in the opening goal, dribbling several defenders and centering the ball to Arreaga, who laid it off for Ruidiaz’s deflected finish. And what is there to say about Nicolas Lodeiro, who capped off a fantastic game with the third goal of the match late in the game. And the celebration at Lumen was well and truly on.

MOTM

While the official Man of The Match went to Raul Ruidiaz for his brace to lead the Sounders to a historic victory, I feel that Rusnak should have deserved it. The newest DP signing struggled a tad bit in his first few games as a Sounder, but his form leading up to the final has been superb. His form continued into the final as he was KEY in every aspect of the midfield. The game went through him at every opportunity and his work rate was insane. Every player did their part today, but Rusnak was on another level.

 

The Sounders will get a crack at Liverpool, Real Madrid, or Palmeiras in the FIFA Club World Cup in the nearish future. First, however, they’ll look to recover from a slow MLS start to keep their playoff streak alive. Unfortunately, they may have to accomplish a feat without the services of João Paulo. He received his champions medal on crutches after leaving the match with a season-ending ACL injury midway in the first half.

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Hina Sugita scores her first NWSL goal for Portland Thorns
OL ReignPortland Thorns

NWSL Release Streaming and TV Schedule

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

The NWSL released its full 2022 schedule last week, announcing the streaming and tv schedules for the year, as the league is ready to return by the end of the month. This year, NWSL games will primarily stream on Paramount+ and Twitch, with some airing on CBS Sports Network.

“We are eager to kick off yet another thrilling regular season in the NWSL, with all 137 of our matches available to broadcast viewers in the U.S. and around the world,” interim CEO Marla Messing said in a statement. “This landmark 10th campaign represents an exciting milestone for our sport, and we have many to thank for helping us establish the NWSL as a premier fixture in professional soccer.”

On Friday, April 29, the season kicks off as Natalie Portman’s Angel City FC plays its first-ever game, hosting the North Carolina Courage in Los Angeles at 10:30 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network.

The defending champions, Washington Spirit, begin play on Sunday, May 1, as they raise a banner vs. OL Reign on Paramount+. Shortly after, the Spirit will face off against the Chicago Red Stars in a 2021 NWSL Championship rematch on May 7 on Twitch.

After the season opener, the next CBS Sports Network game will be on May 13, a contest between Cascadian rivals the Portland Thorns and the OL Reign.

The season will go through October, with the 2022 NWSL Championship set for October 29, 2022, on CBS Sports Network. You can see the full 2022 schedule here. Although, NWSL teams are currently participating in the Challenge Cup. The tournament will overlap with the regular season for a week and conclude on May 7.

Should NWSL fans be happy?

There’s pressure from multiple directions for more games on broadcast TV, but two regular-season games are at least maintaining momentum on that front. There are some valid questions about the Wave being a part of CBS’s big matches, plus no OL Reign games at home at Lumen Field.

There are not a lot of surprises here — but hopes were high for some signs of additional investment on CBS’ part. Either way, the most significant focus still needs to be on streaming quality and ensuring the field product is presented professionally.

What’s the viewership goal for the upcoming season?

The big Challenge Cup expansion battle on big CBS between San Diego and Angel City averaged 456,000 viewers ahead of the international break. The NWSL has broken the 500K mark before, but the goal has to be breaking it regularly on CBS and aiming for an even larger target.

The NWSL and CBS need to make sure people know the games will be on CBS — starting with planting that information across every platform and putting real marketing dollars behind it.

What NWSL games are must-sees?

Leaving aside the reality that NWSL is often a chaotic league where you don’t know when a game will go full tilt. However, based on what we’ve seen so far in the Challenge Cup, among the games that are airing nationally on TV, some safer bets for a fun time are:

  • Portland Thorns hosting OL Reign on May 13 at Providence Park
  • Gotham FC is hosting San Diego Wave on June 19 at Red Bull Arena
  • Portland Thorns hosting North Carolina Courage on August 5 at Providence Park
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Captain Nico celebrates a Sounders win
Seattle Sounders

Sounders Advance to CCL Final

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

The Sounders have done it! For the first time in club history, the Sounders advanced to the CONCACAF Champions League final after a 1-1 draw last Wednesday against NYCFC. The Sounders withstood heavy pressure from NYCFC in the second half to advance to the final against Pumas UNAM.

Seattle is looking to become the first MLS team ever to win the tournament after the previous four sides from the MLS failed in the final. The top-tier Mexican soccer league, a club from Liga MX, has won the last 16 CONCACAF Champions League finals.

The Sounders have been dominant in this year’s tournament, scoring 13 goals and allowing just three goals in six fixtures.

Lineups:

Seattle Sounders: 4-2-3-1

New York City FC: 4-2-3-1

Match Report

The Sounders took the lead through yet another beautifully worked team goal that included a gorgeous diagonal ball from Jackson Ragen to Nouhou and a great cross into the box from Nouhou that Raúl Ruidíaz knocked home.

NYCFC tied the game, bringing the aggregate deficit back to two early in the second half. Seattle had an excellent opportunity to close the door minutes later as Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan got out on the counter. Still, when Roldan found Morris with a great look inside the area, his shot was right at the one defender standing on the goal line.

NYCFC continued to push for more goals to get back into the series, but try as they might, they weren’t going to beat Stefan Frei. As New York racked up 25 shots, Frei recorded seven saves, with more than a few stops coming spectacularly. With Frei making his best brick wall impression and the rest of the squad doing their best to limit the danger of the shots that New York got off, Seattle held off the Pigeons for the better part of an hour and secured their place in the finals.

After that, they will face UNAMs on the road before hosting them in the second leg for a chance to lift another trophy at Lumen Field. Finally, the dates are confirmed, with the first leg on April 27th in Mexico and the second leg at home on May 4th. Tickets for the home leg sold out within an hour!

Key moments

1’ — Taty Castellanos slams into Xavier Arreaga as the Sounder wins a header to draw a yellow.

28’ — Sounders goal! Raúl Ruidíaz opens the scoring with a first-time finish after an excellent pass from Nouhou. 1-0 (4-1) Sounders

44’ — Nico Lodeiro wins the ball outside NYCFC’s area and finds Ruidíaz inside the box. Ruidíaz takes a touch to create space, which leads to nothing.

51’ — New York pulls one back. After hitting the post twice, Alex Roldan gets beat coming into the box, allowing a cutback and a finish through traffic. 1-1 (4-2)

60’ — Jordan Morris and Cristian Roldan play a fantastic sequence down the field, and Roldan finds Morris for a great chance, but the shot hits a body on the goal line.

63’ — Another good chance for NYCFC, but Stefan Frei stands his ground and blocks the shot before the ball goes out for a goal kick.

73’ — Stefan Frei! Talles Magno with another great look on a New York counter, but Frei drops and blocks the shot from point-blank range!

88’ — Another close one for NYCFC, but Frei dives across the goal and paws the ball away, then Kelyn Rowe draws a foul to stop the danger.

Post Match Thoughts

Sounders celebrate Ruidiaz's goal in CCL

Image via Seattle Sounders FC Twitter

STEFAN FREI. ENOUGH SAID. Everyone outside the Greater Seattle Metro area has criminally underappreciated and underrated Stefan Frei. He’s been one of, if not the best goalkeeper in MLS for years. He passes the eye test, too, frequently making highlight-reel saves and repeatedly ruining MLS attackers’ lives.

He rightfully won the MLS Cup Final MVP in 2016 but has little love for Goalkeeper of the Year. After missing time to injury in 2021, there were questions about how he’d do in his return. Tonight’s performance was no indication that Stefan Frei’s decline was exaggerated. However, this could finally get the glory that he deserves.

There have been plenty of complaints about the Sounders’ slow start or poor record to begin the MLS season. But fans have every reason to be okay with that because the Sounders are cruising through the Champions League. While they’ve gone 2-2-1 with a goal differential of 0 in MLS play, Seattle has yet to lose a game in CCL play, outscoring their opponents 13-3 while going 3-0-3.

Despite that, they’ve done it while rotating players in and out of the lineup. This is a team built for great things, for making history. As they advance to the CCL Finals, they’ll get to do it at home in front of their fans.

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ECS reveals memorable TIFO in Sounders home opener
Seattle Sounders

Sounders Extend League Winless Streak

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

The conditions for the season opener may have been straight from the Sounders’ playbook. But it was Nashville SC who basked in the “Seattle Sunshine” at the end of 90 at Lumen Field. Nashville showed they were up for the fight from the get-go, strategically pressing into turnovers. And while they didn’t create many opportunities, they certainly kept the Sounders from doing much to start the game.

Lineups

Seattle Sounders: 4-2-3-1

Nashville SC: 4-2-3-1

Match Report

The city of Seattle had set the scene. The mood surrounding the Seattle Sounders was about as good as you could ask following a disappointing end to last season. They were coming off a resounding win over Motagua in Concacaf Champions League, seemingly shaking off the frustration that had carried over.

Nashville SC came out with a game plan to frustrate the Sounders and execute it flawlessly. However, their press was compelling enough that the Sounders struggled to get out of their end. The Sounders eventually started connecting passes, but it was mainly through their two fullbacks and rarely through the middle of the park.

After Nashville broke through for the game’s first goal in the 80th minute, the Sounders applied sustained pressure. And it wasn’t until the 87th minute that they put a shot on frame. A 0-0 score probably would have been a fair result, but it’s hard to argue the Sounders deserved any better than the 1-0 loss.

“Yeah, that’s an organized team; they are very cohesive in the way they play,” Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan said of Nashville. “We didn’t get too many opportunities to run in behind the backline because of the way they play. It’s always frustrating to play a game like that, but I didn’t think we played very well. I felt that we were lacking a little bit today.”

Perhaps the best illustration of the Sounders’ struggles was the degree to which their two most attack-oriented starters were limited. Sam Adeniran replaced the injured Raúl Ruidíaz at forward. Jordan Morris combined for just 33 touches, one-shot, and zero dribbles inside the penalty area in 119 combined minutes.

Nashville deserves credit for executing their game plan. They were committed to not letting the Sounders break them down through the middle of the park and did an excellent job defending the zones in and around the penalty area.

What’s most frustrating is that it feels like a continuation of what happened through much of last year. When the Sounders had their worst-ever home record during the MLS era, they failed to win their final three home games.

The Sounders mostly rejected this concern. Similarly, they were unwilling to pin this result on having just played in the Champions League. Although, it does seem notable that the three other MLS teams who played a midweek CCL game all lost their openers as well.

Post Match Thoughts

The consensus post-match was Nashville’s defensive qualities aside was that the Sounders didn’t do themselves any favors. The lack of tempo from the Sounders was evident for most of the match. The failure to test Nashville early meant they were in for a grind. 

The Sounders were missing Raúl Ruidíaz and Nicolás Lodeiro starting on the bench certainly hurt. But hoping for a moment of magic as opposed to a consistent dynamic attack will leave you disappointed more often than not.

The Sounders’ home form was the subject of much consternation last season, and dropping the opening match in 2022 won’t do much to quell those concerns. Still, neither the players nor Schmetzer was overly concerned about the early-season loss. But, of course, one or two hiccups are bound to happen, though laying an egg in the opener doesn’t make that reality any easier to swallow.

Sounders will move on and try to right things on the road next weekend in a place they rarely have success, with a Champions League home-and-away series to navigate besides. After that, the team has a week to regroup and prepare for the next game to face Real Salt Lake. That game starts a 10-day run where the team will play four games against Leon in CCL, RSL, and a home game against the LA Galaxy.

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Indigenous Lands - Photo by Zach Lezniewicz
Uncategorized

Indigenous Land Acknowledgement

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

Here at Cascadia SN, we acknowledge the Cascadia region; the land that we sit and reside on were/are the traditional lands of the indigenous people that came before us. We are on this land because of colonists and settlers’ forced removal of its traditional peoples. As settlers and guests, we recognize the strong and diverse Native communities in our region today.

From Tribes, local and distant, we want to offer respect and gratitude for their stewardship of these lands—past, present, and future.

Portland

The Portland Metro area rests on indigenous village sites of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin, Kalapuya, and the Molalla. Along with many other tribes, they made their homes along the Columbia River, creating permanent communities and seasonal encampments. 

Due to the strategic and systemic efforts to eradicate Indigenous peoples from these lands and history, many other tribes and nations traditionally lived, hunted, and fished in Multnomah County and Oregon.

Listed below are links to history and resources on those native peoples. The Portland Parks Foundation provided the links below:

Seattle

King County and the Seattle Metro area rest on the Coast Salish peoples of this land. The land touches the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Duwamish, Puyallup, Suquamish, Tulalip, and Muckleshoot nations.

The native people have lived on this land since the beginning of time. However, they are still here today. They live, work, raise their children, take care of their community, practice their traditional ways and speak their languages – just as their ancestors did.

Listed below are links to history and resources on the native peoples of this land:

Vancouver

Before colonial settlers arrived, the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh shared the abundant forest with some of the tallest old-growth trees in North America.

With the arrival of settlers, they logged the area to create a new residential site. Therefore, the settlers established this colonial settlement on unceded land. As part of situating the House and the City of Vancouver’shistory, we acknowledge that we operate on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded shared territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh.

Listed below are links to the history and resources for the First Nations on this land:

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First Team Photo of 2022
Vancouver Whitecaps

Whitecaps Suffer Tough Loss in Season Opener

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

It’s finally here! The 2022 season is upon us, and everyone at CascadiaSN is pumped for the new season. The first 34 game grind to reach a chance at glory. On a gloomy Ohio Saturday afternoon, the Vancouver Whitecaps and Columbus Crew took to the pitch to begin their 2022 campaigns. All of the storylines from the past four months were about to be put to the test.

Lineups:

Vancouver Whitecaps: 3-1-4-2

Columbus Crew: 4-2-3-1

Match Report

Early on, the Crew would nearly get off to a scary start right away, as their dangerman, Lucas Zelarayan, found some space at the edge of the box after a sloppy Whitecaps turnover in the 3rd minute, and he nearly made them pay for it. However, the Argentine sent his shot just over the mark. Right after, Zelarayan continued his strong start into the 5th minute, as he did well to find Milos Degenek off of a corner, and the big Australian got a firm header off, sending his shot just wide.

It started in a fashion fit for an MLS season opener. No more than eight minutes in, Miguel Berry found himself on the edge of the box, being man marked by Nerwinski. Able to create a slight separation, the Spaniard fired a right-footed effort goalwards. However, after a slight deflection from Nerwinski, the ball thanks to the face of Veselinovic. The change of direction left Thomas Hasal a half step behind where he needed to be, and the Crew and an early lead.

Columbus created several quality chances in the first half, testing Hasal from all angles. However, they could beat the young Canadian keeper for the second time in the 25th. A lovely cross-field pass from Yeboah found Etienne in plenty of space striding into the Vancouver penalty area. However, a lack of communication between Brown and Veselinovic allowed Etienne to stroll in, take his time and finish off the chance with a goal.

Vancouver could produce nothing more than several half-chances against the run of play. There was a lack of structure on defense and an inability to string multiple passes together in the midfield. Nothing was falling Vancouver’s way in the opening 45. The team was still in preseason form, and it showed. It was interesting to see how they would react to their slow start. It didn’t help that the Crew came out flying in front of their home fans, but there was no doubt that the Whitecaps could’ve offered far more resistance.

Whitecaps Wingback, Brown, battles for a 50/50 ball

Image via Whitecaps FC Twitter

Second Half

The second half showed the same trends for the visitors, starting with a player ejection. Then, Jake Nerwinski picked up his second yellow card after bringing down Etienne’s streaking in the 53rd minute. But, to be fair, it was a soft foul at best. After that, the momentum shifted right back to Columbus, who started to push back, and they’d nearly come close to finding the net on a few occasions.

A poorly taken quick Vancouver free-kick led to a fast break for the home side. After having the ball fall to his feet, Gyasi Zardes played it over to Luis Diaz, who roofed the ball over a sprawling Hasal and into the net for a Columbus third in the 84th. 

Two minutes later, Zelarayan added his name to the score sheet with a deserved goal from the Argentinian. A scramble in the Vancouver penalty box left Zelarayan alone and in space. A well-taken finish to close out the contest.

Post Match Thoughts

It was far from an ideal start for Vanni Sartini’s tenure in Vancouver. Conceding four, having a player receive his first career red card, minimal success from set-pieces. Yet, after a solid end to last season, one that saw them ride a solid second half of the campaign to a surprise playoff berth, their first such qualification in four years, the Whitecaps had high expectations heading into this year.

Because of that, it makes this result quite a disappointment. After looking like one of the more dynamic teams in the league during the second half of the 2021 season, the Whitecaps looked a lot more like the unit among the worst in the league.

Of course, it was always tough to win in Columbus away, but they certainly needed to be a lot better even to have a chance, as they were just second-best too often on the afternoon. A game to forget for Sartini’s men.

“We made a lot of mistakes,” Sartini said. “And I think when we were trying to press them we were always one or two seconds late, and it was easy for them to play through us.”

“It’s a wake-up call,” Sartini said. “It’s a wake-up call that our level needs to be better, and we really need to be more humble and hungry (going forward).”

It will have to be a quick turnaround, as Vancouver will be welcoming 2021 MLS Cup champions NYCFC to BC Place on Saturday, March 5th. The first five matches will be a tough test for the Whitecaps, so we’ll see if they can find some form and surprise everyone.

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Whitecaps DP Ryan Gauld after scoring against LAFC last season
Vancouver Whitecaps

Whitecaps Preseason Roster Moves

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

We are just 22 days away from the start of the 2022 MLS season! The Whitecaps have been relatively busy in the transfer market, but not in the way you would think. So this is the first Transfer Talk post of the season with plenty more on the way. The first few will be old news, but I will continue to provide updates as the season goes on. 

Let’s dive in!

Key Club Departures

There had been a surprising amount of players leaving the club during this off-season. While I may not agree with a couple of them, ultimately, it’s what’s best for the club to move forward.

Andy Rose

Andy Rose started 53 of his 60 appearances in all competitions since signing with the club before the 2019 season while tallying three goals and three assists. Rose started all 21 appearances in his final year in Vancouver while also working as an assistant coach for the Whitecaps Academy U-19 team.

Rose has since announced his retirement from the beautiful game and will be joining the Seattle Sounders coaching staff. Having played for the Sounders from 2012- 2016, making 107 appearances across all competitions, it was natural that he would want to go back. 

Bruno Gaspar

In March of last year, Gaspar, 28, joined Whitecaps FC on a one-year loan from Portuguese first division side Sporting CP. The Angolan international made 12 starts in 18 appearances, including playoffs, recording a goal, and assisting the club.

Bruno was an integral part of the team towards the end of the season. He started nearly every match in the Whitecaps push for that final playoff spot. So it is a bit of a surprise the Whitecaps did not try to keep him at the end of the season. It ultimately came down to money and what Sporting CP wanted for him. 

Janio Bikel

Bikel started 39 of 46 appearances in 2020 and 2021, recording one goal and one assist. The native of Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, was purchased for $2.2 million in February of 2020. His current market value exceeds that.

He was a great player for the year that the Whitecaps had him. He was great in the MDS’s system but struggled with Sartini. As a result, he will be loaned to Serie B side LR Vicenza, with an option to buy. There can be no complaints if the Whitecaps can get a reasonable fee for him.

Theo Bair

Academy graduate Theo Bair has transferred to Scottish Premiership club St. Johnstone FC. The Whitecaps made the deal official on deadline day. Vancouver will receive $135,000 initially and retain 50% of the player’s rights. However, future add-ons could add up to around $470,000, which is Bair’s current market value. Bair moves to Scotland after spending last season with Norwegian second division side HamKam. 

Maxime Crepeau

The one that hurts the most, GK Maxime Crepeau, has gone off to conference rivals LAFC for $1 million in GAM. If particular performance metrics are met, whitecaps will also receive a first-round pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft and conditional GAM. In addition, the club will receive $250,000 in 2022 GAM, $250,000 in 2023 GAM, and $500,000 in GAM between 2023 and 2024 based on the player’s roster status. The Whitecaps will also retain a significant fee percentage if Crépeau transfers abroad.

Many have speculated that he was unhappy here in Vancouver and was looking for a way out after their short playoff run. As the starting GK for the Canadian National Team, there were a lot of journalists, including myself, that expected him to move off to Europe. He may still do that after his stint at LAFC, but that remains to be seen. 

What to Expect in 2022

The Whitecaps may have lost five players and only added one, but that does not mean the team has weakened by any means. On the contrary, most of the starting XI is returning for this upcoming season. With the addition of Tristan Blackmon from LAFC, Sebastian Berhalter from Columbus, and players like Caio Alexandre and Pedro Vite coming back from injury/Visa issues, it will feel like we have four brand new signings.  

The Whitecaps could still be in the market for another GK, DM, and a proper striker, but no offers or concrete rumors as of right now. We will keep you updated if any news or stories regarding new players.

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Whitecaps preason 2
Vancouver Whitecaps

Vancouver Whitecaps Preseason Updates

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

We are just one month away from the start of the regular season for the Vancouver Whitecaps, and that also means it’s preseason time! I want to apologize for being AFK for the latter portion of the last and most offseason. I can promise things will be much more consistent from now on. 

Vancouver Whitecaps Preseason Games

Vancouver Whitecaps FC confirmed the club would play four preseason games in San Diego, California. The team will depart for San Diego on February 5 for an 11-day camp in Southern California.

The first match will see the ‘Caps face a mix of Club Tijuana’s first team and reserve players on February 6. After, Vancouver will play their second match on February 9 against the USL side, New Mexico United. They also play at Triton Soccer Stadium.

In the third match, the Whitecaps will face USL side in San Diego Loyal SC at Torero Stadium on February 12. Finally, Vancouver will wrap up the trip with a closed-door scrimmage against LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park on February 16.

Following the Galaxy match, the team will return to Vancouver and resume training at the WFC NSDC at UBC to prepare for their 2022 MLS regular-season opener against Columbus Crew on Saturday, February 26.

Whitecaps Preseason

Image via 90plus Podcast on Twitter

Whitecaps Preseason Roster Updates

Players reported for the start of the 2022 preseason camp this weekend, with the first on-field session kicking off on Monday at the Whitecaps FC National Soccer Development Centre.

The’ Caps current first-team roster includes a club record of 27 returning players and one new addition, as well as three players away on loan. The 28 MLS roster players have an average age of 24 years and 45 days. This includes 13 players 23-years-old or younger. The team will also feature 12 Canadians and 14 players from different birth countries. 

Tristan Blackmon and five 2021-midseason acquisitions in Ryan Gauld, Marcus Godinho, Florian Jungwirth, Pedro Vite, and Brian White are taking part in their first preseason camp in Vancouver.

Javain Brown is currently away with Jamaica as they get set to play an international friendly in Peru. In addition, Caio Alexandre, Evan Newton, and Ranko Veselinovic will arrive in Vancouver in the coming days. 

Maxime Crepeau is away for personal reasons, although the current rumor is that he is going to LAFC for a reported $1 million in GAM. Finally, Janio Bikel is in Europe while the club explores loan or transfer options.

The seven unsigned camp invitees include two members from last year’s roster in Isaac Boehmer and Tosaint Ricketts. In addition, the four SuperDraft selections, Giovanni Aguilar, Simon Becher, Théo Collomb, and Luis Felipe Fernandez-Salvador, will also join the team. Lastly, Kwame Awuah, who was most recently with Forge FC of the Canadian Premier League, will be the final invitee.

Preseason Roster

Goalkeepers (3): Isaac Boehmer, Thomas Hasal, Evan Newton

Centre Backs (7): Tristan Blackmon, Matteo Campagna, Gianfranco Facchineri, Érik Godoy, Florian Jungwirth, Jake Nerwinski, Ranko Veselinović

Fullbacks/Wingers (6): Kwame Awuah, Javain Brown, Cristian Dájome, Marcus Godinho, Cristián Gutiérrez, Ryan Raposo

Midfielders (10): Giovanni Aguilar, Caio Alexandre, Michael Baldisimo, Janio Bikel, Luis Felipe Fernandez-Salvador, Ryan Gauld, Kamron Habibullah, Leonard Owusu, Russell Teibert, Pedro Vite

Forwards (8): Theo Bair, Simon Becher, Déiber Caicedo, Lucas Cavallini, Théo Collomb, David Egbo, Tosaint Ricketts, Brian White

Players away on loan:

Simon Colyn – Jong PSV

Derek Cornelius – Panetolikos FC

Damiano Pecile – Venezia FC

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Seattle Sounders

Cascadia Clash ends with the Timbers on Top

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

It was another beautiful Pacific Northwest night as the Seattle Sounders took on the Portland Timbers again in another Cascadia Cup clash. Last time out, fans saw an absolute beating from the Sounders as they topped their rivals 6-2 at Providence Park. Every match between these two is always a fun battle, so it was interesting to see who would come out on top this time.

Unfortunately for Sounders fans, the Timbers would get their revenge in the end. Thanks to horrible luck, poor finishing, and the post, the score would end 0-2 favor the visiting Timbers. So while the Sounders are still at the top of the table, things are potentially looking problematic for the would-be champions.

Lineups: 

Seattle Sounders: 5-2-2-1

Portland Timbers: 4-3-2-1

Match Report

“We are going to try and push past it. We have to. The team is not going to sit back and dwell on that.”

The setting was beautiful for this Cascadia Cup clash with the Portland Timbers. The prematch festivities were grand; Reign beat the Thorns, tributes for Jimi Hendrix and his family, and record-setting crowds in the stadium. Everything was setting up a potential Sounders win. So, what happened? 

The match started with the usual intensity you would expect with a Cascadia rivalry game. However, it looked like it could have gone either way. The Timbers began with the match’s first chance six minutes in as Dairon Asprilla lets off a wicked shot off the crossbar but ultimately leads to nothing. 

Only minutes later, tragedy struck the Timbers as defender Eryk Williamson suffered an ACL tear after getting his feet caught in the turf. From there, there was not much else that happened the rest of the half. A couple of decent chances for either team, but it was far from a dull fest. 

The second half was a bit of a different story. The Sounders came out ready to fight, but the Timbers came out wanting it. 

Overall, the Sounder’s defense, especially Xavi, was playing well. That was until the Timbers got their first goal after a disastrous back-pass from Yeimar. After that, Cleveland had no good choices to make as Blanco finished off a pass from Mora into an empty net to give Portland the lead in the 58th minute. 

That was when the Sounders turned it on. Seattle took control of the half and had a couple of great chances courtesy of Shane O’Neil and Raul in the 61st and 86th minutes. Unfortunately, O’Neil’s header hit off the post, and Clark stopped Raul’s rocket of a shot. Things were not going their way all night. 

Caught sleeping once again, the defense and Yeimar left Clevland alone with Mora. Cleveland came out to win a ball in the air but misjudged the bounce. As a result, Mora was able to gain control and chip the goalkeeper to double Portland’s lead in the dying minutes of the game. 

Post Match Thoughts

Sounders centerback, Yeimar, clears the ball despite a Timbers push in the first half of this Cascadia Cup clash.

Image via Max Aquino

While the Sounders created decent chances, their overall performance was relatively poor for significant game stretches. Considering their usual standard, this was a poor result. Seattle struggled to connect passes, and players seemed to show an uncharacteristic lack of familiarity. 

This loss feels like quite the letdown after coming off of an exceptional three games away from home. To add to the frustration, Lumen Field was the fullest it’s been since Seattle hosted the 2019 MLS Cup Final, and the stadium played host to an OL Reign 2-1 win over the Portland Thorns earlier in the day with over 27,000 in attendance to make history and set an NWSL record.

The Sounders won the Cascadia Cup series thanks to two wins earlier in the season at Providence Park, but the loss tonight continues a strange trend. You have to go back to May  2017 to find Seattle’s last regular-season win at home against the rags. They’ve had five such successes at Providence Park in that time. It almost certainly doesn’t mean anything, but that won’t make anyone feel better about it. For now, it’s just an oddity.

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Marc dos Santos Relieved of Managerial Duties
Vancouver Whitecaps

Marc dos Santos, Whitecaps Finally Part Ways

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

The inevitable happened. After two and a half seasons, the Whitecaps have parted ways with head coach Marc dos Santos. The news sent shockwaves throughout MLS on Friday afternoon. The report is coming after the disappointing loss against Pacific FC in the Canadian Championship. 

Sporting director Axel Schuster believes the move could be the jolt the club needs as it battles for a playoff position.

“I’m convinced it could be at exactly the right moment, that it’s the wake-up call to go back and also focus on the small things that we’re not doing well,” Schuster told reporters on a video call Friday.

In two and a half seasons, coach Marc dos Santos finishes with an MLS regular-season record of 22-37-18. In MLS play, Whitecaps FC scored 87 goals and allowed 133 goals. It was never a matter of if Dos Santos was going to get sacked. It was more of a decision as to whether this would occur during the 2021 season or would Dos Santos have the rest of the season. Many expected that the FO would not renew Dos Santos’ contract at the end of the season. 

The last nail in the Marc dos Santos coffin was embarrassingly getting run off the pitch and losing the Ferryside Derby 4-3 to CPL side Pacific FC. But, unfortunately, that is all Axel Schuster and other members of the Whitecaps higher up needed to see. 

“I went home yesterday after the game. At 1:00 am, ordered Uber Eats burgers and stayed up until four in the morning,” Schuster explained. “I went to bed with an idea of what to do, and if tomorrow morning I get up and I still have the same idea, I will contact a few people and get their ideas and thoughts. I spoke to Marc as he arrived here at the facility. We wanted to handle it as fair as possible, and they respected that.”

What’s Next?

“We decided this morning that this project needs another push, that this project needs some new life.”

Whitecap’s Director of Methodology and U-23 coach, Vanni Sartini, will lead the team as acting head coach. Assistant coach Ricardo Clark and goalkeeper coach Youssef Dahha will remain in their posts. 

Sartini originally joined the club as a first-team assistant coach before starting the 2019 MLS season, before transitioning to Director of Methodology this last September. Sartini was head coach of A.S. Mezzana for three seasons, an assistant coach with A.S. Livorno Calcio – whom he helped earn promotion to Serie A – and an assistant coach with S.S.C. Bari. 

Looking Forward

Sartini at the helm leaves the Whitecaps in an exciting position with 14 games left in their MLS schedule. Eliminated from the Canadian Championship now, all they can do is focus on the remaining games. They’re well within reach for a playoff spot—especially given how things have shaped up in the Western Conference.

Three points off of the 7th and final playoff spot, with a game in hand over 7th-place San Jose, the Whitecaps have the opportunity to make the playoffs. But it’s going to need a spectacular end of the season to do so. That includes a solid roster, along with the new DP #10, Ryan Gauld, who already has three goals and two assists in just one start. This team has the talent to go on a huge run, with Gauld as the centerpiece.

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