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Major League Soccer

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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Whitecaps winger, Dajome getting a shot off on goal
Vancouver Whitecaps

Whitecaps and Earthquakes Give Fans A Quiet Evening With 0-0 Draw

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

It’s not necessarily a step back, but it certainly was not a step forward. The Whitecaps took on the San Jose Earthquakes on Friday evening. Whitecaps, who have just one win in 14, were hoping this would be a kick off point to save the season. Alas, it was not meant to be as they picked up another draw this time ending in 0-0. 

Neither team looked to create much despite both being at the bottom of the league defensively. Both teams will look at it like two points lost as opposed to one point gained. Let’s dive right into the match. 

Lineups

Vancouver Whitecaps: 4-3-3

San Jose Earthquakes: 3-4-2-1

Match Review

I’m going to try something a little different this time around! Instead of giving the match stats, I’m going to go straight into the match review. If you readers would like me to include the stats going forward just let me know! 

Whitecaps midfielder, Teibert wrestling his way through two defenders

Image via Stan Szeto /USA TODAY Sports

“We always try to play for the three points,” head coach Marc Dos Santos said after the game. “There are some moments in the minutes 88 and 92 where we were pressing, we went for the three points.”“But again, when you don’t win, you don’t win.”

There seems to be a theme with this Whitecaps team. Always playing for all three points, but never able to finish it off in the end. Most matches they do just enough to stay in the match, but still don’t bring enough to push their opponents. 

The match kicked off on a rather quiet note for both teams. It seemed that neither team could break the other open. Although, five minutes in, Ryan Raposo had himself a cheeky dribble past the defender before setting up Brian White for an excellent chance on goal. White could not get his footing right and hit it right to the keeper. 

The Whitecaps kept the intensity up a little from there, but in the end both teams settled down more as the first half went on. At the 30th minute mark the Earthquakes had their best effort of the half thanks to an attempted volley from former Portland Timbers striker, Jeremy Ebodisse. Luciano Abecasis whipped in a lovely ball to the back post but big man Maxime Crepeau denied him the opportunity. 

As expected, based on the few chances either team had, the first half ends even at the break. Which is not surprising as both teams seemed content to end with a draw. Neither really played attractive football and because of that it made it borderline unwatchable. 

Not much happened until the 60th minute as Ebodisse found some room at the edge of the box and had a strong low driven shot which made Crepeau stretch to make a save and push the ball off the post and out. 

Not much else happened after that last chance for San Jose. While the game did open up when Dajome and Gauld arrived, their inclusion was more of a cautionary tale. It served as a reminder that Gauld alone, or any of the Whitecaps’ key players, are not going to be able to create a successful team on their own. They need the rest of the team to step up.

For the Whitecaps, it certainly doesn’t feel like a bad result per say. You can never complain about a road point but as a team who has struggled for more, you want all three points. Sitting last in the West, it’ll be hard for them to crawl out of this already big hole if they continue to dig it deeper. 

Post Match Thoughts

For a clash between 2 of the worst defensive teams in the league, one could expect some goals in this match but that unfortunately was not the case. Both teams share the spoils, and for the Whitecaps, they pick up their 4th clean sheet of the season.

That leaves the Whitecaps with 7 draws in their last 9 games now. Based on their play as of late, that shouldn’t be too surprising. The Earthquakes are in the same boat as now they have 6 in their last 8. Both sides have been struggling to put away matches and get all three points. It does explain their positions in the table.

Because of all that, it shouldn’t have been surprising to see both teams draw. With both sides just outside of the playoff picture right now, that’ll leave them to both rue what could’ve been, something they’ve both dealt with. For the Whitecaps’ sake, fans can only hope that turns around soon.

There is some good news coming! The Whitecaps are so close to finally heading  home and playing their first match at BC Place since last year. Missing players are slowly getting their names back into their squad, which along with the integration of some new faces, should give them a boost. Will it be enough to get them through this rut? Only time will tell. 

 

The Whitecaps have one more road match before they make their long-awaited return to BC Place. On Wednesday, they visit Austin FC for their first-ever meeting at Q2 Stadium. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. PT. live on TSN4/5 and ESPN+.

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Vancouver Whitecaps

Whitecaps and Houston Dynamo Take A Trip to Snoozefest in 0-0 Draw

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

The match was supposed to be a team in-form against a team well rested. In a match that was crucial for both teams to climb out of the bottom of the West, neither team provided anything memorable. 

Playing their second of three matches in a span of seven days, the Whitecaps went up against FC Dallas in a battle of who can score the least goals. As two of the worst defensive sides in MLS by a lot of the metrics, it certainly felt like goals would be on the menu for both. Spoiler, neither of them scored.

“We had good energy,” “When we’re in the opponent’s half, in the final third, around the box, I felt we didn’t have the spark, we lacked it.”

Lineups

Vancouver Whitecaps: 4-3-3

FC Dallas: 5-3-2

Match Stats

Scoring Summary

None

Statistics

Possession: VAN 50.8 – HOU 49.2

Shots: VAN 8 – HOU 8

Shots on Goal: VAN 0 – HOU 1

Saves: VAN 1 – HOU 0

Fouls: VAN 11 – HOU 13

Offsides: VAN 2 – HOU 2

Corners: VAN 4 – HOU 7

Cautions

24′ – VAN – Andy Rose (Yellow)

42′ – HOU – Hadebe (Yellow)

83′ – HOU – Fafa Picault (Yellow)

83′ – VAN – Caio Alexandre (Yellow)

Match Report

The Whitecaps opened the match with a strong showing, clearly building from that high of finally winning last week. Other than that, it was a defensive battle besides a chance from Dajome. It was not a good chance, but a chance in front of goal to say the least. 

Houston almost pounced immediately after Dajome’s failed attempt. Urruti had a strong free kick from 25 yards out, but it hit the post and amounted to nothing. Keeping the draw intact. Other than those two chances, it proved to be a very slow start to the match. 

For both teams, that was far from a bad thing. With the two teams being poor defensively, I’m sure they would take the result going into the half. Both are desperately needing a victory but didn’t want to do so at the cost of their defence. But it didn’t make for good viewing. 

Moving onto the second half, it was just more of the same. A couple chances from our Colombians and another Urruti chance, but even with those, neither team looked like scoring. 

Certainly, both teams will feel like it was an opportunity missed as they had every chance to try and grab a hold of this game. Alas, they didn’t want to do so at the cost of sacrificing offence, leading to a quiet night. 

Ultimately, at the end of the day, a draw does nothing for either team and they both seemed to realize that. Choosing for the safety of 1 point instead of going for the 3 points at risk of finishing with nothing at all. So I guess Whitecaps fans take that as a slight win. 

Post Match Thoughts

Despite the poor showing today, taking 4 out of 6 points during a stretch of matches is also a positive. Things are trending on the up and up and we can only expect, hopefully, good things going forward. 

So now, the Whitecaps will get 3 days off before heading to LA to take on a resurgent LAFC team that has won 3 games in a row. For a team who has struggled in games against LAFC, having lost their last two away games to them by a combined 13-1, it won’t be an easy game. They will have to bring their A-game and then some on Saturday. 

We have not seen that in a while so let’s hope the Whitecaps can deliver. 

“There’s a feeling of a certain frustration that we could have won today. But there’s also a feeling of, ‘OK, it’s good. Let’s go!’ They’re disappointed, the players, of not getting that extra thing to win the game, but they’re not in a bad place.”

“We know the type of points we need to make the playoffs but you cannot think like that. Right now, you just have to think game by game, trying to get points, and not doing too much calculation and bringing anxiety.”

 

The Whitecaps face off against an in-form LAFC side at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT. You can catch the match live on TSN1/4 and ESPN+.

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Vancouver Whitecaps

Whitecaps Finally Snap Eight Match Winless Streak with 2-1 Win Against LA Galaxy

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

A Colombian affair!! Deiber Caicedo and Cristian Dajome each scored two great second half goals to lead the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 2-1 victory over LA Galaxy on Saturday night. Fielding their youngest roster of the season, the Whitecaps ended their rough winless streak with a comeback win. 

Although fans can celebrate the win, there is still a lot to work on. Once again the Whitecaps looked totally disorganized in every aspect of the game. They did not move for passes, they did not close down opposing players, they did not look like they knew what they were supposed to be doing.

Despite all that, they still clawed their way back into the game. It’s an impressive feat and fans can only hope this is the start of more positive results. 

 

Lineups

Vancouver Whitecaps: 4-3-3

LA Galaxy: 4-3-3

Match Stats

Scoring Summary

5′ – LA – Rayan Raveloson (assisted by Víctor Vazquez)

48′ – VAN – Deiber Caicedo

77′ – VAN – Cristian Dajome (assisted by Brian White)

Statistics

Possession: VAN 49.8% – LA 50.2%

Shots: VAN 11 – LA 9

Shots on Goal: VAN 4 – LA 2

Saves: VAN 1 – LA 2

Fouls: VAN 11 – LA 8

Offsides: VAN 5 – LA 2

Corners: VAN 4 – LA 1

Cautions

62′ – LA – Derrick Williams (Yellow)

69′ – VAN – Michael Baldisimo (Yellow)

Match Report

“I’ve been very impressed with the environment in the locker room in a very difficult moment,” Whitecaps head coach Marc Dos Santos said after the win. “It’s hard to be in our situation, being 8 games without winning, it’s difficult and very easy for stories to come out, for guys to be crying, so I’ve been impressed with the mindset”

With the Whitecaps entering the match with their ninth straight winless match staring them in the face, the odds were certainly stacked against them. Unfortunately for them, the first half made it seem like they were going to add to that streak.

It was a frustrating start for the Whitecaps as they conceded EARLY once again. Former Toronto midfielder, Victor Vazquez, found space as he delivered a well placed ball to the penalty area for an open Rayan Raveloson. The Whitecaps have now let in the first goal in 11 out of their 13 matches this season. 

The rest of the first half was all about the Galaxy as they chased their second goal of the game. The Whitecaps had a couple chances but nothing really to make note of unfortunately. The team looked uninspired and nothing seemed to be meshing.

This has been the case every single time the Whitecaps have had a long break for the past three years. What exactly are they doing with that time? They come back even more disjointed than normal. The Galaxy finished an absolutely brutal first half up 1-0.

“We’re trying to figure it out,” Dos Santos said of his team’s first-half struggles.

“We have to find solutions.”

While the Whitecaps seem to like to start off slow, they also like to turn it on after the break. Then seemingly out of nowhere, Deiber Ceicedo had the equalizer early on in the 48th minute. Javain Brown sent a dangerous cross into the box, but despite a decent stop from the Galaxy keeper, the ball went up in the air, and right to the boot the Caicedo. The young Colombian cashed in with a slick volley to make it 1-1. 

Not much happened for either team after the equalizer but the Whitecaps did have a little pep in their step.

It was the momentum boost the Whitecaps needed to continue to fight for the win. The team continued to press and cause problems for the Galaxy. This sudden burst would eventually pay off in the 77th minute thanks to some great play from Dajome and White. 

After some fantastic interplay between Dajome and White, White would find Dajome near the penalty spot. The Colombian came through with a nice cut back, and would make no mistake with his chance, blasting the ball over Bond into the net to secure the lead. 

With the goal, Dajome is cementing himself as the team leading scorer with five goals on the season. Ironic that our DP striker has less goals than one of our wingers, but I digress.

The Whitecaps would hold on for the rest of the match and swarm the Galaxy every time they had the ball. They looked like a different animal than previous matches. After having thrown away points in the late stages of games as of late, it was nice to see them finally hold onto a lead.

MDS summed the ending of the match perfectly,

“If you had many car accidents, you’d probably be afraid of being in a car,” Dos Santos said. “We’ve had moments where we conceded late, so of course we’re trying to manage this injury-time not conceding.”

Post Match Thoughts

It’s hard to know what to think of the match overall. Even though the Whitecaps got the win in the end, they started off the match worse than they have in a long while. Most matches have been rough to watch, but even with the extended break, nothing much had changed. 

Then again, the second half Whitecaps were a completely different kind of beast. They gave up almost nothing defensively and put up almost a full expected goal more than their opponents. If they did that every half they played, then they would easily be a playoff team. That is a fact. The potential is there, but there is still so much the team needs to work on. 

Now it’s time to focus on the next match. The Whitecaps turn their attention to a clash with the Houston Dynamo on Tuesday. With little to no rest before then, the Whitecaps need to find a way to keep this momentum going.

With this in mind, there was a wholesome moment with the team at halftime with MDS.

“You have guys that have never seen Vancouver,” Dos Santos said. “Who don’t have a clue what it is to play in a packed BC Place, so we shared with the group what awaits us.”

Whitecaps FC will look to keep the momentum going on Tuesday. They host Houston Dynamo FC at Rio Tinto Stadium. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. PT, live on TSN and ESPN+

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Vancouver Whitecaps

Whitecaps Fall Deeper After Suffering 0-4 Loss To Real Salt Lake

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

After giving myself 36 hours to think about the match, I can finally dive right into it. The Whitecaps let in another extra-time goal but for some reason it did not sting as much as the previous four. They gave up a goal in the first and last minutes of the game as Real Salt Lake took control early. It was almost poetic. 

With one win in nine matches, the Whitecaps were hoping to build off of the little momentum of back-to-back road draws against the Seattle Sounders and FC Dallas. Unfortunately for the Whitecaps, it just did not happen. It’s not like they played terrible, they just did not look like a team. There appeared to be a plan set by Marc dos Santos, but no one seemed to be on the same page. The result showed that. 

Lineups

Vancouver Whitecaps: 4-3-3

Real Salt Lake: 

Match Details

Scoring Summary

1’ – RSL – Damir Kreilach (assisted by Aaron Herrera)

57’ – RSL – Damir Kreilach (assisted by Justin Meram)

74’ – RSL – Albert Rusnak (penalty kick)

90’+4 – RSL – Anderson Julio

Statistics

Possession: VAN 55.2 – RSL 44.8

Shots: VAN 10 – RSL 18

Shots on Goal: VAN 2 – RSL 8

Saves: VAN 4 – RSL 2

Fouls: VAN 7 – RSL 9

Offsides: VAN 0 – RSL 0

Corners: VAN 5 – RSL 4

Cautions

24’ – RSL – Pablo Ruiz (yellow)

81’ – RSL – Donny Toia (yellow)

 

Match Report

“We don’t deserve to have nine points, but we don’t deserve to have 16 points either. Maybe we deserve to have 12 or 13 points, so nine is heavy on us,” he said. “It’s a very difficult scenario we’re in. We have to find solutions, and we will for sure.

Image via Lucas Muller

The Whitecaps are officially on an eight match winless streak or only have one win in ten matches. Whichever way you spin it, it is not looking good for the Whitecaps. They cement themselves at the bottom of the Western Conference but now find themselves in a three team race for the bottom of the entire league. The only teams below them are Inter Miami and fellow countrymen, Toronto FC. Coach Marc dos Santos seems to think we deserve a better fate, but I’m not so sure on that one. 

To start things off, RSL got going early after a nice ball in behind the backline. Justin Meram did well to flick the ball to Damir Kreilach. From there the RSL #8 did well to get a toe to the shot, which deflected off of Erik Godoy and over Thomas Hasal to open the scoring for the visitors.

It was a tough blow to concede so early especially for Hasal who has not started since his injury last year. What a way to go in your first start, with a howler… To be fair the defense did not do him justice as Godoy did not track back quick enough. You have to play a bit tighter with a player like Kreilach.

The rest of the first half was fairly uneventful despite a couple chances for both teams. The Whitecaps did a good job at holding possession, 55%,  and controlling the game for the most part. They were hoping to build momentum going into the break. They just needed to generate chances. 

Like most of the season, the Whitecaps went into the second half with a bit of fire under their asses. Brian White and Cristian Dajome had a couple of excellent chances but they just could not capitalize. These missing chances would prove to haunt them as RSL came knocking soon after. 

After a great stop from Hasal, RSL winger Justin Meram whipped in a wonderful ball into the box for an unmarked Kreilach who headed it right into the back of the net. Netting himself a brace in the process. Another defensive relapse where the player loses his man. This seems to be a trend as of late…

After being down two goals in the second you would think most teams would be down and out. Especially against a solid defensive team like RSL. After some good saves from Hasal, it seemed as though the young keeper could help this team build some momentum for a comeback. 

Whitecaps came at RSL with a couple of incredibly close chances thanks to efforts from Deiber Caicedo and Brian White again. Caicedo helped set up both chances but White could not get the ball in the net. Despite having a 1v1 with the keeper. This is not the first time White has botched a couple chances. This is someone the FO paid $400k for by the way. 

Not taking your chances proves costly for the Whitecaps. RSL would once again punish them for their lack of cutting edge. Once again, it would be Meram, with the veteran doing well to win a penalty in the 73rd minute. Giving his team a chance for a third and the game ending goal. RSL DP Albert Rusnak stepped up to the spot, and he made no mistake with his effort, putting it past Hasal into the corner.

While it was a good penalty by Rusnak, I have to commend Hasal for having good awareness and positioning as he was almost able to get a hand on it. The young Canadian has potential, he just needs a little bit more time to grow. 

Not much happened for either team for the rest of the match. The next bit of action did not happen until the dying minutes of the game. After coming on as a substitute, Anderson Julio scores an absolute rocket in the 94th minute giving the fans a memorable victory.

Post Match Thoughts

I can’t say I am too happy about this loss. The last few matches have hurt a bit but this just leaves a sour taste in my mouth. The Whitecaps have extended their winless streak to eight games now and are just one away from tying the clubs previous record of nine. I understand that without two of our main starters it would be a tough match but I did not expect this. 

There is something to be said about our Canadian neighbor Toronto FC though. I’m sure fans and neutrals alike don’t forget that they recently fired their coach after such a poor start of the season. It’s safe to guess that something like this for Marc dos Santos is in the minds of fans everywhere. We were all a bit surprised when Sportstalkonline’s Joshua Griffith asked point-blank if he thought he was the man to coach this team. 

Naturally he responded with: 

“One hundred per cent, yes. But it’s a question to ask somebody else.”

 

The Whitecaps have ten days to prepare for the next match thanks to the Gold Cup. They have two more games scheduled at Rio Tinto before hitting the road for the next three. With restrictions lightening up, and Toronto and Montreal announcing their returns to Canada, one of the biggest factors working against the Caps may be removed. 

Let’s hope this prospect of going home helps build momentum going forward. If not, I fear what could happen to the team otherwise. 

“First thing it’s gonna take for us (to turn it around) is to go back home. I think that’s such an important factor, and it’s been very hard on all of us to be here. That’s the No. 1 thing,” said Dos Santos. “It’s a big factor always playing away, but one thing is playing away. There’s no doubt that we have to make sure that we go back to Vancouver as fast as possible.”

“I’m gonna have to be creative, I’m gonna have to find solutions. And I’m gonna have to think about that very well but I’m incredibly motivated to prepare for the next game.”

 

The Whitecaps now enter a 10-day break between matches before another Western Conference contest against LA Galaxy on Saturday, July 17 at Rio Tinto Stadium. Kickoff  is set for 7 p.m. PT. You can catch the match live on TSN1/4 and ESPN+.

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Image via Vancouver Whitecaps Twitter
Vancouver Whitecaps

Whitecaps Concede Late Yet Again to Earn a 2-2 Draw Against FC Dallas

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

Heading into a bottom of the table battle on Sunday night, it was important that the Whitecaps get literally anything from this match. They needed a way to stop from being even further down in the Western Conference standings. Which is hard considering they are at the bottom right now. 

Dallas has never been too kind to Vancouver as the Whitecaps have only picked up one win in the last 10 matches. History was not on the Whitecaps’ side heading into this one. 

After 90 minutes and eight minutes of extra time (MY GOD), the Whitecaps left Texas with a single point. Although it was a 2-2 draw, that felt like a loss after giving up their fourth stoppage time goal in four matches. Throwing away a half time lead that had seen Lucas Cavallini cancel out Ricardo Pepi’s opener and Andy Rose sending them into the break up by one. 

This seems to be becoming a trend for the Whitecaps as of late and I am not here for it. Their season is far from over, but it’s starting to hang in the balance here. Lost points, like the ones they saw slip away from them in this game, have played a huge role in that.

Lineups

Vancouver Whitecaps: 4-3-3

FC Dallas: 4-2-3-1

Match Details

Scoring Summary

22′ – DAL – Ricardo Pepi (assisted by Jesús Ferreira)

30′ – VAN – Lucas Cavallini (assisted by Cristian Dájome)

45’+2 – VAN – Andy Rose (assisted by Déiber Caicedo)

90’+4 – DAL – Ranko Veselinović (own goal)

Statistics

Possession: DAL 57.3 – VAN 42.7

Shots: DAL 17 – VAN 5

Shots on Goal: DAL 8 – VAN 2

Saves: DAL 0 – VAN 7

Fouls: DAL 11 – VAN 11

Offsides: DAL 0 – VAN 1

Corners: DAL 7 – VAN 5

Cautions

18′ – DAL – Jáder Obrian (yellow)

45’+3 – VAN – Lucas Cavallini (yellow)

67′ – DAL – Bryan Acosta (yellow)

72′ – VAN – Caio Alexandre (yellow)

’90’+1 – VAN – Patrick Metcalfe (yellow)

90’+5 – VAN – Jake Nerwinski (yellow)

 

Match Report

“I understand exactly where we are. I don’t want to give a rallying call or anything like that, but I hope the people see that and choose to stick with us. We need to become more consistent. In these last few weeks going up against good teams away from home, I think we’ve shown a lot of really encouraging passages of play. I think we’re getting really comfortable in this 4-3-3. There’s a real identity forming.” 

To start off the match, Marc Dos Santos only made one single change in the lineup for this one. Javain Brown coming back in at right back, with Janio Bikel moving back into the midfield, and Michael Baldisimo dropping out with an injury.

FC Dallas getting an early boost from their home fans really helped them settle into the match right away. Having started strong, Dallas’ Ricardo Pepi, managed first to pick up an excellent left-footed chance after a good pass, before getting a shot off the rebound after a Crepeau save. Then, despite the second point-blank chance, Crepeau’s heroics kept the game at 0-0 early on. 

It took only ten minutes for them to get the breakthrough and it was the young American, Pepi, who did the damage. After running between the two Whitecaps centre backs, he headed home a powerful Jesus Ferreira cross in the 23rd minute. Crepeau got a hand to it, and perhaps could have got a stronger one on it, but it was 1-0 Dallas.

While it was a frustrating goal to see, you have to commend the Whitecaps’ ability to fight right back. Many feared the worst but the Whitecaps made sure to end those fears moments later. 

Miraculously in the 30th minute, Cristian Dajome broke up the right, sending a low ball into the box that a Dallas defender failed to clear. The ball broke to Cavallini, who took a nice sideways touch to make room and fire home past Dallas keeper Jimmy Maurer to level the match and score Vancouver’s first, first half goal of the season. It’s taken them a while but I will take it.

That looked to be the last of the first half action as the game’s one minute of stoppage time came and nearly went. Suddenly, again from nowhere, from another Dallas defensive error, the Whitecaps found themselves in a shock lead. 

The Whitecaps found themselves a way to claw the game back in their favor. Deiber Caicedo stepped up to take a corner right at the 45th minute. He delivered in a beautiful cross finding Andy Rose for a towering header to give the Whitecaps a 2-1 lead heading into the break!

Going into the half with confidence, it felt as though the Whitecaps could pull through and snap out of this winless funk. A funk lasting 6 games might I add. But FC Dallas did not give in without a fight. Being down at the break sprung some life into the home team and they laid siege on the Whitecaps defenders. 

Unsurprisingly, the Whitecaps were having trouble getting out of their half and were unable to create anything. To be fair, they were also dealing with everything that Dallas was throwing at them. This continued for the rest of the half as the Whitecaps hunkered down and dried to defend their lead. 

The match settled down after a couple of Dallas chances but nothing really came of them. That was all until stoppage time came. After what has happened the last four games, we kind of knew what to expect from the Whitecaps in this situation. 

Dallas continued to push, and with that, the Whitecaps’ lead disappeared, as Dallas found their breakthrough in the 93rd minute. After a dangerous ball in from a wide area, defenders Rose and substitute Ranko Veselinovic crossed their signals at the near post, and the ball bounced off of Vesel and in for the own goal.

This one stung like a wasp. While it seemed as though things were starting to change, it just all came right back. Vancouver will breathe a sigh of relief at not giving up another stoppage time winner. The one goal they did give up will certainly have them leaving Texas with the feeling of two points tossed out the window. 

Questions have to be asked about the laps in judgement in extra time. The fact that there is now a pattern for Whitecaps defenders to just click off during extra time. This should not be happening so frequently. The team almost appears like they don’t want to shoot for that third goal but rather sit back and wait. 

The best form of defense is to attack, but despite MDS wanting this from his players, they just seem unable to get themselves out of these situations. Whether it’s the coaching or the players, something needs to change soon. 

Getting a point out of two tough opponents like Seattle and Dallas may be considered a win for some, but the Dallas draw feels like points lost as opposed to the latter. Every point is crucial at this stage of the season. Things are gearing up and it’s time for teams to step up. 

Some will say the Whitecaps are unbeaten in two, but all I see is one win out of ten matches. They are bottom of the table, six points off a playoff spot, and are still with a #10. So many factors go into this teams’ rough season and it’s a long road ahead. Let’s see if they can get back onto the right track. 

 

The Whitecaps find themselves with a mid-week match-up with Utah neighbors Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium this Wednesday, July 7. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. PT. You can catch the match live on TSN1/4 and ESPN+

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Vancouver Whitecaps

Cascadia Clash Ends in a Surprise Draw

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

It may have only been a draw, but taking a point from the league leaders? This must feel like a major win for the Vancouver Whitecaps. 

The Whitecaps took on league leaders and Cascadia rivals, the Seattle Sounders. Heading into the match the Sounders were undefeated and the Whitecaps were on a 5 match losing streak. All the odds were stacked up against the Whitecaps. 

Against the Sounders, a team that they haven’t beaten since 2017, it felt like anything but a loss would be seen as positive for a team that was quickly fading after a bright start. 

Lineups

Vancouver Whitecaps: 4-3-3

Seattle Sounders: 5-3-2

Match Details

Scoring Summary

40′ – SEA – Raúl Ruidíaz (assisted by Brad Smith)

49′ – VAN – Cristian Dájome (assisted by Caio Alexandre)

56′ – VAN – Lucas Cavallini (assisted by Cristian Dájome)

71′ – SEA – Jimmy Medranda (assisted by Fredy Montero)

Statistics

Possession: SEA 61.6 – VAN 38.4

Shots: SEA 19 – VAN 11

Shots on Goal: SEA 5 – VAN 4

Saves: SEA 2 – VAN 3

Fouls: SEA 9 – VAN 13

Offsides: SEA 0 – VAN 2

Corners: SEA 2 – VAN 1

Cautions

22′ – VAN – Lucas Cavallini (yellow)

45’+4 – VAN – Caio Alexandre (yellow)

89′ – VAN – Maxime Crépeau (yellow)

 

Match Report

“There’s two things that we addressed the last two days,” “It’s the why of coming out and sometimes lacking little things to dictate the game, and we also spoke about making big plays at the end of games.”

Image via Vancouver Whitecaps Twitter

It was that execution and determination that were most important for the Whitecaps. While it may not have been pretty, they fought hard and climbed their way back for the draw. This is not something that can be said for most of this 2021 season. 

Cristian Dájome and Lucas Cavallini scored the goals for the Whitecaps they finally snapped a five-match losing streak. The first 45 minutes saw Vancouver and Seattle evenly matched. The Whitecaps came at the league leaders hard from the get go and did not make it easy. Again, something we really haven’t really seen much of this season.

Despite a strong showing to start the half, the Sounders opened up the scoring thanks to Golden Boot candidate, Raul Ruidiaz. The Peruvian nets it home to make 0-1 for the league leaders. 

The goal resulted from a poor giveaway in the midfield and some questionable positioning by goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau.

The Whitecaps came out just as strong and surprisingly found a bit of life in the second half. Despite being down, away from “home”, AND against the team at the top of the league standings, they fought their way back into the game.

Vancouver found their opening goal in the 46th minute after a beautiful through ball from Alexandre to Dájome. After making an incredible run behind the defense, Dájome slips the ball around the keeper for an easy shot right on goal. This goal could not have come at a better time just as momentum was building.

Thanks to the momentum picked up after that first goal, the Whitecaps then picked up the lead in the 56th minute.  Dájome continued his strong 2nd half. After a wonderful ball out wide from Andy Rose, Dajome looked up and whipped in a cross into the box. The cross came and bounced off of striker Lucas Cavallini and in. Truthfully the striker needed a little extra luck as he had to stick out a limb and just hope that the ball would roll in.

There it was, the Whitecaps were leading the league leaders 2-1 on their home turf! They had the chance to get their first win in 8 matches. Against their Cascadia rivals of all teams. No one would have expected that going into this match. Not even Whitecaps fans! 

Seattle had other plans…

Immediately after the Whitecaps’ second goal, the Sounders turned it on and then came the onslaught. Crépeau stayed busy in the second half with the Whitecaps holding onto dear life.  With three saves, the Canadian international was able to keep the Sounders off the board. 

It felt like a Sounders goal was inevitable and in the 71st minute, that proved to be the case. Jimmy Medranda found some space at the edge of the box with the ball being placed perfectly for him. After failing to close it down, he was able to settle and slam the ball home through a crowd of bodies to tie up the game for the Sounders.

It felt like a Sounders goal was inevitable and in the 71st minute, that proved to be the case. Jimmy Medranda found some space at the edge of the box with the ball being placed perfectly for him. After failing to close it down, he was able to settle and slam the ball home through a crowd of bodies to tie up the game for the Sounders. 

It was a gut wrenching goal as the Whitecaps dream of taking down the league leaders came crashing down. They sat back inviting pressure, so the goal was almost inevitable, but it still hurt. It is also hard to keep the Sounders down but everyone knows their quality. You never let them grow into the game. 

Surprisingly enough, the Whitecaps managed to hold off a late storm, keeping the match even at two a piece. Even more impressively, they almost scored a late winner! Cristian Gutierrez found Brian White with less than a minute to go, but the new striker’s header fell comfortably into Cleveland’s hands. 

Overall it was a solid showing from the boys. From a strong start, to being a goal down at the break, to coming back and taking points from the league leaders. Everything points to a solid performance. The Whitecaps were able to snap their 5-match losing streak. This will definitely be considered a positive performance all things considered. 

 

The Vancouver Whitecaps are back in action Sunday July 4th, when they visit FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium. Catch the game live on TSN 1/3 and ESPN+  starting at 5:30 p.m. PT.

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Vancouver Whitecaps

Whitecaps Transfer Talk: “Scottish Messi” to Distract From Losing Streak

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

It has been a long while but we are back with some new Whitecaps Transfer News! Hopefully this helps distract you fans away from the tough losses the team has endured as of late. 

We are going back to Portugal but this time it’s not with one of the bigger clubs. The Whitecaps’ constant struggle to find a #10 could finally be coming to an end with the “Scottish Messi”. The Whitecaps are interested in signing Scottish midfielder Ryan Gauld, who is currently playing with SC Farense in Portugal, according to a report from AFTN Vancouver.

Gauld joined SC Farense on a two-year contract in 2019. He scored nine goals and added seven assists in 33 matches last season. He was one of the few bright spots in what was an otherwise disappointing season for relegated Farense. Gauld has grown his market value significantly since joining the club from $660,000 in 2019 to $5.5 million. The Aberdeen native earned praise as one of the top playmakers in Liga NOS. 

According to Transfermarkt, Gauld’s transfer value is listed at $5.5 million. The rumored salary of $3 million per season would make Gauld the highest paid player in Whitecaps history. He would also be one of the top 10 highest paid players in Major League Soccer. 

The 25-year-old Scottsman would be exactly the kind of offensive playmaking threat the Whitecaps have been looking for. A creative attacking midfielder that can score goals while also distributing and setting up his teammates. Even though he was not Schuster’s number one choice, he would still be an excellent addition to this otherwise creativeless team. 

Gauld could be that missing link between the midfield and strikers. Our DP striker, Cavallini,  hasn’t been able to work with a playmaking option underneath him since arriving. His production shows that. We all know Cavallini can be a great striker, he just needs the service to prove that. 

The Whitecaps have yet to score a first half goal and are currently tied for the second worst goal difference. They sit second to bottom in the Western Conference at 2-6-1. The team needs something to turn it around. We are still early enough in the season but things need to change now. Hopefully the signing goes through and maybe we gain some hope. 

 

The Whitecaps take on the league leaders and Cascadia rivals, the Seattle Sounders, tomorrow evening in Seattle. Kick off is at 6pm PT and you can watch on TSN 1 or ESPN+.

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Seattle Sounders

Why Weren’t The Sounders Favorites for MLS Cup?

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

The Seattle Sounders are first in the Supporter’s Shield race, first in the Western Conference, and they have yet to lose a game this season. So why did it take so long for the Sounders MLS Cup odds to go up? You would think they would have been favorites from the start.

The Sounders are having an excellent start to the season, their best ever in fact.  This has not come as a surprise because the Sounders are synonymous with winning. They have arguably been one of the best teams in MLS over the last 5 years. 

This year specifically has been great for the team. Best goal difference (+11), least goals allowed (3, ZERO from open play), and the second best goal scoring team on top of that (14 goals to SKC’s 15). 

So with all that in mind, you would think that they would have had the best odds to win MLS Cup right? Well, it took the bookies 7 games to finally put them at the top. Why? 

You could argue they should have been at the top from the beginning but it seems others have had their doubts. The reason for this could have been our injury problems to some key players. Many of which are out for a longer while.  

 We have yet to see Nico, our DP #10,  all season due to knee issues, JMO out for the season after picking up another torn ACL in Swansea, Delem out with an ACL tear, and now Frei out for the foreseeable future due to complications with his knee injury. All such key components to the team. 

For most teams, when you lose important players like that, your form has a tendency to take a big dip. That has to be exactly what they were thinking when the season started. That is why the Sounders were second on the list. No one knew what to expect, including Sounders fans. 

Thankfully, the team has stepped up so immensely in the absence of these players. Brian Schmetzler has changed the formation up and the team is performing. Playing a 5-3-2 has paid off immensely. Every single player has stepped into new roles and are playing with a tenacity I have not seen in a while. 

Image via Seattle Sounders FC Twitter

Even without Nico and JMO, the team is still creating plenty of chances and scoring goals. The new emergence of the kids is paying off as they look like they have been part of the team for years. I am excited to see how the team plays when Nico comes back, but for now fans can sleep comfortably knowing the team will still perform. 

As we speak, the Sounders are now getting the best odds in the league at +400 to win the MLS Cup, according to Sports Betting Dime. That’s higher than what LAFC had at the start of the season! 

Things can only get better from here for the Sounders. If they stay on this path, then there is no reason to believe that they won’t win the cup. They’ll also break some league records along the way. Let’s hope the bookies agree with us.

The Sounders now head into the upcoming FIFA international break, with the club pausing from league duty until Saturday, June 19 when they play LA Galaxy (6:00 p.m. PT / JOEtv, Prime Video, ESPN +)

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Vancouver Whitecaps

Whitecaps Handed Back to Back Losses

by Michael Martinez
written by Michael Martinez

Well this one sure was not the best match on tv that is for sure. Despite a busy week, the Whitecaps (2W-3L-1D) end it with two losses against Minnesota on Wednesday, and then Sporting KC (3W-2L-1D) yesterday. The one we’re going to cover today is the disappointing one… the shocking 0-3 lose to Sporting KC. 

Lineups: 

Whitecaps: 4-4-2

Sporting Kansas City: 4-3-3

Match Stats:

Scoring Summary

28’ – SKC – Dániel Sallói

32’ – SKC – Alan Pulido (PK)

58’ – SKC – Alan Pulido (assisted Gadi Kinda)

Statistics

Possession: SKC 67% – VAN 33%

Shots: SKC 27 – VAN 9

Shots on Goal: SKC 7 – VAN 2

Saves: SKC 2 – VAN 4

Fouls: SKC 13 – VAN 19

Offsides: SKC 1 – VAN 2

Corners: SKC 8 – VAN 2

Cautions

9’ – SKC – Ilie Sánchez (Yellow)

36’ – SKC – Gadi Kinda (Yellow)

53’ – VAN – Derek Cornelius (Yellow)

72’ – SKC – Roger Espinoza (Yellow)

 

Match Review: 

It was a busy week for the Whitecaps as the boys took on 3 matches in 9 days. Which sounds a bit busy, even for me! You would think that MDS would implement a bit of rotation to ensure the boys don’t get fatigued? Well I can assure you, that really was not the case. 

Unfortunately, it was a familiar sight for Whitecaps fans on Sunday. The boys faced off against a Sporting KC side that they’d failed to beat in their last 6 matches. We all knew that the Vancouver Whitecaps were always going to be tough to beat their Western Conference foes, especially away from home. That quickly became evident on the pitch Sunday, as SKC thoroughly outclassed the Whitecaps in a 3-0 victory, easily handing us our 3rd loss of the season, extending their winless streak against KC to 7 matches.

“I think overall, we played a team that was better than us tonight, and they’re the team that deserved the 3 points,” Dos Santos said. “Now, we have to react and get out of this game, learn from this game, and not throw away everything we did until this game, and try to see what we could do now to get the next step in games like that.”

After the Whitecaps defense being caught on their heels, Sporting would find the opening goal in the 28th minute through winger, Daniel Salloi, who pounced on a loose ball caused by a deflection in the area to give SKC the 1-0 lead.

Not even four minutes later, SKC would get a chance to double their lead thanks to a foolish challenge from Ryan Raposo on Salloi in the box. Then an Alan Pulido penalty kick would give SKC the goal, meaning the Whitecaps would go into the halftime down by two and morale low. Raposo would soon make way for Baldisimo after this. A first half sub… 

The Whitecaps changed to a 4-3-3 with Baldi on the pitch. And if you ask me, this was the best they’ve looked all match and the last half of the previous.

I’ve got to give them some credit, they found some life early in the second half, as Lucas Cavallini did well to force a 50th-minute turnover. This  allowed Cristian Dajome to have a 1v1 against Meila. Naturally he would be unable to take advantage of that, though, sending the ball well over despite being so close to goal. This would be the Whitecaps best chance up to this point. 

After a close Salloi chance and a Pulido miss, Pulido would make up for his mistake and get his second of the match and Sporting’s third 13 minutes after the break with a neat finish at the top of the box. Beating Maxime Crépeau to his near post.

 

Post Match Thoughts:

For the Whitecaps, it was a very tough but fair result. Although they could have certainly made the game a lot closer than it ended up being, they were by far the second-best for most of the night, and the scoreline reflected that.

“We need to find a way to start scoring from open play,” Veselinovic said after the game. “Last game, we had a lot of chances to score a goal, today, we didn’t have so many chances. That’s a problem we need to work on.” 

Vesel is not wrong either, the offense really is not doing the defense any favors here. Look at this chart courtesy of twitter user @wilkins_caleb24: 

And if anything, when we look at the Expected Goals (xG) plot from the game, this chart paints a very good picture of how poor the ‘Caps were overall during this game. From a slow start, to a bad second half, SKC were the aggressors for most of this game, and they were well rewarded for their efforts, with the goals painting a pretty accurate picture of this game, for once.

After a solid road performance earlier in the week, it was unfortunate we could not replicate that same form for today. KC were just too good on the night.

If there are any positives to take from this match it would be the change in formation mid match with the addition of Baldisimo. MDS changed it up to a 4-3-3 with Dajome and Caicedo playing on the wings. The team looked a bit more promising which is always exciting to see. But the change came way too late. 

I can only hope MDS goes with this formation as opposed to his standard 4-4-2. I thought the team looks much more dynamic but that is just me. If he wants to try it, I think this would be an ideal lineup until we get our #10:

We also saw the season debuts of Theo Bair (finally), Godoy, and rookie defender Javain Brown. While none of them really lit up the pitch, it was still exciting to see some fresh faces, especially Godoy and Theo. Admittedly, I am not the biggest Theo fan, but he does bring a certain tenacity when he comes on the pitch. 

With Godoy healthy, we can only hope he will be starting soon in place of Cornelius. He wasn’t really at fault for any of the goals per say. except for maybe the first goal where he was just too slow to react. Maybe that was more indicative of the fact that it was just a poor match from the defense as a unit? From my perspective, they were missing a true defensive leader. That is why I think Godoy should be in for Cornelius. 

Overall, it was just a poor night for the Whitecaps. No real easy way to put it unfortunately. Now it is time to focus on the next task at hand, the Houston Dynamo. MDS and the boys have a week to reflect on this match and what they want for the next. We all know what the Dynamo are capable of, so the Whitecaps will need to bring their A game. 

The Whitecaps play their last match before heading to a much needed four-week break when they visit Houston Dynamo FC on Saturday, May 22 at BBVA Stadium. Catch the game live on TSN and ESPN+. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. PT.

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