OT: 2023 Soccer and Vancouver Whitecaps Thread

[VanJack]

I get the fact that it's tougher in pro sports to win on the road. But if I read the MLS standings correctly, the Caps have won only once all season as the road-team. How you do explain it?

But it's been going on for a number of seasons now. So why are the Caps so bad on the road?

 

[Play]

Are these guys legit ?

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Are these guys legit ?

Nope. Looks like they are going to bow out of the Leagues Cup as they are losing to the Galaxy.

This team cannot win on the road...Which is really bad news because 8 of their final 12 games are on the road to close off the season.

I get the fact that it's tougher in pro sports to win on the road. But if I read the MLS standings correctly, the Caps have won only once all season as the road-team. How you do explain it?

But it's been going on for a number of seasons now. So why are the Caps so bad on the road?

Broadly speaking it's purely psychological. The fans can get into your head. The away dressing rooms are intentionally designed to look and feel cramped and uncomfortable.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Holy shit. They did it! All against the run of play!

 

[Jyrki21]

Talk about pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Unexpected good ending!

 

[tradervik]

Holy shit. They did it! All against the run of play!

It wouldn’t have happened without your reverse jinx.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

It wouldn’t have happened without your reverse jinx.

Doesn't ever work for the Canucks

 

[Javaman]

Holy shit. They did it! All against the run of play!

Dare I ask if this game was televised? I got to watch Seattle v. Monterey on TSN.

It honestly feels like the powers-that-be are actively trying to kill local fan interest in soccer.

If you mention CPL, I will block you.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Dare I ask if this game was televised? I got to watch Seattle v. Monterey on TSN.

It honestly feels like the powers-that-be are actively trying to kill local fan interest in soccer.

If you mention CPL, I will block you.

I illegally streamed it. I have kids so Disney+ is the only worthwhile option in my house right now and turning off Bluey for a soccer game would get me lynched by my kids.

I think it's a case where the powers that be want a larger share of the pie without conceding too much to the major networks (Bell - TSN, Rogers - Sportsnet). Apple threw a ton of money to the MLS so it was a no brainer, and Messi going to the MLS has really made the investment worthwhile.

It really sucks for the consumer though where MULTIPLE subscriptions are needed to watch content that was on the cable networks 10 years ago. DAZN ($30/monthly), FuboTV ($30/monthly), and Apple+ ($20/monthly) to name a few.

Gets very expensive when you add in other subscriptions services like Disney+, Netflix, Spotify etc...

 

[Javaman]

I illegally streamed it. I have kids so Disney+ is the only worthwhile option in my house right now and turning off Bluey for a soccer game would get me lynched by my kids.

I think it's a case where the powers that be want a larger share of the pie without conceding too much to the major networks (Bell - TSN, Rogers - Sportsnet). Apple threw a ton of money to the MLS so it was a no brainer, and Messi going to the MLS has really made the investment worthwhile.

It really sucks for the consumer though where MULTIPLE subscriptions are needed to watch content that was on the cable networks 10 years ago. DAZN ($30/monthly), FuboTV ($30/monthly), and Apple+ ($20/monthly) to name a few.

Gets very expensive when you add in other subscriptions services like Disney+, Netflix, Spotify etc...

I'm old enough to remember when streaming services were viewed as the solution to cable companies overcharging us for channels/shows we had little interest in watching....

 

[604]

I'm old enough to remember when streaming services were viewed as the solution to cable companies overcharging us for channels/shows we had little interest in watching....

Now you pay the same amount to stream what you specifically want, commercial free.

There was never going to be free content.

 

[Jyrki21]

I signed up for the Apple TV MLS package once I scrapped my TV sports package with Bell. Half the Canuck games on Sportsnet were blacked out for me anyway, and the Whitecaps were mostly the only other thing I watched anyway, so it seemed wasteful (and also the Canucks were barely worth watching).

Once I realized I had no way of watching, well, anything related to the NHL (draft lottery, awards, whatever) and now the BC Lions are intriguing again, I'm starting to miss out a bit, but it was so damn expensive for what I actually wanted. And of course they won't let me just get SNET-P or TSN1 à la carte.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Now you pay the same amount to stream what you specifically want, commercial free.

There was never going to be free content.

Commerical free? For Disney+ and Netflix stuff....sure but for sports, you are still bombarded with commercials and ads, both during any breaks in play and during the game. There is more ad creep sneaking into streaming services too.

 

[tradervik]

I signed up for the Apple TV MLS package once I scrapped my TV sports package with Bell. Half the Canuck games on Sportsnet were blacked out for me anyway, and the Whitecaps were mostly the only other thing I watched anyway, so it seemed wasteful (and also the Canucks were barely worth watching).

Once I realized I had no way of watching, well, anything related to the NHL (draft lottery, awards, whatever) and now the BC Lions are intriguing again, I'm starting to miss out a bit, but it was so damn expensive for what I actually wanted. And of course they won't let me just get SNET-P or TSN1 à la carte.

CBC Gem carries Saturday night hockey games and it’s free (you can pay to watch ad free). I’m not sure but it’s probably limited to Canada.

 

[nucksflailtogether]

I guess we’re just not going to talk about “that” game..

 

[DFAC]

Canada’s women team complete no show vs Australia last night and are now eliminated from the World Cup again

Has to be a huge disappointment for the Olympic champs. I thought Leon was terrible, the play died everytime it got to her

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Canada’s women team complete no show vs Australia last night and are now eliminated from the World Cup again

Has to be a huge disappointment for the Olympic champs. I thought Leon was terrible, the play died everytime it got to her

I said this in the soccer thread but the days of Canada being a top 10 nation in soccer are probably over. There was potential to better fund the program and continue on the success from the 2010s but the CSA is shit. No interest in any womens domestic league, no money for practices or friendlies, youth level matches run by volunteer coaches with fundraisers being needed to host matches.

The main takeaway. Other nations are getting better. You have teams like Ireland, Nigeria and Zambia showing they can play well structured football. Lots of European countries are pouring money into their programs as well.

Canada is in a lucky situation that they will gain entry to the Olympics and WC due to the fact that CONCACAF W is comrprised of football federations that give zero f***s about their women.

 

[Bubbles]

Canada’s women team complete no show vs Australia last night and are now eliminated from the World Cup again

Has to be a huge disappointment for the Olympic champs. I thought Leon was terrible, the play died everytime it got to her

I said it earlier in the thread. Sinclair can't compete at this level and she's been declining heavily since 2018. She is 40 years old. They still built a team around her for some reason. She is THE best Canadian women soccer player ever but everyone gets old.

Their GK definitely took a step back without Labbe. Not sure why some people labelled Sheridan as the best in the world.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

I said it earlier in the thread. Sinclair can't compete at this level and she's been declining heavily since 2018. She is 40 years old. They still built a team around her for some reason. She is THE best Canadian women soccer player ever but everyone gets old.

Their GK definitely took a step back without Labbe. Not sure why some people labelled Sheridan as the best in the world.

The women had more possession and purpose when Sinclair came off against Nigeria. They elected to put her in to try and get a milestone goal but it wasted some 70 minutes of football in that first game.

Canada has to also stop overrating its talent. It's exciting when your team finally wins...but yeah, winning a trophy doesn't mean you are a legit power.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

The way the women played and behaved this WC was f***ing embarrassing.

I understand the shit storm with Soccer Canada but come the f*** on, you are all professional athletes representing your country.

Too much finger pointing rather than actually giving a shit.

 

[Fatass]

The way the women played and behaved this WC was f***ing embarrassing.

I understand the shit storm with Soccer Canada but come the f*** in, you are all professional athletes representing your country.

Too much finger pointing rather than actually giving a shit.

Yup. The club played without the Canadian heart that our teams are known for.

 

[VanJack]

Goal scoring has long been a problem plaguing Canadian soccer. With a few exceptions on the men's side like Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, scoring has been a huge problem for Canadian soccer for decades.

Unfortunately this women's team really didn't look capable of scoring at all.....against Australia, they hardly had any control of the ball for vast stretches.

The Olympic gold medal might have been the top of the mountain--but the slide could happen fast without changes in developing young players on both the women's and men's sides.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Goal scoring has long been a problem plaguing Canadian soccer. With a few exceptions on the men's side like Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, scoring has been a huge problem for Canadian soccer for decades.

Unfortunately this women's team really didn't look capable of scoring at all.....against Australia, they hardly had any control of the ball for vast stretches.

The Olympic gold medal might have been the top of the mountain--but the slide could happen fast without changes in developing young players on both the women's and men's sides.

Both Canadian teams have an average midfield, awful CB's and generally lack any creative attackers. It's all linear attacks with long balls up the middle that get intercepted and quickly sent the other way.

This is a result of a program that gives players a free reign to do whatever they want and roam around the field without any structure. You can literally see it in the youth level when you see center backs, midfielders and attackers abandoning position and clumping towards the middle.

This nation is going to fall way behind unless there's funding injected into the program. I'm not hopeful because many more essential services are severely starved for funding in this country and soccer is not at all a priority.

 

[DimitriL07]

Laryea is a good add

 

[Javaman]

The Snowman cometh.

Welcome back Sam!