OT: 2024 Soccer and Vancouver Whitecaps Thread

[VanJack]

I don't follow the Caps as closely as a lot of other people, so I'm relying on others to explain what the heck is happening this season.

For what seems like forever the Caps were just a middling MLS side. They couldn't score on the road; and often gave up late goals to lose at home. It was a year-long struggle just to nail down a Western Division playoff spot--and they rarely lasted very long. And in years past, injuries to key players was almost always fatal.

So what happened this season? Do they have more depth? Is Sorenson that much better a coach than Vanni? I don't see how anybody could have predicted this.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

I don't follow the Caps as closely as a lot of other people, so I'm relying on others to explain what the heck is happening this season.

For what seems like forever the Caps were just a middling MLS side. They couldn't score on the road; and often gave up late goals to lose at home. It was a year-long struggle just to nail down a Western Division playoff spot--and they rarely lasted very long. And in years past, injuries to key players was almost always fatal.

So what happened this season? Do they have more depth? Is Sorenson that much better a coach than Vanni? I don't see how anybody could have predicted this.

Coach.

 

[Jyrki21]

So what happened this season? Do they have more depth? Is Sorenson that much better a coach than Vanni? I don't see how anybody could have predicted this.

No one really knows, because their offseason pickups were of the modest variety (they spent some money, but they didn't behave anything close to your typical big-spending club) and on paper, honestly, their depth isn't all that different from past years. When Gauld went down, I thought they were going to spiral after their encouraging start, but they have been absolutely trucking. They had already lost Adekugbe and then they since lost Nelson, Cubas (for a bit) and Laborda. Plus one of their higher-profile (but still not "high"-profile) signings in Sabbi didn't even make it into the lineup until a couple of weeks ago.

So naturally people point to Sørensen as the difference maker, since he's the main thing that changed... but honestly no one outside the club really knows. No one wants to say it, but there could be a lot of luck involved too -- fine lines and all that. But there has been some clear internal improvement from guys like Sebastian Berhalter (who has basically been a starter all year), Pedro Vite (a beast who is unfortunately going to get sold off in the next transfer period to recoup some value before he leaves for the next level), Laborda and Edier Ocampo (barely played once he signed last year, but he has kind of been the "D-Petey revelation" for the Caps, plugging a hole). Sabbi's and Nelson's limited showings have been good, too. Brian White hasn't suffered much from Gauld's absence as everyone assumed he would.

This pace is obviously unsustainable, but they are banking points which is critical down the line. I just wish they got better support.

 

[Jyrki21]

Also, this has to be the first time since the Whitecaps entered MLS, but they are atop the power rankings:

Power Rankings: Columbus Crew & Vancouver Whitecaps surpass Inter Miami | MLSSoccer.com

The Columbus Crew got an outstanding goal from a center back, Vancouver Whitecaps FC took down one of Mexico’s biggest clubs and Lionel Messi went Super Saiyan mode for Inter Miami. It was truly a week unlike any other.

www.mlssoccer.com

 

[Jyrki21]

edit: This is from an article using one stat to define every team in the West. Vancouver's writeup is this:

There is simply no one stat to capture the breadth and depth of Vancouver’s year-over-year improvement. They are better in literally every way you’d want a team to be better, have become sustainable in ways you’d want them to be sustainable, and oh yeah, are playing a brand of soccer that makes them one of the three S-Tier teams in the league when it comes to aesthetic.

In John’s words on BlueSky, “Is it time to do it anyway just to laugh incredulously at what the Whitecaps are doing? Hell yes.”

Sometimes when I’m watching a great TV show, there are scenes so perfectly written, acted, and directed I get goosebumps and just sort of start giggling maniacally at how beautiful it is.

That’s what it’s like watching the Vancouver Whitecaps play soccer this year. Jesper Sørensen for king IMO.

 

[Rejavanated]

edit: This is from an article using one stat to define every team in the West. Vancouver's writeup is this:

There is simply no one stat to capture the breadth and depth of Vancouver’s year-over-year improvement. They are better in literally every way you’d want a team to be better, have become sustainable in ways you’d want them to be sustainable, and oh yeah, are playing a brand of soccer that makes them one of the three S-Tier teams in the league when it comes to aesthetic.

In John’s words on BlueSky, “Is it time to do it anyway just to laugh incredulously at what the Whitecaps are doing? Hell yes.”

Sometimes when I’m watching a great TV show, there are scenes so perfectly written, acted, and directed I get goosebumps and just sort of start giggling maniacally at how beautiful it is.

That’s what it’s like watching the Vancouver Whitecaps play soccer this year. Jesper Sørensen for king IMO.

Sustainable you say?

That's what's giving me goosebumps.

It remains an utter shame that I'd need to subscribe to multiple services to watch the Whitecaps play more than 1 or 2 games a month. Somebody, somewhere is fumbling the ball badly in terms of solidifying this market for the future.

This is giving me shades of the mid-2010s.

 

[Jyrki21]

I didn’t renew my MLS package this year because I, like everyone else, expected the Caps to be a tire fire with ownership mailing it in. I might have to resubscribe though.

 

[tradervik]

Sustainable you say?

That's what's giving me goosebumps.

It remains an utter shame that I'd need to subscribe to multiple services to watch the Whitecaps play more than 1 or 2 games a month. Somebody, somewhere is fumbling the ball badly in terms of solidifying this market for the future.

This is giving me shades of the mid-2010s.

1979 for me