Whitecaps2 2017

[Dub Narcotic]

This is a new one.

[Dub Narcotic]

 

[Gopherbashi]

On 10/4/2017 at 3:28 PM, Dub Narcotic said:

 

Any thoughts on whether they'll pursue a partnership instead?

[Big_M]

Fresno of usl has been rumored and would make sense

[masster]

Perry Solkowski confirming the rumor, reporting that WFC2 are done.

Perry Solkowski‏ @psolkowski  19h19 hours ago

More

Have confirmed this was last #VWFC2 game at UBC. They will be in Fresno next year and run by Frank Yallop.

[masster]

Sandor says that US soccer politics had a lot to do with this. I don't think it was the driving factor, but it definitely did play a part.

https://the11.ca/wfc2-became-the-whitecaps-own-kobayashi-maru/

[masster]

Good summary by AFTN:

http://aftn.ca/california-dreaming-goodbye-wfc2-hello-new-beginnings-the-ins-and-outs-of-the-whitecapsfresno-partnership/

[Dub Narcotic]

Michael McColl vs. Steve Sandor is like a Ford Mustang vs. a rusted shopping cart with a missing wheel.

Some important parts from the AFTN article:

[...]

For those non MLS players that sign with Fresno, they will be on Whitecaps USL contracts, allowing the players to be called up for Canadian Championship games and the Champions League (whenever we qualify again).

It should also be noted that the ‘Caps can only have rights on three of their USL players, whether they’re playing for a team in Vancouver or anywhere else. This was the case with WFC2. The rest have the freedom to sign with anyone unless the ‘Caps put them on their discovery list, which with the limited number of players able to be put on that isn’t going to be wasted on development team players.

[...]

Although there are no restrictions to Canadian players on the Fresno team, there will also not be any guarantee of minutes for them. Gone will be the “you have to start six Canadians” rule mandated by the CSA. I was never a fan of this to begin with. Players should be played because they deserve it, not because of their passport and in my opinion that held WFC2 back in the environment they were playing in.

What this means for the ‘Caps Canadians is that they now have to be just that – good enough. Gone will be their soft surroundings, home comforts and the knowledge that if they didn’t start this week, they would the next. They now have to fight for their place. They have to earn it. They have to be the best they can be and that can only be a good thing for both the Whitecaps and the players.

[...]

 

Fresno will be useful for the 'caps first team, maybe not too much less than the dedicated team. Paying a lot of money for the 'caps second tier prospects to lose every week wasn't doing much more for the first team than the old Charleston affiliation did and they now have the games on Youtube along with Rich Fagan involved in coaching the team. I don't think this move is that detrimental in the end. The CSA poisoned the well on these second teams from the start with those dumb quotas and it's pretty clear that the CSA doesn't mind USL and PDL teams folding, clearing the market for the CPL to come in.

[TRM]

"Although there are no restrictions to Canadian players on the Fresno team, there will also not be any guarantee of minutes for them. Gone will be the “you have to start six Canadians” rule mandated by the CSA. I was never a fan of this to begin with. Players should be played because they deserve it, not because of their passport and in my opinion that held WFC2 back in the environment they were playing in."

At the first team level I'd agree with this but not at anything lower. That is where you need to put Canadians in on a regular basis and if they don't cut it then put some other Canadian in. Oh well it was good while it lasted. 

"it's pretty clear that the CSA doesn't mind USL and PDL teams folding, clearing the market for the CPL to come in."

Or the CSA doesn't care about things they can't control. If they ever get the CPL running they will have something to control. That's a big if and it could be years away. In the mean time there is less playing time for Canadians at the lower levels.