Vancouver Whitecaps - 2024 Season Thread

[BearcatSA]

12 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

But the cost of replacing turf is also very high, and a regular fixed cost. You roll that into grass maintenance. 

Plenty of venues in the world do major events, including mass concerts, over top of grass. 

Then there are hybrid forms of grass nowadays that are not 100% living plant material. 

Sod gets replaced much more often then people think, even during the season and unless you can have it on the hydraulic pallets that can move it outside, it's hard to maintain properly in enclosed facilities, even with retractable roofs.  Even mega million dollar NFL teams in more climate friendy southern latitudes stay with artificial surfaces and those owners have no plan to change to grass.  It has been a contoversial point with NFLPA and the owners.

If you want the flexibility to host a diverse range of non soccer, pointy or oval ball events all year round in order to maximize the venue's revenue stream, it stands to reason that you would want the more durable surface with the lower maintenance.

 

[Unnamed Trialist]

9 hours ago, An Observer said:

Can’t you still AirBnB your place if you are still residing in it? I am sure many Voyageurs would pay a hefty premium to stay in a flat with the exalted Unnamed Trialist’s mother.  You could probably even auction off the opportunity.

I'll get her to apply for Superhost status. 

Don't get your crumbs on the carpets though.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

[Watchmen]

50th anniversary, record crowd of 32k, and a dreary 0-0 game in which they generated little but Vanni called "fantastic". 

They're getting points, but they need to take a hard look at this squad in the summer. They're doing little to convince new or returning fans to come out again next year.

[nolando]

51 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

50th anniversary, record crowd of 32k, and a dreary 0-0 game in which they generated little but Vanni called "fantastic". 

They're getting points, but they need to take a hard look at this squad in the summer. They're doing little to convince new or returning fans to come out again next year.

I wasn't there myself (I've never been less interested in the Caps and that's a forty year sample size) but know many who were, and the reviews from non-season ticket holders of the experience range from "meh" to "bloody boring" to "not going again."

I really think this club has rarely done anything to go out of their way to excite fans since MLS came to BC Place. Not playing style, not big signings, not exciting coaches, not stadium atmosphere. Like an MLS version of Valour, they have always seemed content with just being in the league, that it's the fan's problem for not coming out in bigger numbers.

The Messi bump (and recently hitching a ride on the Wrexham circus caravan) hides the fact that there is incredible ambivelance surrounding this club from the community; I often wonder if it's actually mutal ambivelance.

[Stanley]

26 minutes ago, nolando said:

I wasn't there myself (I've never been less interested in the Caps and that's a forty year sample size)

I was starting to wonder if I was the only one to feel this way.

[saladroit]

 

[Watchmen]

48 minutes ago, nolando said:

I wasn't there myself (I've never been less interested in the Caps and that's a forty year sample size) but know many who were, and the reviews from non-season ticket holders of the experience range from "meh" to "bloody boring" to "not going again."

I really think this club has rarely done anything to go out of their way to excite fans since MLS came to BC Place. Not playing style, not big signings, not exciting coaches, not stadium atmosphere. Like an MLS version of Valour, they have always seemed content with just being in the league, that it's the fan's problem for not coming out in bigger numbers.

The Messi bump (and recently hitching a ride on the Wrexham circus caravan) hides the fact that there is incredible ambivelance surrounding this club from the community; I often wonder if it's actually mutal ambivelance.

I think the club took some of the crowds for granted and failed to step up when they needed to.  I think Schuster has done a lot of good work to rebuild the club, and things have been trending in the right direction.  Last year was, by and large, quite fun.  Games were entertaining for the most part, even with some frustrations.  But Vanni has now switched to a formation that is a) not as effective as he thinks it is (they've been shredded by better teams) and b) not very entertaining.  They're putting points on the board early (and that matters), but I think this summer is a big test for the club.  If they go out and sign a quality DP (I'm not talking big European name, but someone in the same vein as Gauld/Cubas), then they can say they were just waiting for the summer window for the big move.  I think fans would accept that.  But if they stand pat, they'll erode their attendance again.

[An Observer]

6 hours ago, nolando said:

I wasn't there myself (I've never been less interested in the Caps and that's a forty year sample size) but know many who were, and the reviews from non-season ticket holders of the experience range from "meh" to "bloody boring" to "not going again."

I really think this club has rarely done anything to go out of their way to excite fans since MLS came to BC Place. Not playing style, not big signings, not exciting coaches, not stadium atmosphere. Like an MLS version of Valour, they have always seemed content with just being in the league, that it's the fan's problem for not coming out in bigger numbers.

The Messi bump (and recently hitching a ride on the Wrexham circus caravan) hides the fact that there is incredible ambivelance surrounding this club from the community; I often wonder if it's actually mutal ambivelance.

I watched the match. I would agree that it wasn’t an exciting match. But that was largely down to Austin just parking the bus.  Caps thoroughly dominated them but they couldn’t break them down. They could definitely use a winger to complement Ahmed on the other side. Raposso can cross the ball and is a useful player but can’t beat a man. Adekugbe can beat a man but is really playing out of position. Obviously, if they brought in another DP, they usually are strikers or attackers but the White Gauld partnership is quite good so I am not sure you want to break that up. 

I think having Adekugbe as LCB in a back 3 could be interesting as could jump occasionally into attack.

Ahmed to me doesn’t seem to be as direct as last year.  Seems to be playing more cautiously.  I hope that isn’t being coached out of him as that definitely put defenses under pressure and broke lines.  Seems too tentative now.  Maybe it’s just him still coming back from injury or teams more keying on him this year. 

 

[BearcatSA]

41 minutes ago, An Observer said:

Maybe it’s just him still coming back from injury or teams more keying on him this year. 

More of the latter than the former.  He's drawing more physical treatment from opponents, notably by Ring on the play where he lost some hide on his temple but also earlier where the CB gave him some extra "treatment" with his deliberate foul.  I think that will continue to be the dossier for opposong teams.

Unfortunately, he's up for the bloopers of the week for that left footed swing and a miss deep in his own end late in the first half.

[saladroit]

 

[Kingston]

I'm surprised at the negativity here from Whitecaps fans. 

Your team is one of the top in the West, is playing well, and has a reasonable chance at a third straight Canadian Championship trophy and the subsequent return to the CCC.  You're maybe a DP away from being one of the truly elite teams in MLS.  

Considering that the team has often been middling to poor in recent years, I thought fans would be quite happy with the season so far.

[nolando]

3 minutes ago, Kingston said:

I'm surprised at the negativity here from Whitecaps fans. 

Your team is one of the top in the West, is playing well, and has a reasonable chance at a third straight Canadian Championship trophy and the subsequent return to the CCC.  You're maybe a DP away from being one of the truly elite teams in MLS.  

Considering that the team has often been middling to poor in recent years, I thought fans would be quite happy with the season so far.

Tell me you're not from Vancouver without saying you aren't from Vancouver. 

[Kingston]

21 minutes ago, nolando said:

Tell me you're not from Vancouver without saying you aren't from Vancouver. 

I'm not from Vancouver. 

But I'd appreciate any insight in to why the fans aren't happy when the team is doing about as well as it ever has since joining MLS.

[saladroit]

2 hours ago, Kingston said:

I'm surprised at the negativity here from Whitecaps fans. 

Your team is one of the top in the West, is playing well, and has a reasonable chance at a third straight Canadian Championship trophy and the subsequent return to the CCC.  You're maybe a DP away from being one of the truly elite teams in MLS.  

Considering that the team has often been middling to poor in recent years, I thought fans would be quite happy with the season so far.

i wouldn't use this board as a true representation of the fanbase at large, sure there's definitely some jaded/ambivalent fans out there (1 playoff win in the club's MLS era will do that, and 2019/covid/2020/first half of 2021 was an absolute rock-bottom doldrums run) but this thread is a pretty small sample size to draw conclusions of fan negativity from. if things are truly as dire as they're being made out to be by some here, then i'm pretty sure the whitecaps alternative in the market would be drawing more than ~2800 fans a game on average

[masster]

3 hours ago, Kingston said:

I'm surprised at the negativity here from Whitecaps fans. 

Your team is one of the top in the West, is playing well, and has a reasonable chance at a third straight Canadian Championship trophy and the subsequent return to the CCC.  You're maybe a DP away from being one of the truly elite teams in MLS.  

Considering that the team has often been middling to poor in recent years, I thought fans would be quite happy with the season so far.

I am content with where they are in the standings. I am just trying to call it as I see it and I don't believe the performances have matched the results.

I won't speak for other people, but I don't feel I'm being negative. I'm just trying to point out that a lot of the praise the team has received seems to be coming from those that are not watching the team critically enough.

Do I think they are a good team...yes. Do I think they have a legit chance to challenge at the top of the western conference as things stand now...no.

[saladroit]

4 minutes ago, masster said:

Do I think they are a good team...yes. Do I think they have a legit chance to challenge at the top of the western conference as things stand now...no.

i'd agree with this, they're more of a 4/5 seed in the west as it stands right now. a lot of the season outlook hinges on the summer window, if they fill that last DP spot with a cubas/gauld level player to play alongside white and gauld in the front 3 then they can truly challenge. if they end up with another cordova or just sit on their laurels without a DP signing then they'll get bounced in the first round of the playoffs

[Kingston]

52 minutes ago, masster said:

I am content with where they are in the standings. I am just trying to call it as I see it and I don't believe the performances have matched the results.

I won't speak for other people, but I don't feel I'm being negative. I'm just trying to point out that a lot of the praise the team has received seems to be coming from those that are not watching the team critically enough.

Do I think they are a good team...yes. Do I think they have a legit chance to challenge at the top of the western conference as things stand now...no.

I'd agree with this assessment (and defer to actual Whitecaps fans who follow the team more closely).  It was just that, given this, I'd have expected to find a bunch of pretty pleased Whitecaps fans.  After all, most teams most years aren't going to contend to win it all.  So running third or fourth in the conference is still a lot of fun.  (Spoken as a TFC fan who's quite happy his team is in a similar position right now.)

[Watchmen]

12 minutes ago, Kingston said:

I'd agree with this assessment (and defer to actual Whitecaps fans who follow the team more closely).  It was just that, given this, I'd have expected to find a bunch of pretty pleased Whitecaps fans.  After all, most teams most years aren't going to contend to win it all.  So running third or fourth in the conference is still a lot of fun.  (Spoken as a TFC fan who's quite happy his team is in a similar position right now.)

They've had an easier schedule to date, and when really pushed they haven't shown enough. Their home record is very poor considering where they are in the standings at 2-2-2 (with one of those wins involving them blowing a 2 goal lead). And we can say "they're 1 DP away", but the organization has historically not gone out to get that "one more piece" when they've had the opportunity.

So yes, they're in a spot where they should make the playoffs. But we're waiting for the club to show just a bit more ambition beyond simply "making the playoffs".

[Unnamed Trialist]

4 hours ago, Kingston said:

I'm not from Vancouver. 

But I'd appreciate any insight in to why the fans aren't happy when the team is doing about as well as it ever has since joining MLS.

I'm happy with the team. Where we are is far better than having to play catch up after a crappy start. We have a better roster. Some pieces who had a mediocre year last year look better. Fans are coming out.

Even our hard losses last season were close. This year we're pulling out results we may not deserve, but also losing points when dominating, and then, it could be argued there's room for improvement. 

We're probably not good enough to get past conference semis, but with a signing in the summer that could change. 

[masster]

On 5/10/2024 at 8:00 AM, Kingston said:

I'm surprised at the negativity here from Whitecaps fans. 

Your team is one of the top in the West, is playing well, and has a reasonable chance at a third straight Canadian Championship trophy and the subsequent return to the CCC.  You're maybe a DP away from being one of the truly elite teams in MLS.  

Considering that the team has often been middling to poor in recent years, I thought fans would be quite happy with the season so far.

Too early to say "Told you so"??

[Watchmen]

1 hour ago, masster said:

Too early to say "Told you so"??

I was out tonight, but had avoided the score.  Got home and thought "actually, I don't need to watch it.  I know exactly how this went."  Checked the highlights, and yup.  Exactly how I thought it would go.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

 

[Goal_Kick]

Talk about overkill.  Utvik makes a sliding save on what have been a goal.  VAR takes a look and the ball actually bounced off his arm.  Penalty kick.  Okay.  But then the ref gives Utvik a red card.  Madness.  Now the Caps are 1-0 down and a man short going into the second half.

In other news, Devonte Johnson started his first MLS game this season and looked good.  Running miles and seeming in sync with the other players.  

 

[Watchmen]

58 minutes ago, Goal_Kick said:

Talk about overkill.  Utvik makes a sliding save on what have been a goal.  VAR takes a look and the ball actually bounced off his arm.  Penalty kick.  Okay.  But then the ref gives Utvik a red card.  Madness.  Now the Caps are 1-0 down and a man short going into the second half.

In other news, Devonte Johnson started his first MLS game this season and looked good.  Running miles and seeming in sync with the other players.  

 

It's a handball that prevented a goal.  I agree, it's harsh.  It's also a red.

Levonte will continue to get playing time, but needs to do just a little bit more at the MLS level.