Match Thread: April 18, 2024 - Vancouver FC v HFX

[Big_M]

Kickoff at 7pm local and 10pm Eastern

[narduch]

Weird that they made this game on a Thursday and neither team plays again on the weekend. 

I guess to help Wanderers save on hotel costs 

Edited April 17 by narduch

[nolando]

Can't get out to this one in person,  but will likely watch live on TV. 

It's gong to be an even nicer day than the first kick on Sunday, but given it's an evening match, things should not feel any hotter. Should be a very pleasant night.

As you say, a Thursday kickoff is rare. I would imagine many of the families who were there on Sunday (like mine) will have midweek commitments (like soccer practice 😉) so it may be a test of just how well the hard-core and the casual single adults will support this year.

Looks like the weather gods continue to smile on Langley because, had it been a weekend match, it would likely have been cool and wet, at least according to the most recent forecast.

[shorty]

2 hours ago, narduch said:

Weird that they made this game on a Thursday and neither team plays again on the weekend. 

I guess to help Wanderers save on hotel costs 

If they stayed in BC, then I imagine the hotel costs would be the same or greater but the flight costs (and time spent travelling) would be less.  Probably (?) a cost savings regardless, but certainly a better choice for rest and recovery.

[nolando]

[SthMelbRed]

That's pretty chilly for mid-April, isn't it? Maybe I've just been in Australia too long.

[nolando]

[nolando]

Symniotis feature instead of a prematch. Never heard him speak for that long. 

He sounds a bit like a guy who is half-francophone mixed with a guy who is about to try and cold-sell me a pack of Bill Swerski's Polish Sausage.

[jordan]

Did he just match 5 of 117?

[narduch]

Romeo scores of a corner. VFC lead 1-0 

[jordan]

Gagno-Lapare being 29 snuck up on me

[nolando]

Romeo with the footy version of the Gordie Howe hattrick. Goal, Yellow Card, and he Howed Ryan Telfer. Haha

[nolando]

Another Howe from Romeo. He should come off at HT, imo, before he gets ejected.

[Mihairokov]

Great run by Dyer. Deserved the goal on that one.

[Cheeta]

Poor Dyer.  Did everything but punch the ticket.

[nolando]

1 minute ago, Cheeta said:

Poor Dyer.  Did everything but punch the ticket.

He looks for real, though.

[Cheeta]

Wanderers not really into this match are they?  Too long on the ball.  Sloppy with the ball.  Slow on taking up a movement, for or against.  Second week of the season or no, mental locks are happening too often all over the pitch. 

Twenty five to make amends.  Guess we're going to see if urgency sharpens the mind. 

[nolando]

I'd like to see TJ on soon.

[jordan]

How we doing save of the match in the 72nd

[Big_M]

2-0 final

[Cheeta]

Nearly broke the goose egg.  But didn't.   

"That's the way she goes, boys."

Ricky LaFleur

 

[Mihairokov]

Not very good from HFX tonight. Didn't look good until Ferrin and Coimbra were brought on. VFC have looked good so far but we might not know how good they really are until they play a good team.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

The average lux output from the floodlights still isn't where you would expect it to be for a fully pro level game. Thought Langley Township were supposed to be upgrading that along with adding some sort of scoreboard?

[Aird25]

Vancouver look much improved. What was Fillion doing on that first goal?

[nolando]

Langley look really good. The CPL vets look like CPL vets. At 2-0 they brought on more firepower and kept attacking, which I love, swashbuckling football.

And I will reiterate my point about most of the young Canadians not likely getting a tonne of minutes this season. It will be interesting to see what they do with Cameron, White, Crawford, Campagna, Bah, etc. because I can see an indefinite unchanged starting back 4 at this rate. (Even though I have question marks about Norman and Gee against the top sides) And then there is finding time for Grady further up the pitch.

Cantave and the young  Mexican Navarro will be subs 1 and 2 most nights if this continues. And both looked electric, so it's understandable. TJ will find minutes, surely.

And Simmons and Verhoven are still to come into this matchday lineup. Not enough minutes to go around, barring a run of significant injuries. Their second best 11 could be as good as their first 11 at the start of last season. No exaggeration.

Good problems to have but issues nevertheless.