[6o4__boi]

Seeing as the old one keeps being bumped up, I figured it's time for a new one.

Mood throughout the first two games so far...

http://www.thecoli.com/attachments/mjcrybanderas-gif.3906/?lightbox=1&last_edit_date=1411715767


Schedule | Vancouver Whitecaps FC (http://www.whitecapsfc.com/schedule)

[6o4__boi]

Robinson has tried Rivero as a lone striker for over one season now and this has not generated any results. How can he keep going with the same formation?

I agree with most decisions he has made, but this is becoming maddening because everyone can see this will not, and will never work.


4-4-2 pls

Rivero is the WFC equivalent of Linden Vey

[radioman]

Absolutely brutal start. Are our center backs slow or am I just crazy? Watson can clear the ball but I feel like if hes ever out of position we're a bit screwed.

[6o4__boi]

Losing Beita was a lot more significant than I thought to be honest

Didn't get to see much of Smith last season but so far he's nowhere near what Beita can do
Fraser Aird seems to be having a tough time adjusting to RB and is honestly better suited for Right Midfield/Right Winger rather than a Right Fullback

I'd give it a few more games, but i'd seriously consider putting Parker on the right, and bringing in Dean to play CB

Overall though, it's been a pretty ugly mess so far. I'm hoping this is just new guys that haven't gelled yet.

[Liquid_o2]

I didn't mind losing Koffie as I thought he was hit or miss depending on the game. But the loss of Beita is now rearing its ugly head. He was solid every game and rarely made mistakes. With Koffie's contract off the books, and Mattocks traded, I have absolutely no idea why Beita was traded to TFC when there was no proper replacement available. Sometimes too much youth is not a good thing.

[Tapioca]

Fraser Aird is a natural winger, but in an attempt to get him more playing time, Rangers tried to convert him into a right back. He seems like a harder worker than Smith, despite having less size, so I'd continue to slot Aird in the lineup.

Losing Beita looks bad, but I can't blame Robbo for taking the risk in a salary cap league. He needed to spend money on the attack because we simply couldn't score when it counted. The loss of Koffie hurts right now too, considering that Rusty is injured and Laba is not in form.

[CorneringArtist]

Absolutely brutal start. Are our center backs slow or am I just crazy? Watson can clear the ball but I feel like if hes ever out of position we're a bit screwed.

Optimistic me says it's a brief out of form for off-season, but otherwise Waston and Parker have been shit so far. Harvey keeps getting himself caught forward forcing the CBs to spread out, and while Aird can lob in beautiful crosses from 20m inside the attacking half, his defensive skills need serious work.

Leicester City have been gods with a 4-4-2, but Robbo is trying too hard to be old Stoke City with the ugly long ball and his dying 4-2-3-1. Rivero can't jump, and when Perez took his place, he was doing a better job with the ball since he managed to bring the midfield into the play by moving towards them. Current Stoke now passes in triangles on the attack, and with the current talent pool is perfectly possible with the Caps. Hell, I'd love to see a 3-5-2 and let Aird play as a wingback to see what happens since Parker has some pace.


As a video game aside, the Caps will have given up two FIFA 16 in-form cards in consecutive weeks after letting Piatti and Dwyer score twice.

EDIT: This is what happens when you have two strikers up front. Leicester v Newcastle today

https://streamable.com/ryxq

[6o4__boi]

Robbo's great and all...but he strikes me as someone who's pretty resistant to changes when it comes to formation

i think we're stuck to watching 4-2-3-1 for the next little while, unless they get blown up or get absolutely picked apart over the next few games

[Nabatron]

They can potential be down 0-3 in the first 3 games which is not great! Smith did not look good and beita was a loss when they traded him but don't think it's that significant I watched him during the tor vs Nyc game and he does not look strong in the box vs bigger forwards! Would like dean to get in for a shot!

[6o4__boi]

Weber: Darren Mattocks ? the good, bad and ugly (http://www.theprovince.com/sports/weber+darren+mattocks+good+ugly/11784700/story.html)

sucks that he might potentially be ripping through the Caps in the future but so far I think the Caps got the better end of this deal

he was never gonna be that striker here

[CorneringArtist]

Robbo at a media scrum saying forwards "need to take chances". How can they if the ball is lost as soon as it gets into the attacking half on a long ball?

[Liquid_o2]

Robinson needs to take the "chance" with a new formation next game.

[xxxrsxxx]

going to my first white caps game tonight! Anything I should look out for?

[Nabatron]

should be the B squad out tonight with bolanos, waston and perez playing for their national teams...Im hoping to see kudo getting a chance to start! Also hoping they get a decent turnout at the game and that it isnt a bust like Canada/Mexico game! Bust meaning home team will actually score some goals and win haha

[CorneringArtist]

Might have to run Jacobson at CB with Kah. Kudo/Rivero is a strong possibility, with Techera, Manneh, Laba and Morales at mid.

[xxxrsxxx]

thinking of putting a few bucks on them to make it more interesting haha

[Liquid_o2]

Decent game on Saturday. But anyone else notice that after the Whitecaps scored on the penalty kick their offence dried up and they totally parked the bus? I'm not sure if they had one scoring chance the entire second half. Playing at home, Robinson has to get his guys going all out to score that second goal early in the second half and put the game away.

[willystyle]

I want to catch a Whitecaps game for my first game. Budget is less than $40/ticket. Which teams to watch for? What are the ideal sections for that price range?

[Tapioca]

I want to catch a Whitecaps game for my first game. Budget is less than $40/ticket. Which teams to watch for? What are the ideal sections for that price range?

The cheapest tickets are now about $30 before service fees. These tickets would be in the corners. Service fees are about $10 per ticket.

Your best bet is to search Craigslist a couple of days before game day to find a ticket in your price range.

Decent game on Saturday. But anyone else notice that after the Whitecaps scored on the penalty kick their offence dried up and they totally parked the bus? I'm not sure if they had one scoring chance the entire second half. Playing at home, Robinson has to get his guys going all out to score that second goal early in the second half and put the game away.

We definitely tempted fate in the late stages of the second half. We were pretty lively in the first half and we really should have taken advantage of the high line Houston's defense was playing. However, Manneh is clearly playing at half-speed likely due to his injury. If we had his pace, we could have stretched the defense in the second half.

[willystyle]

Who are the stars on this team? Who should I look out for?

The cheapest tickets are now about $30 before service fees. These tickets would be in the corners. Service fees are about $10 per ticket.

Your best bet is to search Craigslist a couple of days before game day to find a ticket in your price range.
How do you separate the genuine tickets from the fake?

[6o4__boi]

Who are the stars on this team? Who should I look out for?

Pedro Morales - 77 - always fun to watch when he's on his game
those long passes will either make you tear your hair out in frustration or in awe

Cristian Techera - 13 - don't let the size fool you, the guy is probably our smartest player and is a foul magnet. I still think his offensive capabilities are underrated

Kendall Waston - 4 - dem headers and is a rock at D

I'd keep an eye out for Kudo - 9, Bolanos - 7 and Blas Perez - 27, new additions that may change the offense look (if we could just finish)

How do you separate the genuine tickets from the fake?
Take a pic then post on RS...obviously :troll:

pm'd you a number you can call for ticket availability and prices from the Whitecaps office
i used em last year, not sure if some of their prices are cheaper than what's listed this year though but give it a try and let me know

[Tapioca]

How do you separate the genuine tickets from the fake?

You treat buying tickets like any other private sale. Ask to see ID from the seller, ask why they're selling, etc. It also helps if the seller can correspond with you using proper grammar.

I've never had issues buying tickets from people using Craigslist. Then again, Whitecaps tickets aren't exactly a hot item either.

[Liquid_o2]

Sounds like Los Angeles on Saturday will be. Team announced that they are moving to opening the entire lower bowl.

[CorneringArtist]

It'd be a bit of a hard press to find a cheap-ish ticket for a Galaxy game. A ton of locals are Liverpool fans and would go just to see Steven Gerrard. But if the turf keeps Slippy-G away, then it may be a bit of a disappointment. That said, other good ones to watch would be Orlando for Kaka, Montreal for Drogba (if he recovers from turfbitch-itis) and NYCFC for Pirlo. They were all big names in Europe cashing checks in MLS.

[6o4__boi]

Drogba's never gonna play on turf lol

i'm gonna try to get tickets for Kaka...and probably one for a Cascadia game, those are always fun

saw Pirlo and Villa last year...that was good, Pirlo's definitely a few steps behind but he can still be magic

[willystyle]

Isn't the MLS trying to import more South American players over European players (due to European players not wanting to play in North America)? How's that going?

[6o4__boi]

Isn't the MLS trying to import more South American players over European players (due to European players not wanting to play in North America)? How's that going?

not necessarily...there are roster restrictions and other complicated things like International Roster Spot, Designated Player, Target Allocation Money that play into it.

if anything the MLS is trying to promote more home grown players (for American teams anyway) though from what I hear, the Whitecaps have a good academy going on

[CorneringArtist]

Yet another retroactive suspension for the Caps via Kudo when he was brought down in the box. What's next, one player a week being suspended for something insignificant?

[6o4__boi]

^ shits getting ridiculous

it's like the MLS is trying to create a Whitecaps FC Suspended XI by the end of the season...or the end of May at this rate

what a joke...whats the point of fucking refs at this point

[CorneringArtist]

LOL, Laba added to the Whitecaps Suspended XI!

[6o4__boi]

Not good....Pedro's injury is back, Scooter's injury is back and barring some common sense and rational thinking, Laba is out next game.


Seriously, with all the reds and retro suspensions how can the MLS expect anyone to take them seriously as a league. Even 3rd tier Colombian soccer is officiated more reasonably than this shit.

[rslater]

Not good....Pedro's injury is back, Scooter's injury is back and barring some common sense and rational thinking, Laba is out next game.


Seriously, with all the reds and retro suspensions how can the MLS expect anyone to take them seriously as a league. Even 3rd tier Colombian soccer is officiated more reasonably than this shit.

It's also brutal that the 5 panel of individuals (1 ref, 1 coach, 3 players) remain anonymous. That's a lot of weight put onto individuals that we don't know their ability to judge calls.

The Laba red call is the new reality the refs are placed under. With the ability to give out red cards after the game, it forces the refs to have to make calls that they could be "woried" will be reviewed and changed. It's going to make reds trigger happy to prevent them from looking like they keep missing calls.

[6o4__boi]

anyone ever been to a WFC 2 game before?
what's the atmosphere / quality of the games like?

[CorneringArtist]

For anyone that wants to see the Caps take on a English Premier League level team (It's not one of the big ones, but they made the FA Cup final this year), Crystal Palace is coming to town in July.

Whitecaps FC invited to play Crystal Palace FC in Vancouver International Soccer Challenge | Vancouver Whitecaps FC (http://www.whitecapsfc.com/tickets/post/2016/05/18/whitecaps-fc-crystal-palace-vancouver-soccer-challenge)


VANCOUVER, BC – In conjunction with the Vancouver-Guangzhou Friendship Society and Vancouver Chinese Soccer Association, Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Thursday that the club has been invited to play against English Premier League side and FA Cup finalists Crystal Palace FC in the Vancouver International Soccer Challenge.

The match will take place at BC Place on Tuesday, July 19 at 7 p.m. PT.

READ: Get to know Crystal Palace FC
READ: How Crystal Palace FC reached the FA Cup Final

“We’re honoured to be invited to take part in the Vancouver International Soccer Challenge against Crystal Palace FC,” said Bob Lenarduzzi, president of Whitecaps FC. “Facing an English Premier League side will provide a great test for our club, and great entertainment for local soccer fans.”

Whitecaps FC season ticket members have first priority to purchase their seats through an exclusive pre-sale ending on Wednesday, May 25 at 5 p.m. PT. Tickets will then go on sale to the public through Ticketmaster on Friday, May 27 at 10 a.m. PT.

“It’s a trip that I think will be good for the club,” added Alan Pardew, manager of Crystal Palace FC. “As we prepare for our upcoming Premier League season, we had a number of teams that want to play us and we’ve taken this opportunity to go to North America to spread the word of the type of football we play. Our fan base continues to grow in North America and this is a perfect opportunity to reach out to those fans as well as introduce ourselves to many more new fans in the United States and Canada."

The international friendly is part of the sixth annual Vancouver - Guangzhou Friendship Cities Cup, a friendly match between a Select XI from the Vancouver Chinese Soccer Association and the Guangzhou Super Football Club to celebrate the 31st anniversary of the sister cities relationship between Vancouver and Guangzhou. The Friendship Cities Cup will kick off at 9 p.m. PT - immediately following the international friendly.

"We are delighted to have both Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Crystal Palace FC agree to take part in this international friendly match,” said Mr. Yung Tsz Shuen, president of the Vancouver Chinese Soccer Association.

“We hope the home fans will come out and fully support Whitecaps FC, while at the same time they can witness some fantastic skills from players of Crystal Palace such as Zaha, Campbell, Wickham, Adebayor and Jedinak. It is also our aim, through this sister cities relationship, to encourage more people from the local Chinese community to support Whitecaps FC and be more involved in football development in Vancouver.”

“The team at BC Place is proud to host yet another international soccer match between two exciting Club teams,” said Graham Ramsay, Director, Business, BC Place. “Following the recent success of hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the Canada Men’s National Team qualification matches for the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 tournament, BC Place continues to attract new, world class events to British Columbia.”

Prior to this summer’s friendly, the London-based club will be looking to capture their first FA Cup title when they play Manchester United in the final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 21. Founded in 1905, the club has finished as high as third in the English Premier League in 1991. The team is led by Alan Pardew, winner of the EPL Manager of the Season in 2012.

“We are honoured to have this opportunity to co-organize this memorable game, to celebrate the friendship between Vancouver and Guangzhou cities,” said Paul Kam, chairman of ProEvents Group. “We encourage all soccer fans to get their match tickets early to avoid disappointment.”

This is the 59th all-time international friendly for Whitecaps FC, and the second since joining MLS in 2011. During the club’s inaugural MLS season, Whitecaps FC hosted English side Manchester City FC at Empire Field.

[6o4__boi]

Saw that today...I wonder how much the tickets will be.

How much were the tickets when Man City came? I couldn't remember.

[Nabatron]

so do you guys think rivero will get traded after the kamara trade fiasco? I'm hoping so since he is the second highest paid player on the caps besides morales..

[6o4__boi]

nah...Robbo's still got faith in Octavio
plus i don't think there are really any interests in him

word is Seattle is looking to add Nicolas Lodeiro from Boca so if anything I could see Robbo adding another striker and/or finishing forward during the summer to bolster the finish...we're in tough when we lose Perez, Waston and Bolanos for the Copa Centenario later

stupid MLS and its goddamned dumb as fuck schedule.

[jaemc]

Rivero hasn`t been productive at all lately eh?
Flopping for days asking for stupid calls instead of hustling for the ball.

[Nabatron]

rivero was good for the first quarter of the season LAST YEAR this year he hasnt done shit and is injured...

Robbo should play perez more that guy is a beast I know he 35 or so but still guy should be starting every game he is that good!

[Liquid_o2]

I'm excited about the Crystal Place game. Although they don't have the big names, an EPL team is still an EPL team. Hope they play a competitive squad, would be interesting to see how the Caps match up.

Anyone notice that the Caps have been scoring in bunches ever since Rivero has been injured or coming off the bench? This guy is not a starter in MLS. First chance Robbo has, Rivero should be replaced. I'll pay for the taxi to the airport.

[6o4__boi]

Rivero is perfect as an off the bench striker, as good as Perez is, he can't be a starter anymore. That leaves Hurtado who's been pretty effective these past few games but is still trying to find his game. He seems like he's always one shitty game away from losing his confidence for the season.

I really hope this is the year Kekuta Manneh breaks out...i mean if he does, it could also be the last time we see him in a Whitecaps uniform but it'd be great for him. He's got all the right tools to be an impact player if he can just be consistent enough.

Not sure what the moves in the summer Robbo plans, but this team could really use a close out finisher and another rock at CB...Waston seems like he's on the decline and he's a yellow card machine, besides psyching out opponents in the PK, Kah is garbage most of the time, Dean is injured and too inconsistent. We're basically an injury to Parker away from disaster on the back line.


And i don't get the people bitchmoaning about the CPFC game...Sure it's after a busy stretch of the schedule but it's an exhibition game ffs. No one's gonna get taxed and it'll be a great showcase for the young ones and barely used players. Hoping Alphonso Davies and Kadin Chung plays in this game.

[Nabatron]

^dont forget smith if he is still on the team I'm not sure but he is trash too! Waston is way to aggressive at everything he does and he thinks he doesnt do shit when he fouls the opposing player..parker and harvey are the only steady players on the back line IMO. Aird needs alot of work, Kah is shit, Dean havent seen him play much, what happened to adukube or however you spell it? He is a decent young guy till he gets injured lol

[6o4__boi]

Lol I get the sense that Robbo doesn't like Smith but he's gonna get his shot with Aird looking at at least a 1 game suspension maybe 2 or more when DisCo strikes.

I haven't seen Smith play enough...guys got pace but he seems like he gets beat pretty easily.

The shitty thing is that Waston's got that reputation now...his fouls are scrutinized and he's more likely to be carded for minor things. He needs to just leave the tackling to the midfielders (read Laba) and stick to winning air balls and defending by positioning.

Adegkube was good...but he got injured last year and has just been outplayed by Harvey at LB. Now he's kinda rusty and not worth risking getting exposed esp with the CB/RB being a mess. No way Robbo sits Harvey for him until later on in the stretch when the Canadian Championship and CCL qualifiers starts.


Edit: pretty interesting info on Salary this year considering this shit is rarely disclosed

https://www.mlsplayers.org/images/May%2015,%202016%20Salary%20Information%20-%20By%20Club.pdf

[Liquid_o2]

Aird is actually a midfielder. This is the first time he has ever played RB and I think he is getting stronger every game. Remember also he is really young, 20 years old I believe. Playing out of your natural position is tough, and he has done a pretty good job so far.

I agree with CB. Dean showed so much promise, but all his injuries have made him out to be another Omar Salgado, tons of potential but made of glass. Need someone to take over Kah's spot.

[Liquid_o2]

I'm surprised with some of these salaries. Once Dean's Generation Adidas contract runs out, he is gonna have to take a massive paycut to prove himself or hit the road. Not worth nearly 200k. Jordan Smith making nearly as much as Harvey? He's a giveaway machine. And Rivero, well I'm not gonna say anything there except he is the biggest waste of money Vancouver has seen since Jarju.

[jaemc]

Iunno man as many fouls as Waston has lately he's still a solid defender. We'll see what changes we make. I'm also a fan of opting out on Rivero atm

Excited for the Crystal Palace game as well.

[CorneringArtist]

Maybe front end saved their money to get Zlatan for one year :fullofwin:.

As for Aird, the intent was to move him to right back when he goes back to Rangers, and with them getting promoted back to Scottish Prem, that kind of attacking will be valuable. His instinct as a winger is showing, and his defending will only get better with time. I did like Manneh playing as more of a center forward/second striker as well. It reduces his chance of making idiot cuts off the wing and losing possession.

[CorneringArtist]

New emergency RB pls. Kah was directly responsible for 3 goals today, and Waston is getting extra games for his dirty tackle. Jesus Christ. Smith is hot garbage as a backup and it showed when Parker played RB and essentially killed width.

[6o4__boi]

New emergency CB while we're at it

MLS refs are god-awful...they make NFL replacement refs look like geniuses
How Unkel still has a job after his red card fuck up fiasco is beyond me
same with that moron Geiger

[jaemc]

Was anybody else cringing watching the Ottawa Fury game?

[6o4__boi]

that's what happens when your starting 11 is mostly Canadian...Canadian players suck haha

might as well have started the entire USL team if the rules allowed, they would've fared better.

Alphonso Davies looks pretty confident with first team minutes as a 15 year old...that was pretty much the only highlight.
Even with an MLS XI next week the Caps are pretty much out of the tourney so looks like no extra CCL games next year.

[Gh0stRider]

Bell Media have released Whitecaps play-by-play voice Peter Schaad

http://theprovince.com/sports/soccer/mls/vancouver-whitecaps/bell-media-axe-voices-of-whitecaps-lions

[6o4__boi]

that sucks

Marc Weber has also said he's leaving the Province
Caps also still yet to have a deal in place for broadcast rights

hoping they can get something done with Sportsnet

fuck TSN...5 fucking channels showing the same goddamned things every time there's a Whitecaps game on.