OT: 2024 Soccer and Vancouver Whitecaps Thread

[SeawaterOnIce]

Wrexham is a good story but $250 to see a third tier English team vs the Whitecaps B team?

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Wrexham is a good story but $250 to see a third tier English team vs the Whitecaps B team?

It's $250 to come see Ryan Reynolds.

 

[Petey O]

Wrexham is a good story but $250 to see a third tier English team vs the Whitecaps B team?

LOL that price is insane. What a ****ing joke.

Reynolds being from Vancouver should realize how expensive it is, and not agree for prices to be this much. Surely.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Sure this will only increase in time:

Cost to host 2026 FIFA World Cup in Vancouver doubles, may hit $581M

Organizers of the seven FIFA World Cup soccer matches coming to Vancouver in 2026 say the estimated cost of hosting the event has more than doubled in the last two years.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[Javaman]

So it's nearly May. Will the Caps be on TSN this month? Or no?

 

[Red]

So it's nearly May. Will the Caps be on TSN this month? Or no?

3 games in May I think

MLS on TSN Schedule - TSN.ca

www.tsn.ca

 

[VanJack]

Actually sat down and watched the entirety of the TSN broadcast of the Austin-Vancouver game on Saturday night. It was the 50th anniversary game for Whitecaps pro soccer in Vancouver. That was the good news.

I swear the ball never appeared in the Whitecaps half of the field. A 0-0 draw was a travesty. Just so excruciatingly boring to muck your way through.

 

[Red]

Actually sat down and watched the entirety of the TSN broadcast of the Austin-Vancouver game on Saturday night. It was the 50th anniversary game for Whitecaps pro soccer in Vancouver. That was the good news.

I swear the ball never appeared in the Whitecaps half of the field. A 0-0 draw was a travesty. Just so excruciatingly boring to muck your way through.

I thought overturning the 1-0 goal was a shocking decision. VAR did not show conclusive evidence that there was a handball as it looked to go off his shoulder and his arm was not in any unnatural position yet they overturned it.

Then later Fafa clearly fouled in the box. Ref goes to VAR and says no pen? What's the point of VAR? Should have been 2-0 Caps.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Jesse Marsch hired to manage the CDN Men's team. Good hire IMO.

 

[Red]

Jesse Marsch hired to manage the CDN Men's team. Good hire IMO.

I'm not thrilled with him but it's definitely the best choice out of the names that were being circulated.

 

[Bubbles]

Jesse Marsch hired to manage the CDN Men's team. Good hire IMO.

I was reading the press release and I saw this nugget:

Marsch’s hire was facilitated by “major philanthropic contributions” from the owners of the three Canadian-based MLS clubs — Vancouver Whitecaps, CF Montreal (Joey Saputo) and Toronto FC (Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment) — and supplemented by other private donors, according to Canada Soccer.

Canada Soccer is such a joke. We have world class players under the umbrella of a Dollarama budget. I remember there was a story where some Canadian merch was re-used for a U21 team or something like that.

 

[Red]

I was reading the press release and I saw this nugget:

Marsch’s hire was facilitated by “major philanthropic contributions” from the owners of the three Canadian-based MLS clubs — Vancouver Whitecaps, CF Montreal (Joey Saputo) and Toronto FC (Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment) — and supplemented by other private donors, according to Canada Soccer.

Canada Soccer is such a joke. We have world class players under the umbrella of a Dollarama budget. I remember there was a story where some Canadian merch was re-used for a U21 team or something like that.

The new General Secretary is actually competent in terms of funding and budgeting.

The big problem is that a few years ago Canada Soccer signed a contract with an organization called CSB that gave CSB the profits from any potential world cup appearances, merchandise, etc. in exchange for basically $3m per year for 10 years, knowing that a new generation was coming, knowing that there might be a World Cup held in Canada. On top of that, CSB can unilaterally extend the contract for 10 more years.

It was an appalling deal that will handcuff Canada Soccer for a generation. The people who signed it need to be held accountable. But all the current issues stem from that deal.

 

[Bubbles]

The new General Secretary is actually competent in terms of funding and budgeting.

The big problem is that a few years ago Canada Soccer signed a contract with an organization called CSB that gave CSB the profits from any potential world cup appearances, merchandise, etc. in exchange for basically $3m per year for 10 years, knowing that a new generation was coming, knowing that there might be a World Cup held in Canada. On top of that, CSB can unilaterally extend the contract for 10 more years.

It was an appalling deal that will handcuff Canada Soccer for a generation. The people who signed it need to be held accountable. But all the current issues stem from that deal.

I knew that. It just sucks that this is happening and will continue to happen.

 

[MS]

I liked Marsch at Leeds and thought he was pretty unlucky there with tons of injuries and also it was a tough deal following such a legendary predecessor.

Getting a qualified Premier League manager to manage the MNT is a big deal.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

I'm not thrilled with him but it's definitely the best choice out of the names that were being circulated.

There was that one blown up rumor about Ancelotti, but it was always a pipedream. We couldn't afford him and he was always going to stay in Europe anyways.

I was worried we were going to settle with Phil Neville, who was a decent player but has a not-so-proven resume in managing.

At the end of the day, Jesse Marsch is a legitimate manager and that's something we've lacked in this generation. Floro sucked. Herdman was a players coach who could inspire a team, but this approach had an expiry date. Biello was dreadful.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

It's hard following the Whitecaps. Optimistic start to the season has settled into the usual disappointment knowing they once again are a mediocre bunch that needs to overperform to make the playoffs.

Messi is in town this weekend. Whether or not he plays is the question but I could see a scenario where he gets subbed off within 20 min or subbed on by the 80th.

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

f***ing brutal:

Vancouver Whitecaps FC statement regarding May 25 Match Versus Inter Miami CF | Vancouver Whitecaps FC

VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC have provided the following statement on Thursday in advance of the upcoming match against Inter Miami CF at BC Place on Saturday, May 25. “While we haven't received an official update on the availability of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Sergio Busquets...

www.whitecapsfc.com

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

f***ing brutal:

Vancouver Whitecaps FC statement regarding May 25 Match Versus Inter Miami CF | Vancouver Whitecaps FC

VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC have provided the following statement on Thursday in advance of the upcoming match against Inter Miami CF at BC Place on Saturday, May 25. “While we haven't received an official update on the availability of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Sergio Busquets...

www.whitecapsfc.com

They are not even travelling to Vancouver. That's a f***ing insult to soccer fans here.

 

[Petey O]

f***ing brutal:

Vancouver Whitecaps FC statement regarding May 25 Match Versus Inter Miami CF | Vancouver Whitecaps FC

VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC have provided the following statement on Thursday in advance of the upcoming match against Inter Miami CF at BC Place on Saturday, May 25. “While we haven't received an official update on the availability of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, and Sergio Busquets...

www.whitecapsfc.com

Hilarious. All of the Messi casuals who bought tickets will be trying to dump them now. Now actual Whitecaps fans will be able to afford tickets.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Hilarious. All of the Messi casuals who bought tickets will be trying to dump them now. Now actual Whitecaps fans will be able to afford tickets.

Unfortunately there were a lot of youth clubs that fundraised to get tickets.

Inter Miami probably knew well in advanced that these guys were not going to play up here but there was a shred of hope considering how the same guys played on turf in New England.

It's just bush league by the MLS to not even have these guys show up in the city.

 

[StreetHawk]

Unfortunately there were a lot of youth clubs that fundraised to get tickets.

Inter Miami probably knew well in advanced that these guys were not going to play up here but there was a shred of hope considering how the same guys played on turf in New England.

It's just bush league by the MLS to not even have these guys show up in the city.

The elite soccer players and clubs in the world do not play on turf. That was my question with Messi and Miami. How many of the mls cities have turf and how many will he have played on before Vancouver?

I know the clubs like Sea, Car, Atl, NE, Por have turf like Van. 2 have hybrid grass. The rest show grass on wiki.

I recall messi has a deal with mls to obtain an mls club at a reduced price in the future. Guess there was t a condition that he play in each city or something.

 

[Jyrki21]

Unfortunately there were a lot of youth clubs that fundraised to get tickets.

Inter Miami probably knew well in advanced that these guys were not going to play up here but there was a shred of hope considering how the same guys played on turf in New England.

It's just bush league by the MLS to not even have these guys show up in the city.

People want to point fingers at the Whitecaps but there isn't a team in MLS who wouldn't have marketed the hell out of this game for the exact same reasons. It's not like they're going to say "Remember fans, ours is the most likely game for him to miss!"

I think the League probably knew what it was doing with scheduling and made this a very obvious one for Messi to miss right before Copa, though. I have my doubts it's just coincidence.

 

[StreetHawk]

People want to point fingers at the Whitecaps but there isn't a team in MLS who wouldn't have marketed the hell out of this game for the exact same reasons. It's not like they're going to say "Remember fans, ours is the most likely game for him to miss!"

I think the League probably knew what it was doing with scheduling and made this a very obvious one for Messi to miss right before Copa, though. I have my doubts it's just coincidence.

Factor in that this is a one off game traveling from Miami to Vancouver, which is as far as you can go. Miami had a home game on Saturday the 18th, and a home game on the 29th. And the Van game is on the 25th. That's a long flight each way just for 1 game.

Terrible schedule. Miami doesn't even play SEA or POR this season at all. So, I doubt Van will be on Miami's schedule next season (at least not in Van). Fans would likely have to go down to SEA to see him next season.

My nephew is a soccer fan, but one thing I would have done is checked out Miami's schedule as well. And seeing that this game was a one off and only 3 off days between Van and their next game, I would have my doubts that Messi would have played, given the travel. Plus the turf in Van as well.

 

[Jyrki21]

Factor in that this is a one off game traveling from Miami to Vancouver, which is as far as you can go. Miami had a home game on Saturday the 18th, and a home game on the 29th. And the Van game is on the 25th. That's a long flight each way just for 1 game.

Terrible schedule. Miami doesn't even play SEA or POR this season at all. So, I doubt Van will be on Miami's schedule next season (at least not in Van). Fans would likely have to go down to SEA to see him next season.

My nephew is a soccer fan, but one thing I would have done is checked out Miami's schedule as well. And seeing that this game was a one off and only 3 off days between Van and their next game, I would have my doubts that Messi would have played, given the travel. Plus the turf in Van as well.

It was widely observed the second the schedule was released, BTW, and a number of pundits online blasted fans for pointing it out as being “negative”. (I do think a lot of it was misdirected at turf, which Messi does play on – the issue was always the travel and Copa America).

And like I say, I can’t help but feel MLS knew what it was doing here… setting up an excuse for Messi to skip going to its least-important market. I can’t imagine it wouldn’t put more care/intention into scheduling trips to Los Angeles or Seattle, for example.

 

[StreetHawk]

Whitecaps should have been more on the ball with this one. Call Miami up once the schedule was released.
Bad look to promote Messi and he doesn’t even come and they priced this game higher from all accounts.

Soccer is an odd schedule. Not quite weekly like football but not as frequent as nhl/nba. Need 3 full days off minimum before you can play again so like 3 games over 2 weeks is the standard.

So you don’t end up with 3/4 game road trips. Maybe 2 games at most since the hotel costs run up and the team needs to practice as well.