You What's up, podcast episode 240. 42 here of the show. I'm your co-socener Gagne Rusek, joined as always by Samuel Rowan, and we're back after a bit of a chaotic time, I guess we could say, a bit of a busy period, because the last time... We joined you here on the show, the Vancouver Whitecaps, where...
dominating an MLS play, but they were about to face their biggest test yet in the form of Inter Miami. Safe to say they've passed that test with flying colors. The Whitecaps are a CONCACAF Champions Cup final bound. That final's quickly snuck up on us. It's almost, you know, already mid-May and the final coming the end of June down in Mexico City against Cruz Azul.
One of the most historic and successful teams in this competition. These Whitecaps, they're not scared by their own history, other history. They're just concerned with our... with going out and playing ball and playing ball to the highest. Meanwhile, the Canadian Championship begins, something that is still an important competition for the Whitecaps, but of course for the BC team. Speaking of the BC team, Vancouver FC.
FC, been off to mixed starts and then met each other in the Canadian Championship. Meanwhile, Vancouver Rise. They're off to a decent start to the season. up to second in the table. So it's just been a very busy period here and we're happy to dive into all of it. But before we do, Sam, it's just... Nice to regroup and sit back and look at what was really just a chaotic end to April and start to May here. Alex, the thing that maybe stands out to me from what you just said is
all the talk about Inter-Miami being the biggest test, right? And certainly in terms of the environment, the stakes, everything that went into it, it felt like that, but... You look back on the tie, and I'm not really sure that was the biggest test of the season, honestly. I mean, maybe this is recency bias, but, you know.
RSL, LAFC, those teams have put in overall better challenges against the Vancouver Whitecaps, and I think Obviously, we can speak a little bit about what the Whitecaps were able to do over two legs, but I think something I've taken away since we last spoke, and it's admittedly been a little bit longer than normal here on the Third Sub podcast that we've been away from.
but we were joking about it right before the show. There's almost less to talk about because The team's been consistent, and I think that's such a theme is that what started as a hot run, new coach bump, players, you know, in purple patches of form, whatever you want to say. We're now like a significant way into the season. You know, this is the Whitecaps are approaching 30 points in the MLS table. Like this is not a small sample size.
And the Whitecaps keep doing the same things, match in, match out. And so I think we've seen that since we last chatted. A couple of performances in MLS were actually all three of them, really, if I think about it, Minnesota, RSL, LAFC. The team didn't have their best football for all 90 minutes. But man, that top gear they can hit when all of a sudden the attack is flowing is dangerous. It feels like any team in North America right now.
struggles to stop it, right? When you have Seb, Berhalter, Pedro Vite, Brian White, Ali Ahmed, all flying in attack, all feeling confident, it's a formidable... challenge for any team and you know certainly a team like inter miami that has clear defensive deficiencies or has to sacrifice something defensively in order to go on the attack. We've just been seeing the Whitecaps completely able to expose that.
As much as the Miami thing and shutting down Messi and everything that comes with the circus that is inter-Miami was a big deal, To me, it's just as big of a deal that this Whitecaps team is not just on a hot run. This is...
This is the way this team plays, and this is the way this team plays without Ryan Gould, which is crazy when you slow down and you think about it. And so, you know, we're now kind of in the... in the era or the part of the season for the Whitecaps where it's a question of Okay, you've proven you can do this you've proven you can do this with consistency Now it's about sustaining over the grind of a long season. It's also about, I think, continuing to adapt and progress within that platform.
because players will go on international duty. Perhaps Ryan Gold might come back, but someone else might go down with an injury. You're going to have to be adaptable. tweaks along the way so that's something I'm going to be really interested to watch through the summer and then obviously at the end of the month here
there is a chance to compete for a trophy that in many ways is bigger than winning MLS Cup, right? And so the Whitecaps have, in what feels like a very short span of time... hit the fast forward button and put themselves in a position that you thought might have taken years to get to. So that's crazy. Cruz Azul has been Just one of, if not the best team in the region for the last three or four years. So what a great opportunity to go down to Mexico.
test yourself against perhaps the absolute best, although, you know, the Whitecaps have a chance. claim that spot as as the best team in in kaka kaka which is a wild thing to say but but the reality we're living here and you know just excited to cover it on the third side Yeah, no, it's just been an exciting time. I've been going to Whitecaps games at Beast's Place for a long time.
There haven't been many things that have been like a certainty and inevitability. Like 2018, you always knew you were going to get a good game out of Alphonso Davies. That was one of the years.
You know, there's been a few years where there's a, you know, some guys would show up and, you know, you'd get good performances. Heck, even in the Carl Robinson era, you knew that, you know, they were going to be fun to watch on the counter, but it was always micro moments, right? Always maybe individual moments. What's scary about this team? You go to the stadium.
They could play good. They could play terrible. And they're still going to just suffocate the life out of the other team. They're going to play their way. They're going to play on top. They're going to control the game and they're going to take every 50-50 and flip most of them in their favor. Set up a scenario where even if they don't even play that well, like LAFC or RSL, they're still getting four points out of those two games, whereas last year...
They might have gotten one, if not zero, out of similar games. And what's just fascinating is that they've passed every test. They've passed every test.
their football i think the miami test was a big one in the psychological sense of how do you go up against a team that just has so much aura for a lack of better word in terms of the stars on the field all this you know these storylines working against you attention they passed that test it's just scary how inevitable they all are and yeah now the biggest challenge like you mentioned is okay they've clearly shown they can rise up to these big games and now the challenge if anything is
The schedule is going to feel a bit mundane for the next three months, really, other than that final, which I have no doubt that they're going to get up for. Now you have to deal with things like Canadian Championship all of a sudden. You have to deal with...
mid-season MLS games that feel like they don't matter. At least they always feel like they don't. So Whitecaps have never been in a position like this. But if you want to win the Supporter Shield, these are the most important games of the season. and that's going to be a challenge to see how they handle. that, but I think otherwise they've passed every other test and that's put them in this position where they're
Again, first in the supporter shield race. They're first in the West by a decent margin. And, you know, they have a chance to extend that lead with some big head-to-heads with Minnesota RSL over the next few weeks. So it's just, yeah, wild how inevitable it is, like you mentioned.
You show up to the game, and it's funny because there's less volatility of you know who's going to play. You know what formation they're going to play. You know how they're going to play. Sometimes all those things might have been in doubt under Manny Sartini, who loved a little element of chaos trying to...
you know, mess with the opponent. And Jesper Sorensen is the absolute opposite. But at the same time, that has brought this just inevitably, inevitability about their, how good they're going to play and what they're going to do. Yeah, and I think it's... It's worth saying, right, this is going to be a very prototypical third sub podcast where we're always a bit analytical and critical of the situation.
Something worth noting as well that plays into the Whitecaps' favor is I just don't really know what the deal is with the rest of the West at the moment. Very good. It's a weird one, right? You look, Minnesota in second, which obviously the Whitecaps... They made some changes in that second half away at Minnesota and then just absolutely put on the afterburners. And I think we're maybe seeing that.
Eric Ramsey's defensive system, while it's been really successful up to this point in MLS, I think teams might be starting to figure things out a little bit But then we saw Minnesota go and take care of Miami. They're certainly a good team, but then you look at, like, the big one for me is Portland in third, and it's just like, I don't really know how sustainable that's going to be. All their underlying numbers are terrible.
but they're just kind of finding a way to grind out matches. You have San Diego in fourth, which like, yeah, they're, you know, some good top end players and they've been on a nice little run to start the year, but. You just wonder with expansion franchises, when does that steam kind of run out? But then, you know, you've got your Seattle and LAFC in fifth and sixth. Those are danger teams, right? But as we just saw with the Whitecaps, man, if that's...
If that's a couple of years ago, if that's even last year, and you go down 2-0 inside 20 minutes, that match is over. Like, there's no chance you're coming back. There was just absolutely no panic in the Whitecaps group, and it's kind of been the same way all year. As you said, no matter what the challenge, what the match, the level of confidence is... I think reflects the...
reflects the personality of the manager. We talked a lot about this in like the manager search and in the aftermath of Vanny Sartini parting ways with the club and I know one of my requests was someone that just brought more of a level-headed approach, you know, where the highs weren't as high, the lows weren't as low, and every match every day just kind of felt... And Jesper brings that. But I think the thing that I maybe didn't understand...
When Jesper Sorensen, like we first got the introduction to Jesper and got to meet him, seemed like a nice guy, seemed very even keel, very soft-spoken but confident. But I think Sorensen has a level of self-confidence and a ruthlessness that I probably underestimated or didn't see initially. And man, I think this team embodies that personality. Like they are supremely confident. and they will absolutely go for the jugular when they get the chance.
And that's what we saw against LAFC. Like, even down 2-0, 20 minutes in, there was a sense, body language on the pitch, it was like, alright, when does the comeback come? That was very much the mindset. They weren't playing their best football, especially in that first half. Jesper spoke about it afterwards. You know, LAFC is a tricky team. They get into that like 451 block and they just sit there and they clog up the middle of the park. It's a pretty capable, well-rounded midfield three.
I feel like Berhalter, Kubas, Ngondo, just kind of, and even Vite to a certain extent, ended up dropping into really deep positions, and they're just kind of passing it around the back, not really penetrating or stretching LAFC. But again, you know, it was something that's been a theme, Minnesota RSL LAFC. The Caps have been able to make adjustments in-game. They've been able to use subs to...
stress opponents and just gradually over the course of the 90 minutes, you know, they get a bit of a jammy set piece goal. You need one of those every once in a while. And then just kind of, you know, eventually took the match over from LAFC and had a stretch really from I think
minute 50 to minute 75 where they were fully in control and kind of playing the football they wanted to play. After it went 2-2, I think, The Whitecaps maybe got a little over-aggressive and really wanted to go for the winner, and we saw... You know, Eddie Ocampo in particular, who did not have a great match, just making aggressive passes forward and missing all the time. And you saw a yes for steam coming out of his ears on the bench just with frustration.
Yeah, I think that just overall that level of confidence, the way the Whitecaps have been able to adjust, the way they've been able to come back in a match like against LAFC or, you know, you... You look at the second leg in Miami, you take on that early goal. We talk so much about how The first goal on the second leg was going to be so important. Guess what? It wasn't at all because the Whitecaps played with such confidence, such belief in themselves that they didn't let that.
shake them. Same thing with Monterey early on when they managed to get a goal, right? I think that mentality has been huge. It's a big part of the reason why the Whitecaps are where they are. And I have a lot of belief in that mentality being able to carry through the rest of the season. The schedule can get long and there can be some mundane days.
where you're traveling, you know, you're playing an Eastern Conference opponent, and you're kind of like, why does this matter? Why am I here? But I think the manager has them in a good position to to stay sharp because I think Jesper is staying sharp and Jesper is not going to take a match off and I think that that gets passed on to the
100%. I think with Jesper, it's been fascinating to kind of learn from talking to him is just the The way he views his team and he views opponents, there's just this supreme confidence. this is sorenson ball this is how we're gonna make it work this is who fits where in it here's how you're gonna you know here's your spot in the system
But at the same time, here's where the opponent's weak. Here's how, you know, you can target certain areas of the opponent. And yeah, it just feels like the Whitecaps of before, they reached a stage where they could compete. But can compete with the top teams doesn't always mean, you know, it means you could be prone to getting pushed back on. If you go down, you know, it's one thing to compete. It's another thing to go and win and dominate. It just feels like now, yeah.
that go into these games. believing that they are owed a victory and if anything gets into their way. be it, you know, an early goal, a bad refereeing decision. you can name it right an injury any sort of adversity it's just kind of almost like all right well okay well was that all that you had to throw at us okay bet like let's let's go even like little things like in miami like one Not only were they down a goal, they were getting destroyed tactically down that left side.
by Jordi Alba and company and Sorensen saw it. There's a bit of an injury break. Brings his guys over. All right, look, this is not acceptable. We're fixing this. You shift here. You shift here off the ball. Boom. Problem solved. onto the next like there's just such a keen awareness of all right like even when the game plan doesn't work onto the, okay, you can tweak it and go. And I think it's been fascinating because Yeah, that mentality of just the way he sees...
The way his team should go out and dominate has been incredible. And, yeah, it's just led to some memorable results because even LAFC, right, where they don't play that well. They go out and get the result, I think, of last year's. playoffs where they lose 2-1, and the Whitecaps were probably the better team across 270 minutes, yet the only time they got a win was they put in the perfect performance at home. They get a 3-0 win. All is good.
But in leg one, where they face some adversity, they end up falling. Leg three, where they have a good performance, but then again, these moments, the adversity, everything seems to just get to them. This Whitecaps team doesn't get hit. I think Sorensen, the way he's implemented and instilled that confidence in his players cannot be ignored. And now it's put it in a position where this team, I think they know what they are. And sometimes I think...
And I think that's sometimes the tough thing with managers that's underwritten. I think you see it. Because I think there's examples of it with the Canadian men's national team, for example, of the parallel. John Herdman, now Jesse Marsh comes in. You know, there are a lot of parallels when Herdman left, when Sartini left. You're thinking, was this the right? Could you even replace him? And boom, you find someone who can elevate. Well, when a team is so used to hearing.
They were built up from a place where they were struggling. You're supposed to hearing, oh, this is what you need to do to compete. This is what you need to do to compete in your head. You're always kind of pushing a message of stepping up to that level. Sorensen's coming and he's just like, look, this is a good team. Why should they be acting like we're not a threat? And I think that mentality he's put in his play.
has been clear. And I think that's another reason why the hire has been so good that Sorensen has just come in right away and brought this sort of air of superiority that the team sometimes almost struggled to believe in because they... They'd been on such a long journey to get to that point, which had included so many sets. Yeah, and I think that the whole match against LAFC most recently, perfect example.
went down two goals, came back, and I think the overall feeling in that dressing room is frustration that they didn't get the full three points because there were moments where it felt like it was there. And it's kind of like, yeah, we went down 2-0, but that was our own fault. We could have done better, and that probably shouldn't have happened. And so I think that approach says a lot and has been really valuable so far.
Okay, let's end the wave of positivity for a little bit, and we'll go into semi-baseless, but also kind of based in some pretty serious stuff. What's the deal with Ryan Gould? I think this is something that's becoming a... We knew it was going to take a little bit for Gould to get back into play, right? And you know that... with knee stuff when you're when you're not having surgery when it's not like an explicit procedure
It's something that needs to be monitored and managed. But this is Vancouver's best player when he's on his game that hasn't had a full training session yet. And it seems like... He's not hobbling around, he's not injured, but he's not at a level physically where he can get back to full training and build up towards full match fitness.
Alex, you were saying to me that Sorensen was on the radio earlier today, and at the moment it sounds like Gald is not necessarily expected to be back for the final against Cruz Azul. So obviously... That's a concern. I mean, the Whitecaps are playing really well at the moment. It's crazy to say they haven't necessarily needed Ryan Gould to do what they've been doing, but you want to have your best player. He is your captain. He's your emotional leader.
And you just start to worry about, you know, Gald the rest of the season. It's like, even if OK in three weeks or a month, he's able to get back and play matches again. There's a question of why it's taken this long, why the process has been so slow. It's obviously a knee issue he's dealt with before as well. It's a guy that's been playing professional football since he was, what, 16, 17. There's a lot of mileage on those legs already.
Without doing too much fear-mongering, I just think it's an interesting question, and it's one that I think because the team was doing so well, a lot of people were willing to just kind of put by the wayside and deal with it later. But we're kind of getting to the point now where it's like, all right, we want to see some signs of problems.
I guess it's a two-way or double-edged sword because on the flip side, the Whitecaps being as good as they are, it means you don't have to rush him. And I think that's positive that you're not throwing him back in before he's ready. you know getting him to try to hustle him along further in his recovery at the same time you do wonder that well At what point the, you know...
Is surgery, is that something that should have been considered? Is that something that is about to be considered? Look, I'm not a doctor. I do not pretend to be anything close to a doctor, so I won't speculate further than that. You know, you just, yeah, you wonder that. The longer it goes on, you think of, oh, if it was going to take two months anyways, would it have not been better to, you know.
send them to a specialist, let them sit out these two to three months and have them come back 100% where, again, with these recoveries of this, ensuring that he comes back 100%. Is this all what was planned or is it genuinely one of those injuries that it's week to week and you just don't know. You're just waiting for that green light to hit and it just hasn't hit. That's the thing with these, they can be so funny.
Very different for each scenario. But no, it's definitely you're concerned at it just because you want Ryan Gould out in the field. He's a competitor. He's probably sitting there just... you know frustrated because any any top player wants to be out there especially when their team is doing well and and in these sorts of games where you know he could go out and make a difference having worked so hard to get to this team to where it is but definitely one where
On the other hand, this caution, because even if you, it'd be great to have him for final, you're going to need him. you're going to need or playoffs, or if you're going to push for a supporter shield, it is that bit of a double-edged sword where you don't want to risk things any further. I think, yeah, it would just, it would be nice to maybe, I think, again, the tough part with this is just because of the vagueness of an injury. And again, not, not anything that.
here the whitecaps have done wrong it's just an injury i think it's always tough when you hear oh it's a week oh it's week to week right like it's just always so much uncertainty whereas like if a guy I don't know, gets an injury where you know it's two months. You know you're not going to see him around the training center for two months, but then he's going to come back.
you know, a hundred percent, you kind of, there's just kind of your brain accepts the fact that, oh, that's the way it is. And I think the fact that it's been week to week for two months has been.
Yeah, if it's like a broken collarbone, there's a very clear timeline. And there's very, you know, there can obviously be complications or setbacks, but it's like there's a pretty clear... I think that the issue now, and we've seen this with other stars in Vancouver, Thatcher Demko, Elias Patterson, it's like...
are they ever going to be fully healthy? And when they're playing even, you're concerned about, oh, did he land slightly funny there? Is he going to have to be taken off? Like, what's the problem? I think it's just, yeah, that level of constant tension that is the thing that provides that uneasy feeling, right? So that's something that, yeah, until you see Gould back on the pitch, right? It's going to be very difficult.
kind of fully get over that. But Alex, you put an interesting question in the notes and I think this is a fun one. You know, so Ryan Galdnett not ready to go right now, potentially not ready to go before the end of the month. He'll be one of those players in the mix for one of those spots in the front three, and I think it's already been interesting. in terms of who fits into Vancouver's best lineup at the moment. I think
I think, I guess, the center back pairing, the goalkeeper. Also, shout out to Yohei Takaoka, who was fantastic against LAFC. That was probably his best performance of the year. Two great double save moments. and I thought even in traffic in the air in some of those moments, he was strong. I think he's definitely taken a bit of a step forward there. He's still not a dominant keeper in the air, don't get me wrong, but I do feel like there's been
a little more aggression added to his game there. So I want to give him credit for that. But so goalkeeper center backs, I think we have no real debate, right? Eddie Ocampo, when he's playing well, when he's on his best, I think deserves a spot because he can be so dynamic in attack.
But you have Matias Laborda as well, who kind of did the forgotten man in terms of injury. Like, that was losing Laborda for a month. He was very good. Should have been a big blow. It's just this team's been able to... have this next man up approach that's worked right so you have those two guys on the right i think
I think, for example, this LAFC match, would you prefer Matias Laporta against Danny Buonga instead of Eddie Ocampo? Probably. Now, Buonga kind of had a stinker other than scoring the penalty. That wasn't really Ocampo's problem. It was more just defensive positioning. But I think it's nice to have those two guys. You can kind of platoon there and play Labordo where it makes sense, play Ocampo where it makes sense.
On the left, I feel like if and when Sam is fully fit, you still probably want Sam in there, although Tate Johnson has shown... to be very capable and definitely up for the challenge. You know, I think the consistency for a player that's under 20 is like, yeah, it's always something that's not going to be perfect.
Tate's been fantastic. In the midfield, Kubas, Berhalter, Vite. I think when you have all your options, there's no question there. Brian White as your striker. But then, man, those two wide front three positions. It could kind of be anyway. Ali Ahmed since we last were on the show what a run of form for Ali
He's found a way to turn all that progression, all that dribbling into final product. He's up to five assists now. We were looking at it. It's his highest goal contribution total as a pro. That includes... MLS Next Pro, so... um yeah and he's like top five in mls and assist which is like kind of floating the radar because a lot of the talks have been about like brian white yeah and people just don't really people don't people don't follow like the assist race i don't know
This is real assists, not the second assist that MLS does. It's like actual first assist. Legit primary assist. So, you know, Ali has been in tremendous form. Jaden Nelson can be an absolute demon at times. When he's running at players and taking them on 1v1, especially against teams that are a little shaky defensively, Nelson can absolutely expose you.
And then Emmanuel Sabi's shown some good things as well. Daniel Rios, you know, when he's been fit, has been a good backup striker. Obviously, you have Ryan Gould, who's, you know, going to figure into the mix when he's back and healthy. So I think... Between Sabi, Nelson, Ahmed, Gald, Vite at times playing further forward, that's where there's real curiosity in terms of this team's best lineup.
That's where, like Jaden Nelson said it really well, that's where they all look to make Jesper's life as difficult as possible, right? By raising that level, pushing each other. and in giving the Danish manager some really difficult decisions. So, yeah, I thought it was interesting, Alex, that you threw that one in the notes. You know, what is this team's best 11? How do you even decide? And certainly up front, I feel like that's the spot where the questions burn the...
Yeah, I just say that because I think it's something he's going to have to consider, A, for the final, and just for big games going forward. I think what's nice is this depth could really make the difference. 100% because you know, for example, with what's coming up, they got some midweek games.
you know, MLS, they got a CanChamp series. You just know that, okay, if you're using those CanChamp games to rest, guys, all of a sudden, you know, you can throw in some young Canadians and they're going to go do a job for you. And ditto if there's those midweek MLS games.
If they get deeper into the Canadian Championship, who knows with how the draw could be. You could get drawn with the Montreal across a two-legged series, for example, another MLS team, which gives you just more headache or hack with how, you know, good a forge have been in this competition. Cavalry have given you. You trouble Ottawa the way they're playing. You don't want to play them in terms of the CPL teams. Well, you know that you've got the depth to...
you know, give those teams the appropriate respect, right? But still, you know focus on MLS because that's something that the Whitecaps we do have to remember have struggled in as for example last year they got off to this great start to the air under Vanni Sartini when they were playing once every week and then as soon as it got congested
that's where things get tough because you're wanting to put the utmost respect in can champ which is an important tournament but then you play a strong lineup there all of a sudden you have to rotate and at the last you drop point So I think the depth is going to be huge for MLS, but it is a great question for the final, for example, because...
Yeah, really, you've got your locks. You've got Takoka, Blackman, Veselinovic. Credit to those three, especially because Blackman and Takoka have stepped up so much in a bit. And Blackman genuinely has been one of the best center backs. In the entire league. Full stop. Like he's just been incredible.
on both sides of the ball. And like, it's just astounding. So we're sitting here last year saying, I wonder if he'd lost a spot under Vanny Sartini. And now he's just been so undisputable. And it's like funny because... You know, guys like Hal Booney have come in and put in honest shifts. Even Gutvick's stepped up and you can't even like...
consider them just because Blackman and Veselovic have been so good. Laporta's the tricky one. What I do think is that we have to remember he did actually put in some shifts on the left side. before his injury and we saw a bit of uh he can play both for sure and i just think of Laborda on the left, Ocampo on the right could be a very useful combo because
you know, Labora can kind of compensate for whatever might happen on Ocampo's side by being a little more defense. And I think where an LAFC where it kind of got a little dicey at times is Ocampo was.
struggling and then on the other side like johnson didn't have a bad game but he also was maybe being a little too aggressive at times and getting caught out and here's the thing is that when you need to to be flexible you can kind of like drop laborda in and play play three at the back if you want like if if the opponent if the situation demands it
And we've seen Tate, like, kind of try to do that at times when they've needed to, but it's not the same as having Laborde on that spot, right? But Laborde can, like, legitimately be a center back. And, you know, he's still a pretty good fullback, but it's nice to have that position. That's it. Well, Johnson is a fullback who is, you know, kind of asked to be doing some. He's also like five foot six or five foot seven. Like he's just kind of got nature fighting against him a little bit.
Or is LaBorda the season pro who is a center back who kind of got turned into an outside player? Even with Sorensen, like he makes back threes. What's been interesting with Ocampo and Johnson is sometimes they also alternate. Sometimes we've seen Ocampo tuck in to let Johnson go forward. But I think when Laborde is there, there's less of a doubt.
For me, Laborda, the fact that he's training, I think they're going to want to get him games. He's going to be a lock by that final. But that does leave you a question of how do you pair it? Is it Laborda on the left? Acampo on the right? Is it Laborde on the right? Atta Kugbe on the left? Is it Laborde on the right? Johnson on the left? You can make arguments for all three. I agree with you that.
adekubi is probably going to have the inside track but there's a reality where you might you might want in a compo just something to keep an eye on because i'm using this in a hypothetical well that's such a big if too it's like if adekubi is fully fit which just is not something you can rely That's just the situation with Sam. He's fantastic when he can play, but he hasn't been able to play very well.
Yeah, and something to consider is that Cruz Azul have really good wingbacks. Their whole system is based on dynamic wingback play. They play kind of like a... You almost want to call it like the Inter Milan kind of style where their wingbacks are very involved. And that's something the Whitecaps are A, going to be wary of, but also B, have to aim to exploit. I don't know what the best way.
to do that might be something more out of Coogby and Laborda ends up being more of a conservative shout and then you go all out with the wingers to kind of dare Cruz Azul to to take care of that. Then, yeah, in the midfield, a little less headache. I think Kubas is a lock. I think Berhalter's made himself a lock, and I think Vite's made himself a lock. Except for the final, obviously, for Berhalter, where unfortunately he... suspended, which is a tough one.
And that's tough because you were maybe banking on gold sliding in as a number. And now I think you do wonder if it's going to be, is it going to be a JC and Gando? Are you going to see the white cap? you know, slightly adjust They're shaped to compensate. You know, Ali Ahmed, maybe Ali Ahmed might end up being a bit of an emergency option. Just because the thing is with Berhalter that I think is so hard to recreate. is he gives you so much going forward with those box crashing runs.
But he gives you so much going- I think with JC and Gondo, you can confidently plug him in and expect the same offensive output. but you're going to be missing something defensively. And on the flip side, JC and Gondo was never the Kubas understudy, right? Like forever. That was Seb Berhalter's role where I was like, Hey man, we just want you to be.
70% of what Kubas is at the 6, and if you do that, we'll be happy. And then he's added this whole other level, you know, the technical ability he always had, he's found a way to use that in attack. But he still has that, you know, Kubas understudy vibes all underneath it. Then all of a sudden you're looking at Ralph Preece, who's been more of a Kubas understudy. Granted, you might lose a bit of what Berhalter brings in the box crashing, but you are going to get a bit more of that defensive.
responsibility and ralph was really good against rsl that might have been like for me ralph's best performance in a white cap shirt like he that was a really strong show And so that's going to be a fascinating battle because I think you get something either way. I think if anything, except it's a cruiser, you might see a more of a preso step up in this approach. And then, yeah, on the front line, it's just unbelievable.
Because, yeah, you talk about the best L11 on paper. It's gold and white are two locks. All of a sudden, you're looking at... one spot, because again, if you're assuming it's Barhalter, Vitek, Kubas, not for the final, but in general, and it's Goldwhite up front, you're telling me you have to pick one between Ahmed, Nelson, Sabi.
That's just wild. For me, it's on it. I was going to say, right now, I actually think the decision is no disrespect to Emmanuel Sabi or Jayden Nelson, but Ali's been playing at a different level recently. So that decision, I also feel like Nelson and Sabi both provide real value off the bench I mean Ahmed we've seen Minnesota LAFC he was able to provide real value off the bench but just having that change of pace you can bring
on the wing, guys that can really run, really stretch lines. All three of them can do it. I think you're in a position where you still feel like you're getting a lot of value out of the two that you leave. I think the thing is with Ahmed, too, is he gives you so much defensively. Whenever he's on his side, never seems to have issues. He helps his fullback be better. He helps these matchups. You saw it against Miami. You saw it against these top teams. And I think...
It's more valuable to have that from the start and then just bring on Nelson and Sabi against a tired legs and then be for defensive Responsibility at least for them at that point It's just more using their fresh legs to defend where it's like Ahmed is it because again he has fullback He brings defensive tendencies.
to the field but yeah no i think it's going to be toffer for Sorensen because all of a sudden you're sitting You're sitting in a reality where picking that back four in particular, those fullbacks is going to be a challenge. even again the midfield but man what a luxury it is to think in a big game if your original lineup doesn't work out you can look down the bench and be like all right jay nelson warm up sabi warm up daniel rios you know if you need a bit of a brute force to end a game
you know, Briso, if you need to shut it down, and Gando, if you need to juice it up, you got some options at fullback. I think it's a good luxury, but man, it has made things interesting, this best 11, because you have an argument for 15. 16 guys genuinely getting in on merit but i do think yeah when you when you look at it there are some guys that bring certain balances like laborda and ahmed that are going to be valuable
At the same time, Nelson's wanting to watch for the final with Cruz as those wingbacks. If they're going to be as aggressive and wild as they are, I do think. Because, again, if it's going to be a midfield three of Kubas, Vite, and one of Ngando, I think a front three of Ahmed, White, Nelson can be a fun way to try to counterattack those cruises. Yeah, and as much as losing Berhalder really hurts, and I mean, that one of the themes, as I said, from...
since we last recorded the podcast, has just been Seb Berhalter hitting even another level. What is it, like seven goal contributions in his last five matches or something like that? He's on like a five or six game streak as well. Yeah. Because the, I mean, like the set piece delivery against LAFC was fantastic. You know, we've just, we've seen him, you know, obviously the goals he scored against Miami.
Absolutely huge. He was man of the match against Pumas Leg 1, Pumas Leg 2, Miami Leg 1, and Miami Leg 2. Cock a calf and demon. Just absolutely crazy. The goal he scored against Minnesota, I feel like no one's even remembering or talking about that, but that was a tremendous hit from distance.
yeah so he's just been yeah he's been on a different level recently and and obviously so losing him for the final is tough but Yeah, I think with Getting Vite back in the midfield, playing those long, you know, he's been pinging these 30 and 40-yard cross-field balls, and you have Ahmed and Nelson just running down those wide channels, I think, and then you let... Preso and Kubas just muck it up in behind that. I think that would work.
If you're going to have to do without Seb for a match, I think that's a way you could definitely do it without Seb, without Gald, and be pretty productive. And we've seen the Whitecaps really profit on... those cutback balls, right? So they'll play it wide. They'll get Nelson or Ahmed.
running towards the box and then you know rather than under like vanny sartini we were joking you know everything was an early cross and there was one guy in the box and usually it was just like defensive headed away Now the Whitecaps are playing those wide balls. They're getting wingers.
but they're not just playing in an early cross they're running either down the line or they're taking on a player 1v1 and then they're cutting it back often like hard and low across the box or you know a little clip ball that White can get on the end of. We've seen, you know, against RSL, like Tristan Blackman makes a run and then just an absolutely ridiculous finish for a center back.
cutback ball, that's the way the Whitecaps have really been profiting. And so I think that, yeah, Nelson and Ahmed, certainly of the current options, are probably the two most dangerous guys to do that without. without gold being And, yeah, I think the thing we've seen a little bit with Emmanuel Sabi is, I think, the instincts in the box, the pace.
The effort is there, but the playmaking instincts, maybe not quite as much. And so I'm really curious, especially, you know, At some point here, maybe to see him in a central role, even if that's late in a match, because I think that... We saw him, I can't remember which match it was, but a cross was played in and he jumped out of the gym pretty much. This guy's ultra-athletic.
I think has the ability to be and has shown at times that he can be a pretty good finisher, so I like that as a third option in attack too, where you can bring Sabi on if, you know, if White needs a little reprieve, or Or if you want to do, you know, a dual striker thing, that's always a place that Sabi could fit in. Not saying that he can't play on the wing, because obviously he has, and there have been some good moments.
Especially when Gould comes back, those winger minutes are going to be tough to come. Yeah, and you can just imagine you're up one or two now. The game gets stretched, and you have Savi coming in for a while. Absolutely. Some slow center backs on the other team. That's an absolute night. He has enough physicality, I think, to be annoying and hold that play too. I like a lot of the profiles he brings, so I'd kind of be curious to see more. And just pick up.
point you threw out about the the crosses something that's been interesting too is that There have been early crosses, but then the winger, that's the benefit of having a front three is that the weak side winger always attacks the box. So they always have minimum two. And when they don't hit that early cross. I just love how there's constantly, if you look at all the goals the Whitecaps have scored on crosses, they're never an accident because there's always minimum three to four.
Like ones were like in Miami where they scored three in a row and like Berhalter's shooting. Right. It's like, yeah, you look at the play before and there's just like, it's both wingers are in the box. White's in the box. Berhalter's in the box and his other eight's in the box. And you're just. I love that part of Sorensen ball that they just attack the box with so many numbers and they turn some of these low percentage crosses into high percentage.
because they'll create a 2v1 at the back post or a 2v1 at the near post. It just leads to such nightmares. Defending, again, if you're against Cruz Azul, you catch the wingbacks high up the field and you're attacking with a 3v3 and a Pedro Vita ends up making it a 4v3 with a light run in the box. I think that... could make a very uh big difference but uh yeah definitely uh it's it's been wild to see uh just the differences and what they can do
even defensively, kind of flown under the radar. They just continue to have good underlying numbers. Yeah, they had a bit of a slip-up against LAFC. RSL got a bit of a dodgy penalty to break the clean sheets, but they've also been... defensively largely thanks to how good they are. Yeah, I mean, I think you look at LAFC specifically, and we kind of looked at each other and said it as we were watching the match.
You know, eventually, like, switching off a bit or kind of having the ball bounce the wrong way off a set piece, off a long throw. Like, something like that was going to happen. But you can't, you know, the Whitecaps have been lucky a couple times this season where their good chances haven't gone in. So they were kind of due one there. And then, you know, the Ocampo thing was just kind of an individual mistake. So I don't...
I don't think you look at that and you're like, man, there's real flaws in this defensive system. Like, I thought Ranko Vasilinovic and Tristan Blackman were still very good. So, yeah, the defensive work obviously can't be underrated. And also just, you know, Kuba. in front of them, just mopping things up, mucking things up, you know, making life as difficult as possible. There's been so little, I can think of very few moments where the Whitecaps have been cut apart centrally.
And Veselinovich, Blackman, Kubas, you know, that triangle is a big reason. the case. So they obviously deserve credit as well. Okay, Alex, I mean, we've talked a lot about the matches that have happened, what we've been seeing from the Whitecaps, what we've liked. Most of it's been pretty good recently. But now we'll take a little bit of a look in terms of what's ahead. The Whitecaps are playing Austin FC this weekend on the road.
Obviously, most listeners will remember the 5-1 drubbing that took place at BC Place less than a month ago. Brian White scoring four goals. Austin was an elite defensive team going into that matchup. They were near the top of the West. They've not been on such a great run since. They've conceded more goals. They're still a pretty solid defensive team, but I think what's truly alarming is that they've scored eight goals.
all season in 12 matches. So that's kind of been where the bottom has fallen out a little bit for this Austin FC team. So I think they're going to be physical, they're going to be defensively structured, they're going to put up a real challenge for Vancouver, make no doubt about it. Are there going to be enough goals there for Austin? And it feels like keeping the light caps off the scoreboard has been a big challenge for pretty much everyone in MLS.
I imagine that even though it's a road match, the Whitecaps are going into that reasonably confident. And then something that we saw happen this week as well is the Can Champ draw. So, you know, after the opening rounds and TFC knocking out Montreal. Vancouver FC knocking out Pacific and some other fun shenanigans. The Whitecaps will be playing Valor in their first Canadian Championship matchup. Is that next Wednesday? Yeah, it's already snuck out. It's like...
There's that next Wednesday, and then there's a midweek game after. They got lucky because there's midweek slates. should in theory like if it was a normal schedule they'd have a midweek match this week but thankfully it's a buy i think for that that's what i mean i think i lucky with that they're one of like four teams who aren't playing in this midweek slate so uh yeah i don't know how that
But definitely, yeah, it's going to be some busy stretch. But that's good because I think one thing that's kind of funny against LAFC... They came out flat from the first 10 minutes, and that's not been a problem for them all year. I think that's one of the times they've missed playing every three days that they've had to do so much because, again, with the depth in this group.
But whenever they rotate for these games, there's always someone super hungry to come and it gives them this good energy to start. But it is still something to navigate because you must. go through all these games while doing well and of course keeping a money cup final at the end of the month well the beginning of the next month
Yeah, so, you know, fortunate there to get the bye. We were chatting about it right before the show. It would be super interesting to see what kind of lineup Jesper Sorensen plays against Valor. Valor's not exactly been, you know, covering themselves in glory in terms of CPL performances. They've been very leaky defensively. A couple players that, you know, if you've been following BC soccer, you might be familiar with. Whitecaps player, and then Rocco Romeo, former Vancouver FC player.
center back duo and I mean I like both guys but that's not been going super well so far so you know and obviously former Vancouver Whitecaps assistant Phil DeSanto leading the team there. Yeah, good opportunity. I mean, that's probably what Jeevan Bodwell's music, Liam McKenzie's music. I'm trying to think of who else. Who else might be? Ibala Habuni. You might imagine Isaac Bomer, the Cannes Champs specialist. Does he get the opportunity to go back between the stairs?
That'll always be fun. That'll be interesting. And yeah, we'll see how, you know, Jesper's been. been very bold both in terms of sometimes not rotating a lot and then like going full rotation when he wants to so that's always a curiosity with those matches and obviously you know the white cap super buried in all of this. They're going for the four-peat, right? There is a trophy to defend there. It kind of feels like it pales in comparison to CONCACAF and to leading the supporter's shield, but...
There's still a trophy that matters there, one that's very important to the club. And so, you know, obviously being one of two MLS teams left in the competition, they're kind of in... And then those two other MLS teams not having great seasons, despite the fact that they did both get wins this past weekend. There's obviously a big opportunity there for the Whitecaps to retain that trophy.
I lost in the shuffle of all this three-peat is that if the Whitecaps win this year, that would give them five Canadian championships. Note how I say Canadian championships, not Voyager's Cup. which would tie them with CF Montreal. They have five Canadian championships. I know they have a lot of Voyager's Cups from when this... Tournament used to be kind of like how the Cascadia Cup was back in the day with the Voyagers Cup. And then when the Canadian Championship launched in 08, they...
They ended up getting the Voyagers Cup, and that's the trophy. But that'd be cool for the Whitecaps, the fact that they only had one up until 22, that now, by the end of this year, they could be potentially tied with the CF Montreal team that had a lot of success.
uh in this tournament and they'd be just three behind tfc with how tfc's but it feels like it might be a while before they win another one so just something that's that's underrated and yeah it's just this whole stretch looking ahead at it for the white caps what i like is some good matchups to build some confidence ahead of the final. I think the big thing that stood out with Austin is...
Like, A, it's a great matchup for the Whitecaps, because they just sit back, and the Whitecaps love that. Like, this team loves low blocks, which is hilarious, because we talked so much last year about how the 2024 Whitecaps hated low blocks. Well, low block was scary under Vanuys R2. Seattle Sounders, Schmetzer Ball, you're a worst nightmare. Although Seattle's kind of playing fun attacking football.
equally scary. Whitecaps-Sounders June 8th is going to be an incredible match. A week after the final, the Whitecaps will hope they're in good form for that last. And then the Whitecaps play Columbus soon after that too, so that's going to kind of be like bangers only for a while. Even San Diego the week after or two weeks after this international break.
LAFC, that stretch of four. Heck, they're playing LA Galaxy on July 4th, based on how the Galaxy are playing, the Whitecaps won't be the only fireworks happening on July. Yeah, that's your free square, basically, based on how the Galaxy... If anything, they'll be pissed they have to wait that long to play them, because maybe by then they'll have things.
Figured out, but now this next stretch, not looking too, too far ahead. Austin, you like that matchup. I have no idea why they play so defensive when you look at their... Again, I'm not a guy who's against counterattacking football. I'm always like... do what works best with your team. And I just look at Brandon Vasquez and Azuni and all these guys, Wolf, like I see a lot of technicians. I see guys getting on the end of crosses. I don't see any.
track star that makes no sense to me why Austin plays so deep and no wonder they're not scoring goals and that just it's gonna I feel that's gonna be something to watch with Nico Estevez if he doesn't change that style it might be something where
Austin might be better served looking at a coach who plays, funnily enough, a bit more of a style like the Whitecaps. I look at that Austin roster. So that's going to be one where the Whitecaps will be happy. Of course, then they play Valor. That'll be maybe a good chance for some younger guys to get some. Some minutes or some guys maybe haven't played as much to step up. Like you definitely know this will be a great game for Hal Booney and some of these other guys.
RSL is going to be a fun one to get the rematch. The Whitecaps, I think, handled that match very well at home and have more to give. And then Minnesota, that's going to be a great one just before the final. Of course, they beat Minnesota on the road.
you know, a bit of a feisty game. And I think the fact that Minnesota love to sit back, play deep, the Whitecaps are going to be, you know, champing at the bit to go and try to take out that low block. So in terms of those four games leading up to the final, you have to be... I'm pretty pleased with it. And then, yeah, it sets up a cruisazole. I mean, we'll dive deeper into them closer to the final. But from what I've done in my research, watching them in this tournament.
They're high octane. They play a 3-4-2-1. Again, their wingbacks go flying up the field.
It is fun to watch. This Whitecaps-Scruzel game genuinely could be a fantastic final for the neutral. And the Whitecaps will just hope that their four previous games can build some confidence ahead of a game where you're going to have to be sharp in terms of... scoring because it definitely feels like both teams it's going to be more of a puncher's game than a dodging game you know Yeah, and also I think that...
It not being over two legs, right? I think that's the thing is that in CONCACAF, especially you get like two Mexican teams against each other. and it just always feels like, let's play this out nil-nil, and then you're deep into the second leg, and all of a sudden things get really kind of desperate, right?
I don't get the sense that the matchup between the Whitecaps and Cruz Azul is going to be like this. As you said, I think, you know, high-octane football from both teams in different ways, and I think... Cruz Azul's directness and the way they push those wings back forward against a Whitecaps team that wants to just dominate the ball and sort of overwhelm you, it'll be really interesting.
especially in what's going to be a challenging hostile environment, playing at elevation as well for the Whitecaps, although they've gone and they've done that, they've handled it. Man, I'm just looking forward to that one. And as you outlined, the matches in between are going to be interesting as well. You know, CanChamp and MLS. Alex, just to kind of round out here, looking around the...
the rest of BC and what's been going on. Obviously, you cover the Canadian Premier League as diligently as perhaps anyone out there. And, you know, for the BC team so far this year, it's been a mixed bag. Pacific, you've sort of had ups and downs.
Is it going to be Sean Melvin or Max Anker in goal, which, shout out to Caleb Wilkins, wrote a great article. I would encourage everyone to check that out. As I mentioned, Vancouver FC actually knocked Pacific out of the Canadian Championship. It also seems like... Pacific just can't stay healthy. They keep having these devastating injuries that just sort of threaten to blow up their season. And then for Vancouver FC,
The football through the first couple matches looked absolutely dire. Like, it was really bad. And then since then, they've kind of turned a corner. I mean, they put in a good performance against Cavalry. They picked up a couple wins, including that Cannes champ. They finally... started to show some signs of competent football they've been
trusting young kids and they've actually been doing the business and putting in good performances. Nico Mosquita has been a quality add so far. He's kind of been that 10, been that attacking playmaker.
You know, I feel like kind of the likes of Gabby Batar, you know, never really were able to like settle into a role in Vancouver, but Mosquita seems to have settled in pretty quickly and pretty well. So... hesitate to say that this Vancouver FC team has actually not been not too bad to watch recently so that's been positive and you know obviously under James Merriman there's still
There's still some real positive, some real structure and culture in that Pacific group, but it kind of feels like the Tridents just can't catch a break. That's funny because I think for both teams, they had one clear question they needed to answer. And I think what they've done to start the season kind of reflects where they're at. For Pacific, it feels like the big question, of course, has been.
what's their solution? What else is new? What else is new? Ever since Alejandro Diaz is gone, they've tried, like, to their credit, they've had some decent solutions, right? I thought Easton Ungaro was going to do better then. He whatever, he just never fit. They've had some other options up front. Rion Moore, you know, is one of them. But it just hasn't clicked. But... Something to watch is this past weekend for the first time all year.
They got a goal from a striker in the sense that Emmanuel Montejano, one of the guys they were banking on to help them up front, but then he didn't get to come into preseason because of visa issues, finally getting up to speed now. That's something to watch because they beat York this week and that was a good result. They come from behind for the first time in a while.
To do so, they get a late winner, something to give the fans to cheer about. But for Pacific, they're just going to need to hope Montano can do that because Josh Harden's done an admirable job up front. He presses hard. He gets him behind. He's a nuisance to deal with.
But he'll tell you, James Merriman will say, he's a winger. He's a very good winger. And I think they've almost missed having him on the wing as well, as much as he also hasn't been a true number nine up front. And I think because of that, those number nine issues.
takes confidence elsewhere because it just puts so much pressure on you to be perfect defensively and up front like it's you're gripping the stick too tight right and it just all culminated in these weird things where Pacific, for example, they went away to Ottawa.
and played one of their best halves in years. They looked incredible, and they went up 1-0, should have been up 2-0, but then because they didn't go up 2-0, they let Ottawa hang around, and then in the end, they lose 3-1, and it's just like, it felt like they were never in the game, when in reality, they were.
And that's where you realize it's a bit more psychological. So we'll see if month annual coming up and filling that striker role can help the rest of the team. Because it feels like for them, that's been the one hole in their lineup until they fix that.
They weren't going to be at their best and maybe this can help because they're still in a good position in the CPL table for the most part, being out of the Canadian Championship. Well, staying out for Vancouver, the big question I think that was there was defense. The reality is, yes, they've struggled to score over the first two years, but their defense just hasn't been good enough.
And I think what's been fascinating is that they've been legitimately good defensively recently, not just by like goals conceded, but by XG. I had a fun stat that, you know, in the last three CPL games, they conceded less than 0.6 XG, right? In their first 54 games, I think it was, they conceded that 0.6 or less.
six times so they're already half i was gonna say callum irving has been a busy man in in vancouver fc colors and if if he has a little bit less work to do i think that A massive benefit not only for him, but for the team. so that's it they've kept them less busy and they've just made some good changes at the back norman jr being reinserted and he's been very good
They brought in this Aiden O'Connor. About damn time. That's it. About damn time. And then you got Aiden O'Connor who comes in on loan. He's been a good pickup. Another stabilizing piece. Elijah Ba. get shifted back into a fullback position after playing on the wing. He's doing a job right now. Couldn't lay down a loop.
He's always been a very good defender at Pacific. All of a sudden, you've got a back four that can compete with the rest of the league. You've already got a top goalkeeper. You've got some structure in midfield as well. you know, that helps out.
Because I think with this team, you know they're going to score goals. At the end of the day, Huero Diaz and Taron Campbell will find you goals. Nicholas Mesquita has shown already he will find you goals. Just having that defensive structure has been huge because it...
It's allowed their forwards, because before, with how bad defensively they were, there was so much pressure on their forwards. Now there's less of a pressure, and that's scary given the talent they have. I was also going to say the defensive thing for me, a big problem last year was... They felt like they had to play like three number sixes in the midfield because they needed three guys to come back and support defensively because they had zero trust in their defense.
So if you actually build some chemistry, some belief, some confidence in that background, midfielders can make runs forwards. They can crash the box. They can do these things that help crash too. They've created some goals off their press because you're actually able to put numbers forward. That was crazy. Like the defensive work rate that when they went to Calgary,
And they were, like, at times playing cavalry off the pitch. It was like, what the heck is this team? This is crazy. We've never seen Vancouver FC play like that. But I think it was in part because they trusted their defensive work, perhaps. for their first time as a team. Like, I can't remember a Vancouver FC team that...
They kind of trusted their back line the way they look like they have recently. So, you know, we'll see how long it lasts, obviously, and we'll see what other teams do to try to unlock it. But, you know, it's been positive recently. Yeah, absolutely. Because, yeah, you look at, you know, the midfield's a big one. Emich fought.
That's been a heck of a Grady McDonald replacement, and he brings different skills as a youngster just on both sides of the ball. Mosquito, the aggression he can bring, because you know Mosquito's going to press. He was always like that. you know, when he was at the Whitecaps.
You also got Vasco Frye, who I think has been in a bit more of a role that suits him, so to speak. I think that you're right that midfield bounce is a big one. Another one, Midy Asusi, their draft pick has been a very sneaky good pickup, because again... Good on both sides of the ball, like you mentioned, less of this. triple number sixes where it was just kind of hurting the defense and the offense because sometimes
A best defense is a good offense. The Whitecaps are a prime example. They defend well because they have the ball all game and they're in the final third. You can't really concede goals like that. I think with Vancouver being able to press more, being able to push. It's helped them and it's something to watch because they they got the jump down against Pacific and the can champ All of a sudden they're up against cavalry and I don't think they fear Cal
It's going to be a tough tie, especially it's May, Cavalry rounding into form and starting to, you know, they just beat the doors off Halifax in Halifax, which was very impressive for them. But I think if you're VFC... You can be confident, hey, if you go out, hold your structure and make things frustrating across 180 minutes, you got every chance of getting a result because that's what they've done in their last four games.
All right, Alex, last on the roundup, but certainly not least, Vancouver Rise. They've had a match at Swan Guard now. They've played four games in the NSL, and I think... we saw in the opener has kind of And it's ended up being true over the course of the first format. Pretty good defensive structure. You know, some pretty wily vets. to kind of keep things in check. Quinn, obviously, the back line pretty decent, goalkeeping pretty decent.
I think the thing has been, where are the goals from open play? How is this team going to create consistently? We've seen other teams in the league, you know, Montreal, with some serious firepower, able to sort of score in bunches. And it just hasn't felt like this Vancouver team.
either necessarily has the players to do it or also those players just haven't really performed consistently yet. So that's definitely something, you know, as the summer goes on here and we get more and more matches on the NSL schedule. Looking for a little more dynamic attacking play.
Yeah, and I think for them at least it's a good problem to have at this time because they're still 2-1-1. They've won twice. They're second in the league behind Montreal. Montreal did come and... kind of caught them by surprise and put in an excellent shift. kind of dominated them for 60, 50 minutes.
Got a 3-1 win at Swangard. But other than that, their defense is very good. They kept two clean sheets. And then against Toronto, in Toronto, and Toronto's got a good attack. They only kept them to one. But yes, the attack's a big one. They still yet to score an open play, because technically it was two penalties in the first two games. And then against Halifax, they scored a banger off the second phase of a corner. And then away to Toronto was Jessica DiFilippo off a corner.
But yeah, I think for open play, the big thing for me is just they're going to need to find more of a link between their front line. And their midfield, I think something to watch too is at the number nine, getting Jessica DeFilippo up and fit is a big one because every time she's been on, she's a danger maker. You know, the options they've gone for up front, Mariah Lee.
She's been okay, but she hasn't really fit what the rise have needed from her just because she's maybe not giving A enough in behind, but also maybe not enough hold up with the Filippo. She's a bit of a bigger frame, can play back to goal. The rise of pace, right? We saw how good Holly Ward can be in that first game. And since, they've got some other players who can fly forward. If you have a striker, you can hold up.
link the midfield. So midfield's good too. If Quinn's shown they can play a bit of a higher role. Samantha Chang's back from injury. I think she could really be a difference maker to help solve that getting the supply to the forwards issue. that's something that's there. So the pieces are there. I think the challenge for Anya Heiner-Mohler, and I think she's...
kind of gone through it as just putting it all together early. But I think as a coach, the fact that the structure is there that's positive, you just got to find a way to put the attack. And I think some of those pieces like DeFilippo and Chang coming back from injury could potentially help. And then I'm just looking, what is the next match on the docket here for, oh, it's tomorrow. So Thursday, Ottawa and Vancouver Rise. And I believe that that's at TD Place. So in the nation's capital.
So, yeah, stay tuned for that, and we'll see if the ride... There's two good ones at Swanger. Just going to shout it out. It's May 21st, Wednesday. I think I'll probably head out to that one. Halifax Tides again. a rematch of that one. And then the rematch of the first game, just a few days later, Saturday, May 24th, they got the Calgary Wild.
I don't think, you know, that's a free, it's a Saturday. It should be nice out. I know the Whitecaps are away that weekend, so there's no clash. Like, I know that was a bit unfortunate. when those two teams clash in terms of playing. So, no, I think that's going to be two great home games because the first few at Swango were immaculate vibes. The first one just...
being there against the Roses, two great teams. And then the next one, it was a Monday night, a bit weird, but the weather was immaculate that night. Like, genuinely, if you want a good footy fix, go and check out the Rise at Swangard. Yeah, night out at the park, especially when, yeah, the weather's just perfect. There's nothing better. So looking forward to those matches. Obviously looking forward to...
Canchamp, Canadian Premier League play, and the Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS, in Canchamp, and in the CONCACAF. Champions Cup final upcoming. We'll definitely, as Alex said, have a bit of a deeper dive into that when the time comes. Alex, this has been fun just to get back at it and dive into everything that's been going on in BC recently, but especially the Vancouver Whitecaps and the success they've been having. You know, as always, check out the website. I mentioned that article from Caleb.
Just a whole bunch of good content, whether it's keeping you up to date with CPL and MLS on a weekly basis, obviously our pre- and post-match content for the Vancouver Whitecaps, but also, you know. Alex wrote a great feature on The Rise and their opener at Swan Guard. And lots of good just, you know, little content along the way as well. So thirdsub.ca for all of that.
the third sub on pretty much all social platforms, whichever one you might be on. Yeah. And then Alex, I mean, I'll basically just kick it over to you here for any final thoughts before we sign off. Yeah, no, I echo that. Lots going on. Doing our best to keep up with the going-ons of everything going on. And my last... CPL, NSL.
especially when it all ends. There was a time when we started this podcast when it was COVID and we were covering the K and J leagues because there was no other football. And now it feels like there's more than we can cover. And it's like, yeah, it's like I haven't even been to a League One game this year, and I want to. Every weekend, there's either a home CPL game for me to go to, a home MLS game, a home NSL game, all three of those.
the top professional leagues that I haven't had the time to go get stuck in at an altitude. check out the new teams or go to a rovers game and on one hand it's like it's sad because i love going to those games and i will definitely try to find a way to get
I don't want my first League One games of the year to be like the final in August. But it is also nice that you have just so much professional soccer to tuck into. Having the rise in particular has just been... to have the nsl launch but of course just you know having having the cpl continue to grow and and do good things i'm having the whitecaps be fun to go to help too right just like having a tea it's all good for the city to have all so no definitely it's funny like you mentioned that now
All of a sudden, we were begging just to have any sort of soccer. And now you kind of have to juggle. We added a few weeks ago where there was a rise, whitecaps conflict. And I was like, you know, I'm happy to go out and get stuck in at Swangard. And we had some other...
of our great team at the third sub taking care of the Whitecaps. It's cool to have these conundrums, these problems, these headaches. So enjoy it. We'll do our best to follow along. I'll be doing my best to follow along. All that, everything Canadian soccer on Alex Gungaruzic on Blue Sky. and on Twitter and on Instagram. otherwise you know just leave a review uh leave a like on the podcast always uh means a lot. We're doing our best to keep the episodes semi-frequent.
Like we mentioned, with all this soccer, you know, of course, my job is the soccer, so I'm usually, whenever it's busy in soccer, I get tied up. Sam, they don't get stuck in a lot of these games, and of course, our busy schedules sometimes don't always line up. We'll do our best to find moments like this where we can just sit back and reminisce on all the good things going on. So if you do enjoy that, make sure to leave.
Yeah, absolutely. You can find me, as always, at Samuel underscore Robo on Twitter, thirdsub.ca, as mentioned. Yeah, hope you've enjoyed this podcast. Certainly we did. We're looking forward to all the matches upcoming.