our 3 top goal scorers are gone- kamara (14), Davies (8) and techera (8)- which is 30/54 goals we got in 2018 i guess we can count on blondell to score !!?? isnt it time we get some good news from MDS?? training camp opens january 21- YIKES!! tick, tick, tick no news is NOT good news
No news is .... no news On a more serious note has anyone heard about the U23 team? They mentioned it over at 86Forever but I can't find anything about it on the Caps site.
News on the Caps site to day. We landed another Canadian CB who at 21 is young, talented, already capped by Canada's MNT and has a small amount pro level experience in Serbia where soccer is very serious business. I'm feeling a bit better. Now about that DM ...
I agree although wouldn’t get too excited about the Serbian experience. Second tier (league) team and while not definitive, transfermarkt has the club market value at 1/2 of Whitecaps present squad which is still mostly bare bones. Probably at least a character building experience and hopefully he got paid which can be an issue even for players in the Super Liga.
He's a young guy who looks to have some upside. Sounds like he's relatively new to being a CB, though maybe I am wrong there. A step in the right direction but the club's back line still needs two more CBs and another bona fide RB. Still a ways to go.
the way to go will be- IMO- 2 significant DPs coming in the summer, probably surfacing in july the rest of the roster will have young middling players being brought in with an upside of developing into MDS' vision by 2020, and 1 DP player to start the season- i expect a group of young canadians to be given a swing at the wall and hopefully 2-3 can stick to be a regular player in the starting 18 and be given credible game time it might be a tough start for 2019, but i and others will just have to believe that MDS does know exactly what he wants, how to get there over a 2-3 year stretch and- as promised by the Club- will be given the financial resources to pull off being a serious competitive team for silverware in 2-3 years my 2 biggest concerns are: scoring goals; a mature leader at CB
I really like the Daso signing for the U23 team. DC played last season (2017/18) in Serbia's first division although the team was relegated. 1855 minutes there and then only 270 for half the season last fall in D2. Obviously the coach went a different direction but are now top of D2 and about to promote back.
Not exactly a great thing to put on your c.v.: when I was a starter, my team was relegated but now that I'm on the bench, the team looks like it's on the promotion trail.
Jon Erice... career 2nd division spain player, used TAM ! so still not a dime of davies money into the 1st team yet.
This is an important signing as Caps desperately need a DM. Looks like there may be a transfer fee involved although probably not much. As a player, I’m sure he will be more than technical enough. He is 32 but that shouldn’t be a problem for a stay at home/distributor DM. He was a steady starter and 90’ guy for Albacete. Big thing for him will be how he adjusts to rigors of MLS and living outside of Europe. Looks like he only played a couple of seasons outside of Spain in Greece and Cyprus in his career to date.
as GlassCity and myself stated a month ago, the Whitecaps cut over $7 mill USD from their budget and gained money from the releasing and trading of 11 players from the 2018 season- that is money that is being used in a variety of ways- MLS allotted, TAM, GAM and whatever other money beast MLS has created to allow teams to spend- ITS THAT MONEY THAT IS BEING USED NOW to sign mostly free transfer and loan players the Davies transfer money will be used mainly to attract 2 DPs probably coming in July when their contracts have ended, thus getting here on a free transfer- just my best guess- failure by the owners to commit to spending a large chunk of the Davies transfer money (like $5 mill USD) for significant players would send many of us supporters down the Alice rabbit hole, never finding our way back for years as regular and passionate supporters of the Club- A BROKEN TRUST
I expect that the DP guys would likely come in during the midseason window. I think we'll just see how the new and holdover parts fit in with MDS's tactical approach. Some holdovers might end up playing themselves out of a job, others might have a break through or a renaissance. Right now, it's underpromise and overdeliver.
And winger Lass Bangoura so we have a replacement for Techera. A DM Jon Erice (thank god, as I was afraid we'd be stuck with Juarez as our only DM). It's starting and I'm liking it so far. An experienced journeyman La Liga DM (Div 2 but still solid on the ball and passing) and a winger who is only 26. More please
You have a funny way to pad the resume. Remind me NOT to get you to do mine It is hardly his fault the team got relegated. If you check the history of FK_Javor_Ivanjica you will see a pattern of being relegated then winning their way back to D1. In one case they went the 34 game D2 schedule without a loss. So bouncing between 1st and 2cd divisions is almost normal for them.
Their pattern of being a yo-yo club is irrelevant to the key points here: he looks to have lost his starting job after they were relegated. He played very little in the first half of this current season (with the team on the rise again) and now he is in Vancouver. I can speculate all day about the back story here (homesick; wanted to return to Canada and the club accommodated him; insert any other reasonable narrative), but I won't. At international level, he has yet to face decent competition in the CONCACAF minnows series. I know a lot is made of the Toulon tournament but to me I want to see what a guy looks like consistently at senior level, country or club. I hope he proves to be a key contributor during this rebuilding season so I am curious to see what he can do.
As a TFC fan with a soft spot for the Whitecaps, I've been watching the offseason roster moves in Vancouver. I'm not sure how cynical or trusting you guys are of your ownership (seems more to the cynical side) but I like what the team is doing. I understand the urge to splash the Davies cash but that risks just bringing in a shiny DP without a real team around him. Better to do what they're doing and bring in promising youngsters with, as hot potato says, a 2-3 year plan. The team can look for DP power in the next transfer window (or later) once they see where that money can best be spent based on which youngsters perform. So long as there actually is a 2-3 year plan and not just cheaping out. I also like the commitment to Canadians, especially Canadian youth. By my count the Whitecaps have 11 Canadians on the first team roster of which six came up through the team's own development program. TFC has similar numbers. Now it's a matter of continuing to grow them from bench warmers to starters.
thx for the positive comments!- its why players like juarez and blondell have to go anyone have any update on The Bug??
You have no idea how sweet it is to hear from a TFC fan who is not anti-everything-Whitecap and constantly moaning about how the Caps haven't "GIVEN" enough time to Canadian youth. Thanks a ton. I always hope to see all 3 Canuck clubs in the playoffs and hope some year soon to see an all Canadian MLS Cup. Yea it's that last step that most just don't make despite repeated opportunities. It is one hell of a steep pyramid from first team contract, to game day 18, to starter. Real tough but I know we have players who can do it.
Over at 86Forever they are rumours of Brazilian winger Lucas Venuto being signed next. It wouldn't surprise me given MDS time there coaching. He will be familiar with a lot and have contacts who know a lot more. https://kurier.at/sport/fussball/transferticker-malicsek-und-kostic-ab-sofort-bei-rapid-ii/400375199 Although I don't know about their accuracy as they state in the same section that "The MLS club will be coached by former Argentine team boss Jorge Sampaoli. " Google translate so hard to tell.
Like I said last fall, Blondell will be "Bair-ied" I've only seen a handful of games online with him in it but Bair is big, quick and excellent stamina. Playing as a very lonely forward at the D2 level he really stood out. I pick him as our breakout player of the year.
This is an issue that both the Whitecaps and TFC face. (Montreal doesn't seem to be too interested in player development.) Both teams are bringing more and more young Canadians through their youth systems. That's great. It is difficult to get them playing time on the first team, however, when there are so many players out there in the world who can be brought in and be game ready from day one. Especially as the level of play in MLS continues to rise the jump those young players have to make to earn first team time gets higher and higher.