Good Friday morning Caps fans, hope your weekend is set to be a championship winning, Andiamo worthy affair.
In what was absolutely, positively the biggest MLS news in North America on Wednesday, the Caps are, of course, Canadian Championship winners, hoisting the Voyageurs Cup for the second time in as many seasons and making Vanni Sartini the second manager in the Caps’ MLS lifespan to win multiple trophies (if you include Cascadia Cups; if not, he has Carl Robinson beat and stands alone).
The 2-1 victory over CF Montreal feels sweeter than last year’s triumph for a couple reasons. For one, the Caps were decidedly not even the best Canadian team last year, meaning some people felt they got a bit lucky. This year, the cup win seems to confirm them as far and away the best of three sides north of the border.
Moreover, the cup feels less like an endgame and more of a waypoint, hopefully, on the road to a substantive playoff run. It is not at all a given that the Caps make the playoffs but you have to agree with Vanni Sartini in his post-match interview (before peeling off his shirt I believe) when he said this is a team that, if it lives up to its potential, is a top four team in the western conference.
You also have to give Vanni and the coaching staff credit for making sure the players had absolute focus and intensity from the opening whistle. There were some rocky moments late but the first half set a blistering pace. Obviously the players deserve the ultimate praise but part of this comes from the coaching staff setting the right tone in training and ensuring that no one takes the cup final for granted.
I tend to agree with my colleague, Caleb Wilkins, who took to Twitter to wonder aloud if Vanni Sartini is the club’s best ever manager (of the MLS era). And before we go any further, yes, I think everyone acknowledges this is a painfully low bar.
Time to start having this conversation, folks. #vwfc https://t.co/64nvhseiFe
— Caleb Wilkins (@wilkins_caleb24) June 8, 2023
But it is a bar that Sartini seemingly clears. Multiple trophies isn’t easy, even in the relatively accessible Canadian Championship. And while Vanni has certainly had some clunkers in terms of tactics, lineup decisions and game management, I believe he has shown growth this season, helped by a demonstrably better squad.
And the fact of the matter is this is a Caps team playing free flowing, attractive football, something that already puts him beyond Carl Robinson. This style of play has given the 2023 Caps a ceiling that perhaps no previous team could match. This isn’t to say that they will reach that ceiling but it feels like this team, firing on all cylinders, certainly can.
Quite simply, Vanni (even when he inevitably gets canned and I wipe this entire blog post from the internet) has the 15 of us who remain deeply, disturbingly, invested in Whitecaps football believing and vibing with this team. He is on the shortlist for most likeable MLS manager (I mean who else volunteers to take the stage at a Nickelback concert) and his players clearly respond to this. He also has been increasingly liable to give young players opportunities, like Levonte Johnson in the final and, increasingly, they are taking it (as Johnson did, like Ali Ahmed and Simon Becher before him).
Maybe there is a limit on how far Andiamo and t-shirts and good vibes can go. This is, after all, not an episode of Ted Lasso. But they have made the Caps champions of Canada once again. And that, friends, is reason to celebrate.
Shameless Self Promotion
If you missed (or want to relive) any of the action from Wednesday, our match recap and report card grades have you covered.
Best of the Rest
Can the Caps build on their Voyageurs Cup win this year? The team certainly thinks so
Yes, Messi is officially coming to MLS (though some fine details remain unresolved). We’ll have more on this Monday but, for now, a look at how the legend could be the league’s new salesman
Bev Priestman has named her roster for camp ahead of The Big One, the World Cup, next month
No current Caps cracked Canada’s Nations League roster but there are plenty of familiar faces
Meanwhile, John Herdman said that Aidan Morris remains likely to stay with the USMNT, despite a better path to playing time for Canada
I think you’ve got it spot on. I’ve always liked Vanni and his passion, but I was skeptical he could step it up tactically and maybe even in terms of player management. To be honest, I was a little disappointed when they appointed him for this season (though he definitely deserved the opportunity). I’ve seen a real improvement this year and this is the best ‘Caps team in the MLS era by a mile. I’m ecstatic to admit he proved me wrong. There may be limits to where he can take them but he’s earned the right to give it a go.
we have had hilites from previous Cap players- camilo and davies come right to the lead- but overall, this is the best Caps team since being in MLS- the best goalie, the best MF, some growing canadian talent- they are playing some attractive soccer, pleasing to the eye in how they move the ball (although i hate the long lumps down the field) and how they group defend in order to win the ball back
the Caps should make the playoffs and then, with some luck, finishing the few chances the playoffs give and some shrewd coaching, the TEAM could press most other MLS teams
Not so sure I’d agree with best keeper. Ousted was excellent until he wasn’t and Crépeau was pretty damn good in his own right. But, it’s a three way conversation and all three stand head and shoulders above everyone else to have played.
As for Canadian talent, it’s not good to see so few Canadians on the roster. This is probably a direct consequence of being forced to shut down their USL team and only being able to get a real program back up and running last year. But in that year, we’ve seen Ahmed, Becher, and now Johnson seize opportunities and have to hope there are more coming.