Good Monday morning Caps fans — hope you all had a lovely weekend and are getting geared up for February.
Vanni Sartini continued his tactical tinkering Saturday with a friendly against Serbian side FK TSC. A Brian White goal was not enough, as the Caps conceded twice late to fall 2-1 but the intrigue here continues to be which formation Vanni settles on when the matches actually start counting.
The latest idea is a 3-3-1-3 that would look something like a diamond midfield. In this case it features Ryan Gauld, Damir Kreilach and Fafa Picault up top but when Brian White starts, you assume he would swap in for Picault or maybe push Gauld back to the tip of the diamond.
The idea is an interesting one, as it makes use of the strengths of the Caps’ wingback room, though it seems to make less sense now that Ali Ahmed is confirmed to be out the next six to eight weeks after a sports hernia operation. This is an idea made possible by Andres Cubas’ control in central midfield, allowing the wingbacks to have the width necessary to make this system work. With no highlights, I can’t even begin to speculate on whether it’s actually functional in practice but I think it’s a clever idea.
With Vanni, you have to assume he will enter the 2024 season with a couple tactical plans in mind and that he won’t hesitate to change, much like last season, if he finds an idea he likes better. There’s no reason not to trust him but the experimentation has made for an interesting preseason. If I had to guess, the Caps will line up in something more like the formation they used in their first friendly when push comes to shove but the beauty of Vanni is you can never be too sure.
One thing we can be more sure of? What the Caps might be wearing when they take the field against Tigres, thanks to an inadvertent slip up from the folks at EA FC, who leaked the new MLS kits in game over the weekend.
Many teams, the Caps included are getting a throwback look, and Vancouver’s looks excellent, despite the grainy image. Navy blue with a gold version of the team’s original crest pops and I’m sure it’ll look even better on the players when they’re modeling it for whatever rollout there will be.
It’s silly that the league makes the teams wait on releasing the kits until the bitter end. But Adidas seems to have upped their game this year for almost everyone. And it’ll be neat that both Caps’ shirts for their anniversary season will have a throwback nod, with a possible third shirt sounding like it could also be coming down the pipe. I don’t have the money to spend on a new kit but, if you do, you’ll be spoiled for choice this year.
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What are your thoughts on the ridiculous prices to see Lionel Messi at BC Place (maybe)? Is it worth the money?
The accusations in the One Soccer/CSB lawsuit don’t look good for the reality of the Canadian Premier League
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I also think the CPL will fold in a season or 2 unless they find a new revenue stream. Soccer teams in Canada have always been dogged with money losses. Even the Whitecaps lost $15million last year, $12 million the year before that and $12 million the year before that. Thank god we have an owner that is will to put up with these losses year after year.
I know those numbers come from Forbes, but not sure that they are accurate. Between the media rights deal and ticket revenue, that alone should be about $20 million in revenue before sponsorships, commercial income, merchandising, etc. I suspect the Whitecaps are much closer to a break even proposition than they are to losing $15 million year.
And, ownership paid $35 million to join the MLS. Factor in their contribution to the NSDC, and they in for $45 million US on a franchise now worth 10x that money. They’re doing just fine.
I am not one that buys the narrative that they are cheap and not willing to invest in the team. I have no axe to grind with ownership at all, but I certainly don’t think that we should “god” for their willingness to put up losses.
I don’t know if the Forbes number include the new franchise fees or not but most people don’t take into account that prior to the Apple deal the Whitecaps paid TSN/Sportsnet to show the games, it was not a revenue generator. I suspect that merchandising generates some income but I doubt if it covers the cost of the six academy centres they run in BC, the centres in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon and NWT. They also have the highest travel bill in the league.
The appreciation of the value of the team means nothing (unless you are borrowing money against it) until they actually sell the team so that generates no revenue.
I have followed the Whitecaps since 1977 and I have seen them (or the league they are in) fold or be in receivership in the early ’80’s, the early ’90’s, the mid ’90’s and in the early 2000. The idea that we are sitting on a goldmine is not realistic.
Personally I think the management/ownership of this team had made some big mistakes but they have paid plenty for their sins
with no media package to help the owners of the CPL, the league will fold- OneSoccer subsidized the league and owners – both sides say the other is at fault (probably like oranges and apples)
my guess is that a media package- TSN or SportsNet- will be done , if it already isnt- it will include a lot of soccer components- CONCACAF, World Cup 2026, CPL
here is hoping or the nails for the CPL are nearing completion