Welcome back, everyone!
With the start of a new MLS Season, the Guess the Starting XI contest makes a return.
While it was a mostly quiet off-season in Vancouver, there are plenty of reasons to be encouraged about what lies ahead for the Whitecaps in 2024 given their success in 2023, and their positive showings against Tigres in CONCACAF this pre-season.
After a bye week to start things out, Vancouver matches up with an Eastern Conference foe to open proceedings in Charlotte FC. Historically, these teams have met only once, a 2-1 home win for Charlotte back in May of 2022. For those with a good memory, this was the match the Max Anchor started for Vancouver amidst their goalkeeping carousel which plagued that season. At this point, there’s not much to really take away from that outing.
That being said, Charlotte did open the season with a 1-0 win over NYCFC on matchday one, so they are off to a flying start in 2024. Overall though, the roster from the Carolina team is uninspired, without the legitimate difference makers to suggest that the side has much chance of competing for a playoff spot in the East, especially given the relative strength of the conference. Will this be a banana peel for the Whitecaps to open their season? We’ll just have to wait and see.
In terms of roster news and notes for Vancouver, here’s the latest from Whitecaps training this week:
#VWFC's Vanni Sartini with some updates.
Utvik is unlikely to play on Saturday.
Adekugbe about a month-ish away."Ali is really really surprising us in how fast he is recovering. I think there's a chance that he can be available on the bench on Saturday. We will see."#MLS
— Har Journalist (@HarJournalist) February 27, 2024
Something else that had slipped my mind until very recently is that Mathias Laborda, for some reason, was the only player suspended with all the chaos in last year’s playoff loss to LAFC. So he’s out for this match.
Now, on to administrative stuff in terms of predictions. Here are the rules for 2024, no major changes from last season. If you have any questions, please let me know. I’ll add that it would be good to have some feedback as to how we would like to proceed in terms of Canadian Championship and Leagues Cup, if we want these matches included in the MLS predictions total, or if they should be kept separate.
If you’re new, welcome! If you’re returning, tell a friend!
(I should add, while you can post anonymously, please leave your name along with the prediction, either in the comment or by signing in!)
- Predictions will be ‘valid’ if posted HERE (or more accurately, whichever is the correct match thread) before the lineup is officially announced, usually about an hour before kickoff.
- You receive 1 point for every player you correctly guess to be in the Starting XI. You receive 4 bonus points for correctly predicting all 11 starters.
- You get 5 points for correctly guessing Win/Lose/Draw, this doubles to 10 if you also predict the right score-line along with the result.
- All this means, if you correctly predict the Starting XI, Final Score, and Winner, you can earn 25 points!
- At the end of each half of the season, the contestant’s lowest two scores (or missed predictions) of that period will be deducted from the cumulative standings.
Gault, White, Kreilach
Raposo, Cubas, Berhalter, Vite
Blackmon, Ranko, Brown
Takoaka
3-1 Caps
Cam Pierce
Dirq predictions for starting XI
Game 1 vs Charlotte FC
Takaoka
Blackmon Veselinovic Raposo
Berhalter Cubas Picault
Vite Gauld
Kreilach White
‘Caps win 2-0
Go ‘Caps
2-1 Caps
Takaoka
Brown, Veselinovic, Blackmon
Raposo, Vite, Cubas, Berhalter
White, Gauld, Kreilach
Happy new year everyone!
Takaoka
Brown Veselinovic blackmon
Vite cubas Raposo Berhalter
Kreilach gauld white
2-1 caps
Welcome back everyone! It’s opening day and I am full of optimism so here’s to a great season.
Caps 2-1
Takaoka
Brown Ranko Blackmon
Berhalter Cubas Vite Raposo
Kreilach Gauld White
Welcome back all – great to see some new names tol!
It is IsabelG in case that doesn’t show up. I’m nervous about this one.
Gauld Kreilach White
Raposo Vite Cubas Berhalter
Blackmon Ranko Brown
Takaoka
2-1 VFC
Gauld Kreilach White
Raposo Vite Cubas Berhalter
Blackmon Ranko Brown
Takaoka
2 1 Caps win
Gauld White Kreilach
Raposo Cubas Vite Berhalter
Blackmon Utvik Veselinovic
Takaoka
VWFC 3-1 CLT
turftoe
2-1 caps
Takaoka
Brown Veselinovic Blackmon
Berhalter Vite Cubas Raposo
White Gauld Kreilach
2-1 caps
Takaoka
Brown Veselinovic Blackmon
Berhalter Vite Cubas Raposo
White Gauld Kreilach
tecate2
Takaoka
Laborda Veselinovic Blackmon
Raposo Cubas Vite Martins
White Gauld
Kreilach
2-2
Change Laborda to Brown, please.
3-1 Caps Win
Takaoka
Brown, Veselinovic, Blackmon
Raposo, Schopf, Cubas, Berhalter
White, Gauld, Kreilach
2-0 Caps
Takaoka
Brown Veselinovic Blackmon
Berhalter Vite Cubas Raposo
White Gauld Kreilach
Hi, everyone!! So great to be back! I can’t believe how many have posted guesses already. 30+ more matches to go. Who knows what this season will bring! The first several matches will be interesting.
Do the Caps have this match in the bag? Hmm, hard to say considering the clits won their last match (sorry, CLT is just too good of an abbreviation).
And I am doing MLS Fantasy again. too. We’ll see how long I can last — seven more months to go BWAHHAHAA
AtlantisB
Takoaka
Laborda, Ranko, Blackmon
Raposo, Martins
Cubas, Vite
White, Gauld, Krelaich
Whitecaps 2:0 Charlotte
I really think Charlotte will score, and it will be a 1-1 draw, but optimism of new season!
(ignore my previous “Anonymous” reply, sorry)
Takaoka
Brown Ranko Blackmon
Raposo Vite Cubas Levonte
Kreilach White Gauld
Vancouver 3-1 Charlotte
Takaoka
Brown Ranko Blackmon
Raposo Vite Cubas Levonte
Kreilach White Gauld
Vancouver 3-1 Charlotte
takaoka
laborda veselinovic blackmon
berhalter cubas vite raposo
white kreilach gauld
2-1 Whitecaps
Gauld – White – Kreilach
Raposo – Vite – Cubas – Brown
Blackmon – Ranko – Laborda
Takaoka
They’ll probably start Schopf over Vite but I’m trying to be optimistic.
Gauld Kreilach White
Raposo Vite Cubas Berhalter
Blackmon Ranko Laborda
Takaoka
3-0 ‘Caps W
Gauld-White-Kreilach
Raposo-Cubas-Schopf-Berhalter
Laborda-Ranko-Blackmon
Takaoka
Caps take a 2-0 W
Takaoka
Laborda Veselinovic Blackmon
Brown Schopf Cubas Raposo
Kreilach White Gauld
Caps win 2-1
Update:
Takaoka
Brown Veselinovic Blackmon
Berhalter Schopf Cubas Raposo
Kreilach White Gauld
Caps win 2-1
Edit – Laborda is suspended so I’ll put brown in for him
Kreilach White
Gauld
Raposo Vite Cubas Ahmed
Blackmon Veselinovic Brown
Takaoka
(3-4-1-2)
So happy to be backkkkkkk!!! Lets go caps
5-0 W
Takoaka
ranko, blackmon, laborda
Brown, Cubas, vite, raposo
Krelaich, gauld, white
El capitano – not sure if my user is gonna post