Good Friday morning Caps fans, hope you all are having a good week and are enjoying the first official days of spring (whether the weather feels like spring or not remains an open question).
Vanni Sartini got good news this week when the MLS league office knocked down his touchline ban by two games, meaning this Saturday’s date with Real Salt Lake will be the last time he will be absent from the sidelines for the foreseeable future.
Sartini’s absence clearly hasn’t hindered the team and Michael D’Agostino has done an excellent job filling in for a one-of-a-kind manager. But Sartini’s return likely can serve as a moral boost given that, unlike a lot of teams, Sartini provides real energy from the touchline, particularly at BC Place. That will likely be even more true given that his first matches back will be against rivals Seattle and Toronto, who Vancouver will be itching to beat.
It isn’t just Vanni — Ali Ahmed confirmed this week that he is back to 100% match fitness, a signal that he will be back in the starting lineup as the Caps return to BC Place. Sam Adekugbe might not be at 100% just yet but he appears to be in line for a return against RSL this weekend in some form or another, meaning the Caps’ injury list has basically disappeared.
This is an enviable situation. The Caps’ top Western Conference rivals all have some sort of injury problem — Seattle is down Pedro de la Veiga, Joao Paulo and others, FC Dallas is without their entire central midfield, Houston lacks Hector Herrera, etc.
Obviously the Caps’ luck will not last and the Canadian Championship will be back in a few weeks to divide the team’s attention but this presents a nice opportunity to continue to pad their position in the standings with points early, particularly in light of a four match homestand. And for a team that has been a slow starter in recent seasons, this is certainly a welcome improvement.
Shameless Self Promotion
The podcast takes a look at the good vibes and what a big win in Dallas tells us about the Caps.
Best of the Rest
Some thoughts from the new Caps man Ralph Priso on his change in scenery
How the Whitecaps’ Muslim players adapt to playing matches during Ramadan — a really interesting story
Alphonso Davies seems to be nearing his Real Madrid move right as he enters a key juncture with Canada
Paradoxically, success for the Canadian national teams means a blow to the federation’s already strained pocketbooks
Have the Caps’ Cascadia rivals in Portland hit on something under Phil Neville?
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Sartini’s first match back is against Portland, not Seattle