Good Friday morning Caps fans, hope you all are having a good week and a good start to spooky season now that it is October.
The Whitecaps started spooky season with a terrifying performance — in all the wrong ways. In truth, the less said about the 3-0 home defeat to Seattle on Wednesday the better, as it was their worst performance of the year at the worst possible time.
On a night when a win would have seen Vancouver up to fifth place and clinch the Cascadia Cup, the team turned in a listless display filled with individual mistakes. This is a team that looks tired, is lacking its best players and has no spark at home. All of that spells trouble heading into the playoffs.
This was supposed to be a team that could use the two Scots to help close the season strong and build momentum for the playoffs. Instead, both Ryan Gauld and Stuart Armstrong are injured and Fafa Picault is suspended for a big match Saturday after picking up a silly second booking in the dying moments of the match.
This is a team that still has the pieces to be competitive — if healthy and rested. But the Caps are filling no one with faith that they can do that by laying eggs against top opponents at home, creating the ambivalent atmosphere we’ve seen at BC Place for both the Voyageurs Cup final and the Cascadia derby.
Vanni Sartini should be hitting the drawing board, looking for some tweaks. Aside from Pedro Vite, everyone struggled on Wednesday but it is possible Vanni uses this as a chance to move back to the four man backline he’s rolled out a couple of times, with the three at the back style getting exposed on Wednesday.
Whatever he lands on, Vancouver need to implement it soon, as the risk of falling below seventh place and having to be in the play-in game is increasing real. A win over Minnesota on Saturday would help avoid that but that feels optimistic without Gauld back — and now the Scot will be leaving on international duty, with the Caps one of the few teams playing.
The vibes can be salvaged for the Caps. But they are at the lowest point they’ve been all season, at the worst possible time. Let’s see how the team responds.
Shameless Self Promotion
Our post match report wraps up the gory details from Wednesday night’s smackdown.
Best of the Rest
Jesse Marsch continues to lean into a youth movement for his roster to take on Panama.
Meanwhile, Canada has moved in front of the U.S. in CONCACAF rankings, though I’m not sure I trust anything that has Mexico as the best team in the region.
Inter Miami clinched the Supporters’ Shield with a win over Columbus on Wednesday, re-opening the Messi MVP debates.
imagine- your best player, Ryan Gauld- is injured and cant play saturday and yet he is off to play for Scotland – and now their new signing- Stuart Armstrong- who was supposed to toughen up our MF is also injured and might not even hit the turf this season– and then on top of that, our next best player- Fafa Picault – is suspended; and another creative player- Ali Ahmed- is injured AGAIN and yet he is called up for the Canada friendly game
Minnesota has to be licking their chops and us supporters have to wonder who is running this comedy show at the most important time of the season
and having a 3 defender back-line is looking for trouble with speedy teams as none of the 3 are speedy and we continually get out-flanked game-after-game and Vanni continues to use the same formation
how does Vanni plan and implement a game plan that brings optimism, energy and excitement ? is it worth my trip DT to the stadium ??