Good Friday morning Caps fans, hope you all are having a happy new year and that your 2025 is off to a good start.
The end of the holiday season means we are inching closer to another year of MLS action. Vancouver will be returning to Marbella, Spain and have already lined up a friendly with Polish side Rakow Czestochowa on Jan. 24.
Axel Schuster gave an illuminating interview with AFTN this week that I encourage folks to check out. He said he still expects to have a new coach in place by the time the players take the field for the first day of preseason.
The headline news, however, is that the team has not actually settled on a managerial pick but rather has three finalists, one of which has had MLS experience. Schuster told AFTN that they were looking to have a variety of different types of managers with different sorts of resumes and that they would let the interview process and subsequent internal discussion guide what the team should prioritize in a manager.
This is an interesting process, to be sure, as it seems the Caps didn’t use a search firm to help them tap their top choices but instead relied on the applicants they received and, presumably, Axel Schuster’s rolodex.
This isn’t a bad thing, in some ways. It probably explains why the finalists are not all MLS retreads and, instead, there are some coaches from outside the league. As I’ve said previously, I think there is a lot to be said for MLS experience but given Schuster’s background abroad, this was always going to include some names from Europe.
In any event, the Caps are one of the few remaining teams left without a manager. With NYCFC reportedly honing in on their choice (a hire from Europe), it leaves just Vancouver and Toronto FC heading into 2025 without a manager. Hopefully it won’t take too long to pick from the three finalists and change that.
Best of the Rest
Levonte Johnson is headed to Colorado Springs Switchbacks in USL, rather than staying north of the border.
Denver is the latest team to secure an NWSL expansion side, for a league record expansion fee.
Anticipation is set to be the defining theme for the Canadian Men’s National Team in 2025.
Vancouver FC President Rob Friend has been tapped as the chief executive of the Malaysian National Team.
Levonte Johnson has been signed to Colorado…of USL, that is. Didn’t have any other MLS interest despite his Dollar Store price tag.
I suspect Raposo will be re-signed but at a cheaper rate because he also doesn’t have any bigger money offers from elsewhere in this league. I suspectbthe Chinese league interest was an agent’s plant. He can still serve a utility back up role here.
I guess that report that they’ve “found the new coach but are just waiting on work permits” was BS then, unfortunately…
That report was also from AFTN. Him and Axel discuss it on the podcast, the miscommunication over it.
re: new vancouver whitecap head coach- and all 3 need a Canada Work Visa and will have proven experience and some trophy/league successes:
MLS experienced head coach- Jim Curtin or Giovanni Savarese
German who Axel knows personally
another Euro who Axel knows indirectly
the winner- Jim Curtin
(WILD PREDICTION- Vanni Sartini or Giovanni Savarese will be the new TFC head coach)
Hey just arguing here for the sake of argument Salty, however, as much as I would like Curtin as a Whitecap, I am afraid there is a family angle. Moving here in January would require leaving his kids and wife back in Philly until the summer. Not saying no one has ever done that before for a big job, however, the articles on him in the Philly press emphasize his family man character. That said, if he is looking for a job pronto, any job would require resettlement, so…
its a good point, but what stops him from having his family coming to live in Vancouver ? lots of sports people have done that
but if he doesnt choose because of family (and we men know that wives can set the tone/direction on a relocation), there will be another qualified head coach- Axel is betting his career on getting it right this time … and hopefully he will
a couple of long-overdue positive replies:
1. CSA leadership and direction under its CEO, Kevin Blue, has brought clarity, unity and prompt, effective action (re: the drone scandal; a new agreement with the National Teams nearing completion; transparency; hiring of Mens head coach, Jesse Marsch. to name a few)
2. the furthering impact of the CPL as an integral part of Canada soccer growth
3, the opportunity to have a more visible and motivated ownership group in Vancouver
4. the possibility for TFC to hire a new leadership coaching group and develop a solid foundation, once again
5. the possibility for Vancouver to hire an experienced, proven-quality head coach and with 2 new and better players, take the Team up the MLS soccer ladder
of course, the negative to follow: outlandish as they or some might appear
1. the well-founded fear that the Vancouver franchise will be bought and then moved to a USA market
2. are there really deep-pocketed people that are willing to shell out over $400 million USD to buy and KEEP the franchise in Vancouver, let alone building their own stadium, another $400 mill CD ? and where would they be able to find suitable land in the DT core even if they wanted to build? can new owners really get a reasonable return on their investment ? i use ‘they’ because i cant see just 1 investor willing to be generous to the tune of over $400 mill USD
3. a hidden agenda by the CSA to cause the 3 MLS franchises to join the CPL in order to further establish a Canada professional league
4. that TFC will hire Vanni Sartini- an Italian- as their head coach simply because he could connect with the 2 dismal Italian players and get them to perform to their supposed ability- a far-fetched idea (i trust Vanni more than these 2 money-sucking players)
kick the ball around !
fact of life ………..1. the well-founded fear that the Vancouver franchise will be bought and then moved to a USA market
fact of life….Axel Schuster shall be gone very quickly if the team manages to find a buyer~