Author: Samuel Rowan

Sam has covered the Vancouver Whitecaps and Canadian Soccer since 2018. He’s a member of the North American Soccer Reporters.
Eighty Six Forever, Guess the Starting XI, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Guess the Starting XI – Match Two vs. Toronto FC

Welcome back, everyone. The Vancouver Whitecaps are home again this weekend, hosting Toronto FC at BC Place. With the short turnaround, keep an eye on Kenji Cabrera after his midweek knock, along with players like Brian White and Sebastian Berhalter, who have carried heavy early-season minutes. Toronto FC opened the season with a 3-2 loss to FC Dallas and are still searching for their first … Continue reading Guess the Starting XI – Match Two vs. Toronto FC

Samuel Rowan24 Comments
Eighty Six Forever, Post Match, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Post Match: Finding Their Feet

Wednesday night at BC Place, the Vancouver Whitecaps secured a 2–0 result against C.S. Cartaginés to advance to the next round in CONCACAF, where they will face the Seattle Sounders. Massive credit should go to the Costa Rican side, as they battled hard over the course of two legs, making this matchup far more stressful than most would have anticipated. Their defiant defensive effort held … Continue reading Post Match: Finding Their Feet

Samuel Rowan7 Comments
Eighty Six Forever, Guess the Starting XI, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Guess the Starting XI – Champions Cup vs. C.S. Cartaginés (Second Leg)

Welcome back, everyone. The Vancouver Whitecaps return to the Champions Cup on Wednesday when they host Costa Rican side C.S. Cartaginés at BC Place, following a 0-0 draw in the first leg last week. Looking at Vancouver’s squad, I’d guess that both Kenji Cabrera and Edier Ocampo will be right back in the starting XI, having been rested against RSL. Similarly, Jeevan Badwal may have … Continue reading Guess the Starting XI – Champions Cup vs. C.S. Cartaginés (Second Leg)

Samuel Rowan22 Comments
Eighty Six Forever, Report Card, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Report Card: AZ Does It

Saturday night at BC Place, the Vancouver Whitecaps began their MLS season with a rather nervy 1-0 win over a depleted Real Salt Lake side. While Jesper Sørensen’s team have not come sprinting out of the blocks to start 2026, they have kept back-to-back clean sheets and were quite clearly the better side in both matches they have played. They have also done this while … Continue reading Report Card: AZ Does It

Samuel Rowan3 Comments
Eighty Six Forever, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

2026 Vancouver Whitecaps Season Preview

The MLS season begins Saturday for the Vancouver Whitecaps, and with that in mind (as is tradition), we rounded up our writing team to ponder some questions and make some predictions about the upcoming season. Without further ado, let’s dive right in. Where do you see the Vancouver Whitecaps finishing in the Western Conference this season, and if they reach the playoffs, how far will … Continue reading 2026 Vancouver Whitecaps Season Preview

Samuel Rowan1 Comment
Eighty Six Forever, Guess the Starting XI, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Guess the Starting XI – Match One vs. Real Salt Lake

Welcome back, everyone. The Vancouver Whitecaps return to MLS action this weekend with their home opener, as they host Real Salt Lake in a Western Conference matchup. RSL finished ninth in the West last season and were not the most impressive side. However, there has been significant roster turnover, so perhaps this new group can provide the spark that was missing for long stretches, particularly … Continue reading Guess the Starting XI – Match One vs. Real Salt Lake

Samuel Rowan25 Comments
Eighty Six Forever, Post Match, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Post Match: A Typical Night in Costa Rica

Wednesday night at Estadio Jose Rafael Meza, the Vancouver Whitecaps played out a scoreless draw against C.S. Cartaginés to open their 2026 competitive calendar with some continental action. As is typical in these early Concacaf rounds, Cartaginés came in with a clear and disciplined plan. They were prepared to sit deep, defend in numbers, and absorb waves of Vancouver pressure with a compact defensive block. … Continue reading Post Match: A Typical Night in Costa Rica

Samuel Rowan7 Comments
Eighty Six Forever, Guess the Starting XI, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Guess the Starting XI – Champions Cup vs. C.S. Cartaginés

Welcome back, everyone! Whitecaps action is back for 2026, starting with a CONCACAF tie down in Costa Rica against C.S. Cartaginés. The hosts are currently second in the Clausura table and finished third in the Apertura, so this is a side in solid form and well into their season, rather than just getting started. They’re also a low-scoring team with strong defensive numbers, so expect … Continue reading Guess the Starting XI – Champions Cup vs. C.S. Cartaginés

Samuel Rowan25 Comments
Eighty Six Forever, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Vancouver Whitecaps: No Stadium, Big Problem?

On a Friday where the Vancouver Whitecaps signed two new players and re-signed another, somehow, those moves were a secondary story to the main event of the day. As the Whitecaps continue their pre-season in Spain, and the start of competitive matches is just a couple of weeks away, an email hit the inbox announcing that Axel Schuster would be available to media at UBC … Continue reading Vancouver Whitecaps: No Stadium, Big Problem?

Samuel Rowan33 Comments
Eighty Six Forever, Guess the Starting XI, Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Guess the Starting XI – End of Year Awards

Welcome back, everyone. The Vancouver Whitecaps came up one match short of the promised land this season, bowing out in the MLS Cup Final to Inter Miami. Despite the frustrating ending, it was a wonderful season of football in Vancouver, and I hope you enjoyed the highs and lows along the way as much as I did. With that said, it’s time to get down … Continue reading Guess the Starting XI – End of Year Awards

Samuel Rowan3 Comments