The Vancouver Whitecaps opened their MLS season with impressive displays across their first four matches, but recent form has dipped slightly, with a fifth-game loss to San Jose leaving them at 4 wins, 0 draws, and 1 loss. While playing four of those five matches at home offered some advantage, their previously dominant performances have been less convincing against stronger opponents such as the Quakes … Continue reading The Whitecaps’ Early MLS Performance Explained

There is a lot of discussion at the moment about how much money the Vancouver Whitecaps make. One thing I have seen come up a few times in various comment sections is that they are making money from selling players. This piqued my interest, so I decided to take a look at if the Whitecaps have been profitable player traders (spoiler alert: mostly not) and … Continue reading A History of Whitecaps Player Trading Since the Davies Money™

The Vancouver Whitecaps have signed Senegal international Cheikh Sabaly from FC Metz in Ligue 1. Sabaly, who will turn 27 next month, has extensive experience in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2. He also has 6 caps for Senegal, including being part of the recent AFCON winning side. Metz is a yo-yo club in France, so Sabaly has been back and forth between the top two … Continue reading Deep Dive: Cheikh Sabaly

The Vancouver Whitecaps have acquired 24-year-old attacking midfielder Aziel Jackson (sometimes known as AZ) on loan from Polish side Jagiellonia. The loan is until “the summer” at which point the Whitecaps will have the option to make the transfer permanent should they desire. Jackson has been an underachiever to this point in his career. He was a dominant player in MLSNP but has not been … Continue reading Deep Dive: Aziel Jackson

The Vancouver Whitecaps have signed 21-year-old Ecuadorian winger Bruno Caicedo from S.C Barcelona (not that one). It is said to be a 1.5 million dollar transfer with Caicedo signing a 4.5 year contract. He has made 30 appearances in the Ecuadorian first division and 4 appearances for Ecuador at U-20 level. He spent the most recent season on loan at Orense. What you are here … Continue reading Deep Dive: Bruno Caicedo

Well, folks, it happened. Oliver Larraz, a player identified in the “Sensible Whitecaps Transfers” series, has indeed signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps. Let’s go into a little bit more detail about why this is a move that makes a lot of sense for both the Whitecaps and Larraz. Career History: Larraz (24) is a graduate of the Rapids Academy and played his first minutes for … Continue reading Deep Dive: Oliver Larraz

With the departure of Daniel Rios, the Whitecaps only have one striker over the age of 20. This has led to a more experienced centre-forward being on a lot of people’s offseason wishlists. It’s certainly a position that raises some interesting questions for the Whitecaps, and MLS teams more broadly. Let’s get into it. We Have Striker Depth at Home It’s first worth asking if … Continue reading Sensible Whitecaps Transfers: Striker Depth

With the departures of Ali Ahmed and Jayden Nelson, the Whitecaps find themselves with relatively few players in forward positions who excel at running with the ball. I think, therefore, it makes sense to look for another player who can run the ball up the field. In this edition of sensible Whitecaps transfers, we will be doing just that. Search Parameters: If you want more … Continue reading Sensible Whitecaps Transfers: Ball Carrying Wingers

As expected, the Vancouver Whitecaps have cashed in on some key players from last season. What is perhaps less expected is that they have sold both Jayden Nelson and Ali Ahmed. So, I thought it was time to take stock of where the Whitecaps are and where they could potentially go from here. Thoughts on the Ahmed Sale Losing Ali Ahmed, in many ways, sucks. … Continue reading What’s next for the Whitecaps after the departure of Ali Ahmed and Jayden Nelson?