• 2017 Major League Soccer season preview: Vancouver Whitecaps
VANCOUVER—Vancouver Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson is fond of saying he relishes a challenge.
After his team fumbled through the 2016 Major League Soccer season—one surrounded by big expectations—to finish eighth in the Western Conference, missing out on the playoffs, he found himself facing a big one.
Which adjustments, big and small, would he make to a team needing to bounce back from such a disappointing season?
As the Whitecaps kick off their seventh MLS campaign on Sunday with a matchup against the Philadelphia Union at BC Place, they’ll do so with a retooled roster.
It’s too early to predict just what kind of quality fans can expect, but the early signs are promising: On Thursday, the ’Caps reached the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals for the first time in club history with a win over the New York Red Bulls.
Robinson’s off-season tinkering with his roster suggests fans in Vancouver could be in for some excitement this year. Here’s what you need to know.
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The departed
The biggest name to leave Vancouver after the 2016 season was Chilean playmaker Pedro Morales. The midfielder, who wore the captain’s armband, had an up-and-down career with the Whitecaps after a solid first season and struggled with injuries.
Right fullbacks Fraser Aird and Jordan Smith also left, as did midfielder Kianz Froeze and forwards Blas Perez, Masato Kudo and Giles Barnes.
The acquisitions
Vancouver’s biggest off-season splash came when the team acquired striker Fredy Montero on a one-year loan from Chinese Super League club Tianjin Teda.
Montero, a three-time MLS all-star, had a sparkling career with the Seattle Sounders, the Whitecaps’ Cascadia rival.
The 29-year-old made his debut in a Whitecaps jersey on Thursday, coming on as a second-half substitute and scoring with his first touch.
“It feels good. I feel happy,” he said afterwards before adding a line that sounded like a marketing pitch: “I just want to invite all the fans to keep coming to the games to support us. It’s going to be a good year and we are going to give the best that we have.”
While Montero missed out on the team’s pre-season and isn’t 100 per cent match fit yet, the speed with which he showed his effectiveness will be exciting for fans who have longed for a proven goal scorer in Vancouver.
The Whitecaps also signed forward/midfielder Yordy Reyna in January. The Peruvian national suffered an injury during the pre-sason and underwent surgery on a broken bone in his left foot, which will sideline him until sometime in the summer. But the 23-year-old should be a compelling addition to the team’s attack when he’s healthy.
Vancouver also picked up Brek Shea from Orlando City, who acquired Barnes in exchange.
Shea had mostly been used as a left back in his time in Florida, but the 27-year-old made clear when he arrived in Vancouver that he prefers to play higher up the field.
“I like to attack,” he said. “Higher up the field is better for that. I like playing on the right, on the left, or even higher. Wherever the team needs me.”
The Texas native made his debut for Vancouver during the Champions League match on Thursday. Robinson employed him as a No. 9 and singled him out afterward for his “outstanding” performance.
While goal scoring was an issue last year for Vancouver, so too was defensive sloppiness. Right back, in particular, was an area of weakness for the team. Robinson addressed that by signing veteran Sheanon Williams and newcomer Jake Nerwinski, whom the team selected seventh overall in this year’s MLS SuperDraft.
Amidst all the new faces is a familiar one: veteran midfielder Mauro Rosales, who spent two years in Vancouver before a season with FC Dallas, is back with the ’Caps.
The kid
For all the change in Vancouver, the most exciting player to watch might well be one who featured in last year’s squad. Alphonso Davies, who turned 16 in November, continues to draw all eyes his way whenever he takes to the pitch. It’s become something of a cliché to say that Davies has a composure that belies his age, but it remains true. Just take a look at the highlights from the Whitecaps’ CONCACAF game on Thursday, when Davies scored the team’s first goal.
The questions
Some of the Whitecaps’ struggles last year could be blamed on bad luck. Injuries, for example: After Kekuta Manneh succumbed to a broken foot last summer, his absence was sharply felt. The 22-year-old is back and healthy, which is good news for Vancouver.
But a lot of Vancouver’s woes last year stemmed from a general sense of disappointment. Several important members of the roster underwhelmed in 2016, and if the Whitecaps are going to be competitive this year—which means not just making the playoffs but making a deep run—those players will need to put up better, more consistent performances. Can Matias Laba, Kendall Waston, Cristian Techera and even David Ousted recapture their old form?
On Sunday, in what Robinson called a “massive” first test at home to start their MLS season, we’ll start to find out.
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