Vancouver Whitecaps Year in Review: Introduction

October 20, 2009 at 4:56 am | Posted in Whitecaps Season 2009 | 7 Comments

In an effort to cheer myself up from the bitter disappointment of the non-final against Montreal I have decided to try to work on something more constructive for the time being: the Whitecaps year in review.  This was, by far, the most eventful year in Whitecaps history for some time.  To say it was a year of highs and lows would be an understatement.  Being a Whitecaps fan was akin to suffering from a manic-depressive disorder.

The greatest high was the acceptance of Vancouver’s bid to join the MLS.  This was a triumph which will benefit the Whitecaps, BC soccer, Canadian Soccer, the city of Vancouver and the MLS itself, which will have another TFC and Seattle Sounders success story to watch.  The Pacific Northwest may be the biggest benefactor of all with Seattle, Portland and Vancouver vying for ascendancy in a regional football hotbed.  Can you imagine the games we will be able to see in the fututre?  The exhibition game in Seattle between the Sounders and Barcelona FC was just an example of what we will be treated to over the next few years.

The second greatest high was our playoff success, especially beating Portland in the semi-final.  The second leg win in Portland was nothing short of heroic and deserved a victory parade all on its own.  Was it the greatest game ever played in USL history?  It must have been…

The greatest low was the sending off of Pejic in the second leg of the final by a ref bent on making himself the star and MVP of the match.   He succeeded in this respect.  This rash decision by the referee ruined what was shaping up to be a great final. When will referees get over themselves and let players decide games?

Close to this low was when the Montreal Impact threw its match to TFC in the Canadian Championship, losing the match 1-6 at home by sending out their B squad.   Impact coach Dos Santos and Impact owner Joey Saputo showed their lack of self respect and sporting honour by doing this.  Their lack of respect to their own team, to Canadian soccer and to basic sporting principles was decried by the Impact’s own supporters who staged a protest to demonstrate their disgust.  The Whitecaps were bounced out of the competition because of their treachery.   TFC won the competition as a result and were promptly bounced out of the competition by the Puerto Rico Islanders, whom the Whitecaps had recently beaten 4-2.

In the next posts I will examine other aspects of what has been a truly crazy year.