Whitecaps Football Shorts # 10

This round up features the reserve league, referees, Portland’s home debut and the Manchester City friendly…

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The Caps officially announced today what we revealed earlier this morning, that Sunday’s reserve league clash with Chivas USA will be played behind closed doors.

We were able to let fans know on Wednesday that the game was going to be held at Empire, not from communication from the Caps, but from info we were told by the visitors Chivas.

Ever since the reserve league schedule was released last month, we’ve been in contact with the Club to try and find out arrangements for attending these matches. We’ll go into all the whys and whereforalls around this issue on Sunday when we finally run the piece we’ve had waiting to go for ages on the reserve league. Suffice to say we had to rely on information coming from the Chivas FO, who were excellent to deal with incidentally.

Now on the one hand, we fully understand the cost implications for the Club in opening these games up to the public. They have no idea how many people will come out and how much security they will need. It might cost them a lot of money to please a handful of people, along with the cost of cleaning up the stadium after Saturday’s first team match.

The Club have have known about this for weeks though and have had plenty of time to either sort out the logistics at Empire, find a different stadium to play the matches at (as Seattle have done by using Starfire) or to at least let the fans know more than two days before the actual game.

At least more positively, Barber told today’s It’s Called Football Podcast that “We’re not making this one open in the way we had intended to in the future….Certainly it’s our intention going forward to try and make these games as available as we can. Obviously cost and logistics are going to come into it from time to time, but going forward we’re going to make it as public as we can and we’ll certainly communicate with our fans when we can do that”.

At least that’s promising news for going forward. Let’s just hope the communication is more timeous than this week.

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MLS referees are in the news – again.

Vancouver fans are learning the hard way that some of the officiating in MLS leaves a lot to be desired.

We complained up here last week about the antics of Baldy Toledo. There was some sympathy, some disagreement, but very little interest.

After picking up his fifth booking in six games though on Wednesday night, the newly suspended David Beckham has now spoken out about MLS refereeing:

“To be honest, over the last few games, I’ve spoken too much about referees. They are becoming the stars of MLS and that’s obviously not what teams want and clubs want”.

Of course, when darling David squeaks, people take notice.

It was interesting to listen to Alexi Lalas’ comments on ESPN during half time of the Portland-Chicago game last night.

“Can’t live with them. Can’t throw them off a bridge.” was his view on the men in the middle, but it was interesting to hear that yellow cards have shown a 33% increase on this time last year, and red cards in MLS have increased by a staggering 89% – and that’s not all Eric Hassli’s fault!

One fact I hadn’t known prior to this season is that the refs aren’t MLS refs, but confederation referees. Explains it all to me as to where the problems lie.

What we all need is for many others to speak out and be critical of the refereeing quality in the League. The more outrage there is, the more chance of some kind of changes. Throw any “respect” campaign out the window.

The referee in last week’s Whitecaps match in Houston, Jair Marrufo, was excellent. For every Marrufo though, we seem to have two or more Toledos, and this is what needs to change and to change soon.

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Last night’s MLS home opener at Piggy Park was a fantastic occasion for Portland Timbers.

The atmosphere and general gameday experience has blown people away, not only in North America, but also in the hard to please UK, where many football fans still don’t really consider MLS to be a proper league.

The Timbers Army certainly rose to the occasion.

We’re not ashamed to say, as we have before, that the TA are easily the best supporters group in North America. Their size, their noise and their organisation put many others to shame. It’s certainly where I’d like to see the Southsiders reaching, especially around co-ordination and stadium participation.

Having taken in a few matches in Portland in recent years, we know what the TA are like, before, during and after the match. Last night though they seemed to have moved up that extra level and seemed to have the whole stadium rocking with them. They certainly had more than the usual TA section bouncing and chanting.

More power to them.

From what we’ve seen with the three home games at Empire, the games in Seattle this season and previous, and now at the piggery, the spirit of the new MLS is in the Pacific Northwest.

We’re all very lucky to have a chance to be a part of it.

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We covered the announcement of the Caps mid-season friendly against Manchester City yesterday.

Now that we’ve had a chance to sleep on the news and all of the logistics of it settle in, the burning question that remains is “why the hell are the Club giving the players three games in five days?”.

The more I think of the friendly, the less sense it makes. Adding in a game right in the middle of two vital regular season games, and against two Western Conference opponents in Salt Lake and San Jose at that, seems crazy.

The game is certainly going to generate a buzz but with season tickets already at pretty much their 16,500 cut off point, is it really worth going for that for a Monday night game?

The Caps have already acknowledged this by saying a number of the squad will get a run out. What a quality match this is going to end up being then.

At least we’ll have real grass! And for the Salt Lake game too, which is a much welcome added bonus.

Southsiders Vice President, Brett Graham, came up with a fantastic idea for the match – make it a testimonial game for Martin Nash. It would be a nice touch, for a great servant to the Club, but with the Caps giving season ticket holders a free ticket to the game, there’s not going to be a lot of money to be made for Martin. Definitely something to consider for a future game down the road though.

Final thing we’ll say on the friendly for now and that’s to applaud the Club once again for letting season ticket holders into the game for free.

We may not be 100% sure exactly why we’re having this game, when we’re having it, but it’s good to know it’s not just for a way to make more money off the fans. A big well done to the Club for that.

MLS Shorts # 1

The big announcement this week in MLS will come on Thursday when the schedule is finally announced. Fans all over the League have been waiting for this moment and for AFTN and Caps fans, we can finally start planning our trips to Seattle, Portland, LA, San Jose and beyond. Let’s just hope they didn’t go with the ridiculous rivalry week idea.

The schedule this season is coming out a week later than last year, with the season starting a week earlier. The League have said “We recognize that the timing of [the schedule’s] release has caused some inconvenience and we appreciate our fans’ continued patience”.

That’s all well and good but it’s another sign that the League bigwigs just don’t get supporters culture and the fact that we want to travel away to watch our guys. With holiday time needing booked in many workplaces at the start of the year, it’s just not acceptable and very minor league. They can use their stock excuses all they want, but like a Montreal Imapact fan, it just doesn’t wash.

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At least this week’s news will interest the fans. Last week’s turned out to be a huge anti-climax. Hyped up that there was going to be “a major soccer announcement” last Tuesday, fans were speculating as to what it could be. The schedule? A major new sponsor? A fantastic television deal? Don Garbage had seen the light and decided to move on, passing the baton on to a real football man?

When it turned out to be the announcement of the 2011 All-Star game, it was like wtf?

The 2011 game, we are told, is going to be held in New York. Cue big fanfare and big fanny Thierry Henry. Except of course, it’s not being held in New York. Neither city or state, but Harrison, New Jersey. Not as exciting I guess.

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What is the point of the all-star game? From reading various fan forums, none of the fans want it. It detracts from the schedule and kills the buzz when the season is in full flow. There hasn’t even been any oppositon announced. Is MLS really that desperate for acceptance into the mainstream American sporting fraternity that it has to shun what the rest of the world does and go with ridiculous conferences and all-star bullshit? Do they really want to be American that much or is that the only way Garbage feels he can hold his head up high and be considered “major league”. Waste of time, money and resources. It would be better spent improving all that’s wrong with the league.

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With so much wrong in MLS, the League will always struggle to attract top notch names and talent from overseas. We’ll be left with “names” that are coming to the end of their career and more wanting one last payday or a new way of life, than anything else.

Seems like this may apply to managers too as the ‘Special One’ has told Sky Italia that he would like to end his managerial days in MLS.

“My idea is to stay at the top of European soccer for the next 10 to 15 years. After that I would like to have a completely different experience in the United States – the New York Red Bulls or Los Angeles Galaxy, a home in Manhattan or a home in Malibu. That’s the idea I have”. Nice work if you can get it and I’m pretty sure he could!

Also pretty sure he couldn’t hack all the MLS rules and regulations at the same time.

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On a lighter, less ranty note, good news coming out of Portland as it’s been announced that Bright Dike will be missing a lengthy part of the season following a torn achilles tendon. After our run ins with Dike last season, we’re pretty pleased about that. One less player to abuse mind, but we still have Pore and Nagbe. Still crossing our fingers for that accidental leg break on the latter of course.

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Talking of missing players. What the hell is happening with Beckham? He was last seen yesterday taking in the Chelski-Liverpool game at Stamford Bridge. Surely he’d be better suited taking part in the Galaxy’s pre-season training?

The Galaxy are playing down the absence but if I was a Galaxy fan, which thankfully I’m not, I’d be getting worried about comments like “Just when Beckham is supposed to return is unknown, even to Galaxy officials”.

Beckham has only made 48 appearances for the Galaxy in four years. That’s just three more than all the matches the team played last season. If we don’t get to abuse him at Empire then that’s going to take a bit of the shine of the season!

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Of course we should say above, Empire or BC Place, as it was announced today that a provisional completion date for the renovated BC Place has been given as September 30th.

A coin toss is expected as to who will be the first team to play there. Expectations had been that the Caps would be the first team to play at the new look venue, in a nod to it’s first grand opening in 1983.

Just let the Lions do it. In fact, let’s just play out the whole season at Empire. It’s a much better suited stadium for football. Very old school UK style and will create some great atmoshperes and games in the short time we’re going to be there. I’d love us to stay there for as long as we can.

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Finally an update on the Cascadia Summit pre-season ticketing shambles. The Whitecaps finally put our allocation on sale this morning at 10am, nearly a full week after what turned out to be the Seattle only allocation went on sale from Ticketmaster.

Very little promotion for it. No mention on the offical Caps website, facebook or twitter. There may have been an email blast but most people I’ve spoken to have not received it. You know, it’s as if they can’t be bothered with the whole thing and it’s just too much hassle for them. That’s certainly the impression that they’re giving.

Tickets are available from calling the Caps main office on 604 669 9283. Press 2 to go through to a ticket rep. Tickets cost $10 each and there will be a $2 cost per order for mailing them to you. Get in quick though, as it’s first come, first served and only available to season ticket holders.

Golden Balls Up If Beckham Loan Deal Goes Ahead

The on-off, will he-won’t he loan deal saga surrounding David Beckham is beyond tiresome already.

Some reports are still suggesting that his short term loan deal from LA Galaxy to Tottenham Hotspur could still be on.

Why?

It’s just baffling to me on so many levels.

From Tottenham’s point of view, why would you risk unsettling a pretty stable and currently buoyant side by bringing in a big name, past his sell by date distraction?

The loan deal would only be for around two months as Beckham would have to return to Los Angeles in time for the Galaxy’s MLS opener against Seattle at Qwest Field on March 15th.

What can a player do in that time? If he’s pish, he disrupts the team with possibly disasterous consequences for Spurs. If he somehow turns out to be great and just what they need to cement their push for at least a Champions League spot again next season, he’ll be buggering off right in the middle of it all. Unfinished business and again possibly dire consequences.

From a LA Galaxy point of view. What benefit can they get allowing their “star” player to be training and playing with people that aren’t his Galaxy team-mates? Where’s the squad bonding in the build up to the new season?

Surely spending time with your team, working on tactics, developing understandings with your fellow LA players is worth a hell of a lot more than a short jaunt in London. Also, with Premiership, FA Cup and Champions League games in the offing there is more than a chance that someone will do a hatchet job on Becks and injure him before the MLS season can even begin.

Should Beckham get injured though and miss some games, this could be a great boon for the Caps off the field, whilst also being a promotional nightmare for the front office off it!

It just all makes no sense and that’s why I’m pretty sure it won’t be happening.

It is a lesson to the Whitecaps though.

If we ever do get around to signing a designated player or two, it should be on the strict understanding that they will not be allowed to piss off for a few months jaunt elsewhere. Staying with the team in the off season is way more important.