It has been said that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Today was day 479th of the Marc Dos Santos era, and thus far, the 'Caps can boast, if that is the word, an 8-11-16 record in all competitions, having scored 39 times, conceded 64, for a goal differential of -25. Meanwhile, 23 players have come in, 24 left, as well as an additional 12 who have both arrived and already departed, over the course of those 479 days. To say that that there has been significant turnover would be an understatement of the highest order.
And yet, despite this, little has changed. Just look at a sampling of what the supporters had to say on social media after the match.
The real shame for #VWFC is there are people who didn’t renew their season tickets this year seeing what happened and even happier with the choice they made.
— apuntersview (@apuntersview) March 1, 2020
Vancouver Southsiders before the match
That was shocking tonight. Poor effort. Diving all over the place. No visible tactics. #VWFC
— Steve Ayres (@opiatedforty9) March 1, 2020
I'm not the only one seeing this @WhitecapsCEO. I know you just got here but this has been a long standing tradition with #VWFC regardless of players/coaches. This can't keep happening.
— Dental Damnation (@DentalDamnation) March 1, 2020
Wow. Carbon copy of last year. Long balls over the top and 90% back or lateral passes. So disappointing.
— CLoo (@cloo2014) March 1, 2020
Lucas Cavallini sends it right into the keeper, when a direct shot would have levelled things at 2 apiece.
On Friday, Whitecaps CEO Mark Pannes told reports that the club has only sold 8,800 season tickets, or equivalencies, which represents a decrease of 17%, or a loss of at least 1,800 supporters. That's a significant loss in anyone's books, but for the Whitecaps, it's become the norm. Ten years ago, with four months to go before the season started, the Whitecaps had sold nearly 16,000 season tickets, their original cap, and planned to expand it to 16,500.
And while the Whitecaps rarely release figures of this nature, to go from 16,000 in 2011 to 8,800 in 2020 represents a loss of 7,200 supporters, or 800 per year. On the field, the club got off to a rocky start, when they finished 18th in a then 18-club league. 2015 was the club's high water mark, MLS-wise, when they finished 3rd.
Heading into the 2016 season, spirits were as high as they have ever been. It was their second consecutive year in the CONCACAF Champions League, where they bowed out in April to Mexican side UANL in the Semi-Finals. But ultimately, they had a disappointing finish to their league campaign, where they 16th in a then-20 club league.
It's not unreasonable to think that the zenith of the 'Caps on field performances might mirror their season ticket numbers, and if that is the case, then they would have lost around 7,200 supports in just the last four years, or around 1,800 per year.
This kind of model is unsustainable.
Something has to be done.
And it's not going to get any easier. Tonight's opponents, Sporting Kansas City, finished 21st last season, while Vancouver was 23rd. Sporting were only four points better than the 'Caps; after witnessing tonight's performance, few would be believe it.
Sporting used the flanks, they used the middle, they finished their chances, and they held possession all night in Vancouver's half, but were especially effective down the left side.
And Vancouver, oh Vancouver, they relied on the long ball. And that's about it.
Not that many needed it, but Teibert and Hwang proved conclusively that they make a poor tandem in the middle of the park. Lacking the size and strength necessary to bully that position, and the skill to overcome it, thankfully, mercifully, reinforcements are on the way.
One little Southsider after the match
The 'Caps have made a flurry of recent signings, and hopefully everyone will be fit and ready to face the Galaxy in Los Angeles on Saturday, which is just about the last thing a club would want after a demoralising home loss.
At least they'll have a good view of Javier "Chicharito" Hernández's home debut. Given Vancouver's porous defence and the Little Pea's knack for scoring poachers goals, it wouldn't be at all surprising if he got the first hat trick of his MLS career.
Perhaps the saddest part of today was how many fans began to talk of 'there's always next year' as they headed for the aisles. There's a lot of season left to play, but as the old adage goes, "you never get a second chance to make a first impression."
And all this without one mention of Erik Hurtado, after being shipped off to Kansas City by Dos Santos, scoring Sporting’s third goal in stoppage time.