Sjöberg's Stoppage-Time Strike Silences the Supporters and Stuns the 'Caps

July 9, 2016 Christopher Vose

2016-07-09 Round 19; Vancouver Whitecaps FC v Colorado Rapids SC.jpg

2016-07-09 Curva Collective Goal Reaction (Waston).jpg

2016-07-09 Vancouver Southsiders Goal Reaction (Waston).jpg

2016-07-09 Marco Pappa, Matias Laba, and Kekuta Manneh.jpg

2016-07-09 Jordan Harvey and Marco Pappa.jpg

2016-07-09 Chewbacca and the Curva Collective.jpg

2016-07-09 Eric Miller and Kendall Waston.jpg

2016-07-09 Tim Howard and Christian Bolanos.jpg

2016-07-09 Tim Howard and Erik Hurtado.jpg

2016-07-09 Jared Watts and Cristian Techera.jpg

2016-07-09 Cristian Techera and Nicolas Mezquida.jpg

2016-07-09 Cristian Techera Goal (Penalty).jpg

2016-07-09 Cristian Techera Goal Celebration 2.jpg

2016-07-09 David Ousted Goal Reaction (Sjoberg).jpg

The problems of the 2016 edition of Vancouver Whitecaps FC are well documented. At its most basic level, the 'Caps are having trouble scoring goals, and preventing them; but a better summary might be to say that they are finding ways of turning wins into draws, and draws into losses.

Tonight, it was Axel Sjöberg who broke the supporters' hearts. Sjöberg as you may recall, was the 14th pick in 2015, exactly one spot behind Vancouver's Tim Parker.

After tonight's result, Parker has still scored one more goal than Sjöberg, collected four fewer yellow cards (none of which were in the same match), while playing the equivalent of almost 18 more games. But if tangents like that are any indication, it's becoming harder and harder to find some silver linings.

Kendall Waston sent off, but ten-man Whitecaps hang on for 1-1 draw with Sporting

April 28, 2016 Christopher Vose

2016-04-27 Round 9; Vancouver Whitecaps FC v Sporting Kansas City.jpg

2016-04-27 Sporting Kansas City Supporters Tifo.jpg

2016-04-27 Curva Collective Goal Reaction (Bolaños).jpg

2016-04-27 Diego Rubio Goal Celebration.jpg

2016-04-27 Sporting Kansas City Goal Reaction (Rubio).jpg

2016-04-27 Kendall Waston's Second Yellow Card 1.jpg

2016-04-27 Kendall Waston's Second Yellow Card.jpg

2016-04-27 Vancouver Whitecaps FC Supporters Red Card Reaction (Waston).jpg

2016-04-27 David Ousted and Nuno Andre Coelho.jpg

Vancouver's Christian Bolaños and Kansas City's Diego Rubio scored first half goals, and the Whitecaps held on with only ten men for a 1-1 draw on Wednesday night.

Bolaños scored his first Major League goal, connecting with a Cristian Techera corner kick in the 14th minute. Bolaños deftly slotted the ball into the top corner with a left-footed volley, which beat Sporting goalkeeper Alec Kann.

Sporting tied it 13 minutes later on Rubio's first Major League goal. He scored off a scuffed shot by Kansas City's Lawrence Olum.

Vancouver went down to ten men in the 51st minute when an uncharacteristically poor back pass from Tim Parker to goalkeeper David Ousted forced fellow defender Kendall Waston to take down Rubio for his second yellow card.

Vancouver Whitecaps thump FC Dallas 3-0 as Major League improvement continues

April 23, 2016 Christopher Vose

2016-04-23 Round 8; Vancouver Whitecaps FC v FC Dallas.jpg

2016-04-23 Tesho Akindele, Tim Parker, and Michael Barrios.jpg

2016-04-23 Atiba Harris and Kendall Waston.jpg

2016-04-23 David Ousted and Kendall Waston.jpg

2016-04-23 Vancouver Whitecaps FC's First Goal Celebration (Figueroa).jpg

2016-04-23 Curva Collective Goal Reaction (Figueroa).jpg

2016-04-23 Victor Ulloa and Kekuta Manneh.jpg

2016-04-23 Vancouver Whitecaps FC Supporter 2.jpg

2016-04-23 Jordan Harvey Goal Celebration 2.jpg

2016-04-23 Octavio Rivero and Zach Loyd-2.jpg

2016-04-23 Blas Pérez and Kekuta Manneh.jpg

2016-04-23 Blas Pérez, Walker Zimmerman, and Kekuta Manneh.jpg

2016-04-23 Nicolas Mezquida and Carlos Gruezo.jpg

2016-04-23 Pa Modou Kah, Kekuta Manneh, and Sam Adekugbe.jpg

Jordan Harvey and Kekuta Manneh scored for Vancouver and Dallas had an own-goal in the Whitecaps' 3-0 victory.

Vancouver took the lead in 35th minute, to end their three-match scoring drought, when Manneh whipped a cross in that Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz punched off defender Maynor Figueroa, and into his own net.

Harvey made it 2-0 in the 63rd minute off a Cristian Techera corner, after the ball fell to him in the Dallas penalty area. Manneh sealed it in the 77th when Blas Pérez — just into the match as a substitute against his former club — touched the ball to Manneh for a shot through Seitz's legs.

Major League-leading Dallas were unbeaten in their previous six matches.

Vancouver Whitecaps and LA Galaxy play controversial goalless draw as Major League refs cop more criticism

April 2, 2016 Christopher Vose

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2016-04-02 Vancouver Whitecaps FC Supporters.jpg

2016-04-02 Pedro Morales and Jake Joachim.jpg

2016-04-02 Robbie Rogers and Jordan Harvey.jpg

2016-04-02 Kekuta Manneh and Robbie Rogers.jpg

2016-04-02 Nicolas Mezquida and Nigel de Jong.jpg

2016-04-02 Jelle Van Damme, Nicolas Mezquida, and Baggio Husidic.jpg

2016-04-02 Brian Rowe and Tim Parker.jpg

2016-04-02 Ashley Cole and Octavio Rivero.jpg

2016-04-02 Tim Parker and Sebastian Lletget.jpg

Matías Laba was shown a straight red card in the first half, but the Vancouver Whitecaps still held on for a 0-0 tie with the Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday night.

The midfielder was sent off in the 28th minute for a challenge on Los Angeles counterpart Mike Magee, outside the Whitecaps' penalty area.

Vancouver is now unbeaten in three straight, while Los Angeles picked up its first away point of the season.

After an emotionally charged opening 45 minutes that included Laba's dismissal, the Whitecaps sat back after halftime, down a man, content to soak up the pressure, and try to hit the visitors on the counterattack.

Dubious penalty earns Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0 victory over Houston Dynamo

March 26, 2016 Christopher Vose

2016-03-26 Round 4; Vancouver Whitecaps FC v Houston Dynamo.jpg

2016-03-26 Cristian Techera, Raul Rodriguez, and Octavio Rivero.jpg

2016-03-26 Octavio Rivero, DaMarcus Beasley, and Joe Willis.jpg

2016-03-26 Pa Modou Kah and David Horst.jpg

2016-03-26 David Gantar, Joe Willis, and Raul Rodriguez.jpg

2016-03-26 Vancouver Whitecaps FC Supporters.jpg

2016-03-26 Pedro Morales Goal (Penalty Kick).jpg

2016-03-26 Pedro Morales Goal Celebration 1.jpg

2016-03-26 Leonel Miranda and Octavio Rivero.jpg

2016-03-26 Raul Rodriguez and Octavio Rivero.jpg

2016-03-26 Kudo Masato and DaMarcus Beasley.jpg

2016-03-26 Show Racism the Red Card Tifo.jpg

2016-03-26 David Ousted and David Horst.jpg

Pedro Morales scored a penalty kick in the 23rd minute, and the Vancouver Whitecaps beat the Houston Dynamo 1-0 on Saturday night.

The Whitecaps' captain sent goalkeeper Joe Willis the wrong way from the spot, after Dynamo defender Jalil Anibaba was judged to have fouled Vancouver striker Kudo Masto in the box.

Morales currently leads the Major League with four goals in four matches to start the season, all penalties. Vancouver's other two goals also have come from dead-ball situations — off a corner and an indirect free kick.

Post-Match: Vancouver 2, Seattle 1

March 19, 2016 Christopher Vose

Vancouver Whitecaps FC Manager Carl Robinson

Opening statement:

"It was a better performance. This game is a process, and if you put the right performances in, the results will come. I think we tripped ourselves up with mistakes in the first two games and we accepted that. Today was a team performance."

On Seattle's equaliser:

"(There was) lots of character shown today. It's not an easy place to come. We know we have to have a very good game against a very good team. We know they're going to put you under pressure, and they did that today. When they got the goal, it was a set piece, and a fantastic finish on a free kick. But we showed character, and we probably played our best little bit of football after they scored. That shows the team has character."

Montreal Impact beat Vancouver 3-2 in Major League opener

March 6, 2016 Christopher Vose

Montreal Impact beat Vancouver 3-2 in the Major League, with Argentine midfielder Ignacio Piatti the star. The Impact didn't have Designed Player Didier Drogba, but as it turned out, they didn't need him. Piatti scored twice, assisted on a third, and proved the Impact were right to reject the "transfer offer in excess of $5 million" dollars, which they received from an unnamed Latin American club during the close season. "In different moments, he made it look easy," said Montreal manager Mauro Biello. "He's a first-class player, and when he plays like that, it's hard to defend." The first of these moments came in the 19th minute. Piatti effortlessly wove through a Vancouver defence that included Kianz Froese, Christian Bolaños, Fraser Aird, and Kendall Waston. Aird overcommitted, Waston slipped, and Piatti fired it home.

Blas Perez to save the day, could that mean that Mighty Mouse is on his way?

January 21, 2016 Christopher Vose

Panamá's Blas Pérez in action against Martinique, 2013.

On the field, Blas Pérez is a man who drives opinion. Former teammate Chris Seitz asked, "is he a pest? Absolutely! Does he get under people's skin? 100%. But it's all part of his game, and all part of making him successful." When he wears your colours, you will love him and defend everything he does. When he's in the opposition, most of what comes to mind isn't fit to print. With a penchant for delivering when it matters most, Pérez has earned the enmity of the entire league. Everyone knows who he is and what he can do. But just as importantly, we all know where he is when the clock is ticking. Most of the time, he'll be right there, in the centre of the action. A clock of a different kind has this annoying habit of going on ticking, even after the final whistle blows. And at 34 years of age, FC Dallas decided to part ways with Pérez at the end of last season. But it was not for a lack of fitness or effort.

Portland nullified by Vancouver in goalless Quarter-Final first leg

November 1, 2015 Christopher Vose

The Portland Timbers had less than 72 hours to recover from Thursday's epic 120-minute, penalty kick victory over Sporting Kansas City in the preliminary round of the 2015 Anschutz Cup. If they were feeling the effects on Sunday afternoon, it certainly didn't show. The Vancouver Whitecaps started the match without the services of Captain Pedro Morales, former designated player Mauro Rosales, and perennial starter, Pa Modou Kah, although the first two would see action after they replaced Kekuta Manneh and Gershon Koffie, respectively. The match was officially a sell-out, with an announced capacity attendance of 21,144, although there was a large swath of empty seats sprinkled throughout the stadium. The Timbers Army unveiled a Bob and Doug McKenzie-inspired banner in honour of regular goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey, but the New Zealander was left out after he developed the flu.

Vancouver 0-0 Dallas: 'Caps Qualification Clarified

October 7, 2015 Christopher Vose

The Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club has once again qualified for the Anschutz Cup, not that you will hear it referred to by that name from the Major League, or many of its media partners. They prefer to use its sponsored, and no doubt focus group approved name, the Audi 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs. Vancouver's "qualification" comes after their scoreless draw with FC Dallas. The problem is that they have not actually qualified yet. The Whitecaps have assured themselves of at least a spot in the play-in round, where they lost to Dallas in 2014, and Los Angeles in 2012, but they aren't in the Anschutz Cup proper just yet. In a sense, they have qualified for the qualifying round.

Vancouver Whitecaps return to the top of the Major League

August 22, 2015 Christopher Vose

Before the first blow of the whistle, athletes like to warm up. They will run and jump and try to simulate match-like situations. For the Whitecaps, this includes leaping up for headers, crossing the ball to their teammates, and other things that you would naturally expect of a professional footballer. But Dallas, they're a funny lot. When they warm up, they like to fling themselves to the ground. At least two of them practiced that today. We're not making any judgements, but it was quite a peculiar sight to behind. We've never seen anything like it before. Perhaps they were curious about the new turf at BC Place and wanted to test it out for themselves. After seeing that, you might expect a Dallas player to be the first one to hit the ground. But that honour was reserved for Cristian Techera.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC Rout Salt Lake

August 8, 2015 Christopher Vose

The 'Caps traditionally start well, have a mid-season dip in form, and improve in the final third of the campaign. It's a tradition that they're on course to replicate this year. The key difference being that their highs have been are higher, and their lows are not nearly as pronounced as in seasons past. In the first third, they finished with a 6-2-3 record, good enough for 20 points. In the second, they were 5-1-5, which dropped them down to 16. And in the third, they've already added 6 from two matches. After tonight's victory, they trail only DC United, who they have a game in hand on. They have conceded the fewest goals, and have the best goal difference. They're flying high, though Sporting Kansas City, with all their games in hand, remain a concern.

Kah of Cascadia

August 1, 2015 Christopher Vose

Seattle is not an easy place to play. They're big on the 12th man, here in the Emerald City. You see it on cars, in shop windows, on t-shirts, flags, scarves, and anything else they can get their little hands on. But the Whitecaps needed to get a result. They needed it for the league, where they're mounting a serious Supporters' Shield challenge, and they needed it to keep their search for a record sixth Cascadia Cup alive. It didn't take long for Carl Robinson's men to get on the score sheet. After Dylan Remick brought Cristian Techera down on the edge of the box, Nicolás Mezquida found Kendall Waston. The Tico's header glanced off of Brad Evans' chest, and Pa Modou Kah capitalised on the confusion to put the visitors up one nil. It's a good thing that the majority of the 53,125 wore green, as they weren't looking too good around the gills after that effort.

Whitecaps avalanche buries the Earthquakes

July 26, 2015 Christopher Vose

The San Jose Earthquakes will always hold a special place in the heart of every Vancouverite. They were the Whitecaps very first opponent, way back in 1974. It was a one all win… but before this article gets bogged down in the nuances of the original North American Soccer League, suffice it to say we have a history with the boys from the Bay Area. The less said about regulation stoppage time penalty shootouts and tie-wins, the better. Tonight was the last chance for both sides to get a win in July. Los Angeles (twice), Portland, Houston, Club America, and Manchester United have already defeated San Jose this month in a mixture of league, cup, and friendly encounters. Meanwhile, Vancouver has dropped a pair of results to Colorado and Kansas City, before their ten-men were able to nick a point in the Rose City. With Jordan Harvey unavailable through suspension, Christian Dean bravely stepped into the breach. For some time now, we've extolled the virtues of the young Californian, and he did not disappoint.

Caps wish they had skipped Juri Duty in San Jose

April 11, 2015 Christopher Vose

Being a referee is a thankless job. It really is. When you have a great game, nobody mentions you. And when you have a bad game, you're all they can think of. But through all the hardship and the pain, referees occupy a pivotal role. They are the voice of authority, making on-the-fly decisions, charged with enforcing the Laws of the Game. They represent a neutral point of view, and they strive to be anonymous. At least they're supposed to.

Road Work Ahead, Caps and Crew play to a Stand Still

April 8, 2015 Christopher Vose

With four wins through five matches, Vancouver Whitecaps FC stood alone at the top of the table. By comparison, Columbus Crew SC were all the way down in 16th place. But after tonight's two-all draw, nothing much has changed. At least on paper. The Whitecaps found something here tonight. In seasons past, going behind would have meant that the Caps would push up, leave themselves vulnerable to a counterattack, and they would invariably concede the insurance goal. But this squad is different. Whether ahead or behind, they play as a unit, and the play to win. They didn't quite do that tonight, but it was not for lack of trying.

Whitecaps banish LA's fear factor to a Galaxy, far, far away

April 4, 2015 Christopher Vose

The Los Angeles Galaxy are winners. They are the class of the Major League. They have five Anschutz Cups, four league Championships, two U.S. Open Cups, and a Champions' Cup to grace their cabinet. But that's the past. In the here and now, Vancouver are the class of the league.

Tales from the Training Ground

April 1, 2015 Christopher Vose

Nine points from four matches should be enough to put a smile on almost anyone's face, but Vancouver Whitecaps FC aren't just any club. They know they could have led Toronto FC by two goals at halftime on Opening Day. They know they left it late against Chicago Fire SC, Orlando City SC, and most recently, the Portland Timbers. And they've made mistakes, but they are the kind that can be corrected. Vancouver has left a lot of goals on the pitch, and if they can bury just a few more of them, then they will be challenging on all fronts.

Caps Continue their Winning Ways

March 28, 2015 Christopher Vose

Cascadia Cup matches are events. There is nothing quite like them. The energy in the building is electric. The passion is palpable. To someone who's never experienced a Cascadia Cup match, the best analogy we can give you is that it feels like a playoff atmosphere, but these roots run so much deeper. The experience is far more pronounced. It's tribalism at its finest. You want to win every game, but you enjoy it more when it comes against a rival.

Caps record famous victory amid off-field concerns

March 21, 2015 Christopher Vose

Octavio Rivero has caused problems for defenders from Toronto, Chicago, and now we can add Orlando to the list. Early in the match, he used his speed to outpace Seb Hines, but the City man gave him a nudge, which proved enough to send Rivero tumbling. No penalty was given, but then neither was Rivero booked for simulation, as he found himself last week against the Fire.

CHRISTOPHeR VOSE

Mynor Campos

Tyler Green