The Vancouver Whitecaps’ first season in MLS ended as so many other “expansion” teams’ season have ended in U.S. leagues throughout the years: basement and struggling to build for the future.* &nbsp;After the near immediate success of recent MLS additions like Seattle and Philly, as well as the late playoff run by Cascadia rivals Portland, this season had to have been somewhat of a disappointment. &nbsp;Now, on their third coach in less than two years, the team is looking to build on a solid nucleus to begin their climb up the tough Western Conference standings and contend for an MLS playoff spot.
The Whitecaps kick off our “3 Questions” series for this offseason, where I will take a look at every MLS team (in draft order) and see what three questions will dominate their offseason. &nbsp;These questions and how they are answered over the next three months will go a long way to determining how or if they can contend for MLS Cup 2012, or whatever relevant goals they may have.
1. Third time’s a charm: how will the team fare under new coach and CEO?
To say there have been some changes in the team’s management is an understatement. &nbsp;As mentioned, Martin Rennie is the team’s third coach is a little over a calendar year, and his style has won acclaim in the lower levels of U.S. soccer. &nbsp;How he is able to implement his more cerebral coaching style on a team that has been at times a little mental (see Eric Hassli’s early run of red cards) will be a key to determining the improvement this club can make. &nbsp;In addition, the <a href="http://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/2011/12/vancouver-whitecaps-fc-ceo-paul-barber-step-down-end-february-2012" target="_blank">recent resignation</a> of CEO Paul Barber casts some shadows over the club. &nbsp;While he will be replaced by in-house personnel, the absence of the man who helped move the team to MLS and into BC Place (as well as ultimately hired Rennie) adds a little uncertainty in the front office. &nbsp;How all of these new faces deal with this team remain to be seen. &nbsp;What we do know is that Rennie has been given the authority for personnel moves, so authority rests with him for the roster.
2. Can they stop allowing so many goals?
The ‘Caps offense was fine last season and at times even quite impressive, but their defense undid all of that good. &nbsp;Not surprisingly that is one area where Rennie and the front office have been focusing their player purge. &nbsp;While starting keeper Joe Cannon was<a href="http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Whitecaps+Cannon+still+rounds+chamber/5835488/story.html" target="_blank"> re-signed</a> after taking a pay cut, back-up Jay Nolly was shipped off to Chicago and North Carolina RailHawks keeper Brad Knighton was brought on as competition for the starting gig. &nbsp;Their biggest defensive acquisition, however, is probably <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/dcunited/vancouver-whitecaps-agree-to-terms-with-veteran-south-korean-midfielder/2011/12/06/gIQAgGCEaO_story.html" target="_blank">Young-Pyo Lee from South Korea</a>. &nbsp;The fullback is a World Cup veteran and played for clubs PSV Eindhoven and Tottenham Hotspur. &nbsp;The team hopes his veteran presence will stabilize the backline, and with his pedigree there’s no doubt it won’t help. &nbsp;The question is, will the players around him be good enough as well?&nbsp; And will John Thorrington be healthy enough to be a defensive force in the midfield?
3. Will Omar Salgado continue his rapid rise to stardom? &nbsp;
Reports from the Generation Adidas tour suggest that Omar Salgado is playing well and making a name for himself for the national team. &nbsp;The GA tour plus his training in England and time in the U.S. youth camp have given the young forward valuable playing experience against some top-flight competition. &nbsp;Now the question is can he take this experience back with him to Vancouver and translate it onto the MLS pitch? &nbsp;The ‘Caps have scoring options around him, so he is not going to be relied upon to make all of the plays. &nbsp;But a dynamic young scoring threat can make a difference for a team; look at how much better Kansas City was when Teal Bunbury was playing well or even Juan Agudelo for New York. &nbsp;Salgado taking the next step could be a huge factor for this team’s improvement in the new year.
*Note: I know Vancouver is technically not an expansion team in the traditional sense, but the principles apply.

Whitecaps Looking Up for 2012

Whitecaps Looking Up for 2012 - World Soccer Talk

<div style="width: 385px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a title="beckham pouting because dc scored by Lil&apos; El, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ellenlove/2649428979/"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2108/2649428979_8ef778e866.jpg" alt="beckham pouting because dc scored" width="375" height="500"></figure></div></a>Photo by Lil&apos;El</div>
Our week of action has already kicked off with the, ahem, controversial draw between New England and Vancouver. &nbsp;But there is a full slate of intriguing games this weekend, so please vote in the poll at the end of this post. &nbsp;Before doing that, however, let’s take a look at the news from the past week.
<ul>
<li>Shirtgate continues, as Eric Hassli looks to receive a fine and will certainly miss this Sunday’s match against Houston. &nbsp;While apologetic for the action, he did say through a team spokesman that removing one jersey to reveal another <a href="http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Hassli+lose+more+than+just+shirt+after+celebration/4580294/story.html" target="_blank">would not have drawn a card</a> in the Swiss league. &nbsp;Well there you go.</li>
<li>But in good news for the Whitecaps two players may be returning to the roster this weekend. &nbsp;Omar Salgado (United States) and Russel Tiebert (Canada) both return from the U-20 tournament and Selgado could <a href="http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/Whitecaps+pick+Omar+Salgado+could+debut+Sunday+Houston/4577774/story.html" target="_blank">receive his first MLS playing time</a> on Sunday.</li>
<li>I personally love the Portland-Seattle-Vancouver rivalry, not just because it drives site hits but because all three teams strive to tweak the others. &nbsp;Now there’s this: there is a new phone app for Portland fans called Timbers Axe where Timber Joey protects his garden from intruders using his ax. &nbsp;The game is not recommended for children under 13, and can be <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/timbers-axe/id424003017?mt=8" target="_blank">downloaded here</a>. &nbsp;Some of the objects attacking the garden may be familiar.</li>
<li>Not an MLS story, but in case you missed it America’s&nbsp;Canada’s “greatest” export Justin Bieber played a little soccer with Barcelona. <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/dirty-tackle/post/Bieber-trains-with-Barca-after-daring-kit-choice?urn=sow-wp686" target="_blank"> Here’s video to prove it</a>.</li>
<li>And finally the American U-20 team suffered a somewhat shocking loss to Guatemala. &nbsp;The calls have already begun for Thomas Rongen’s head; feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.</li>
</ul>
[polldaddy poll=4870728]

Week in Review April 4-8, 2011

Week in Review April 4-8, 2011 - World Soccer Talk

<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/2014-mls-super-draft.png"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2014/01/2014-mls-super-draft-600x338-600x338.webp" alt="2014-mls-super-draft" width="600" height="338" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-93429" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></figure></div></a>
The MLS is certainly unique among major U.S. sports – it is the only draft in which a team passes on a player because he needs to establish residency.&nbsp; But such is the reason why MLS fans love the MLS – it is unique in both the world of soccer and the American sports world.&nbsp; And the draft is another unique aspect; it is an event dedicated to the selection of what are essentially late blooming players who went to college, an oddity in Europe but an essential part of the American soccer landscape.
For those expecting a boring draft, they were shocked when Vancouver took Omar Salgado with the first pick.&nbsp; Salgado is a great talent with huge potential, but it looks like he will not be able to contribute for a couple of years at least.&nbsp; He won’t even get the chance to play for Vancouver for a few months until he turns 18, but Vancouver decided to roll the dice anyway.&nbsp; This is a curious strategy for an expansion team, but it looks like Vancouver is looking more towards 2013 than 2011, not a terrible strategy.
After the Salgado shock, the draft began to shake out as many people expected.&nbsp; Portland took Akron’s Darlington Nagbe number two, where he was expected to fall after he told Vancouver he wanted to play in the United States to establish residency.&nbsp; D.C. United were the big beneficiaries of the Salgado pick as they nabbed Perry Kitchen, jolting forward their defensive rebuilding project by a year or two.&nbsp; New Chivas coach Robin Fraser made his mark by grabbing defender Zerek Valentin and filling a need for the team.&nbsp; By the time the first round was done, five Akron players went in the top eight picks, prompting some on Twitter to joke about Columbus relocating to Akron and not singing any players over 22.
The best part of any draft is the surprise picks, and the top ten had a few of them.&nbsp; Philadelphia grabbed University of Maryland keeper Zac MacMath at #5; while no one can deny his talent fans wondered why they needed a keeper when the Union had just signed Columbian international Faryd Mondragon.&nbsp; The Akron name seduced Vancouver into taking midfielder Michael Nanchoff with the eighth pick, even though more highly rated players like Will Bruin and Corey Hertzog were on the board.
You can see the entire draft <a href="http://www.mlssoccer.com/superdraft-tracker">here</a>.
The big winners in this draft?&nbsp; The Universities of Akron, California, and North Carolina who had seven, six, and four players selected respectively.&nbsp; Another winner was the New York Red Bulls, who were able to nab John Rooney and instantly sell a bunch more shirts which will have the name “Rooney” on the back.&nbsp; Finally, the Philadelphia Union and D.C. United supporter groups which made the trip to Baltimore and added some excitement to the draft.
The big loser in this draft?&nbsp; Don Garber, who mistakenly Tweeted that Vancouver had selected Nagbe with the first pick, then spent the rest of the afternoon apologizing for his Twitter feed.&nbsp; He did redeem himself in post-draft interviews however.
Who were the winners and losers in the draft, and how did your team do?&nbsp; Sound off below.

MLS Draft Throws Plenty of Curves But Leaves Unanswered Questions

MLS Draft Throws Plenty of Curves But Leaves Unanswered Questions - World Soccer Talk

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Whitecaps Looking Up for 2012

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Week in Review April 4-8, 2011

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MLS Draft Throws Plenty of Curves But Leaves Unanswered Questions