2011 MLS Eastern Conference Preview

New York Red Bulls

Strengths:  With Rafa Marquez moving to backline the Red Bulls now have solidified the centre half position as the combo of the Mexican international and sophomore Tim Ream will be formidable.

Weaknesses:  As strong as the CBs are that is how questionable the full back position is.  Roy Miller will have to play a consistent season on the left side and Backe hopes that someone unseats Chris Albright on the right side.

MVP:  Thierry Henry will have to contribute more in the goal department in order to help make up for the loss of top goalscorer Juan Pablo Angel.

Whitecaps Add Two To Roster

The Whitecaps expanded their roster by two with the signings of  midfielder/defender Blake Wagner and forward Long Tan.  Both players spent last season in USSF Division 2 soccer last season, Wagner with Caps and Tan with the Tampa Bay Rowdies.  They also come with different experience levels as Tan comes with no MLS games and Wagner is a former Generation Adidas player.  The Caps are looking for both to contribute this season and be able to chip in a few timely goals.

Formation Moron: Whitecaps Edition

With so many different additions to the Whitecaps over the last year, head man Teitur Thoradson has had to make some changes to the formation he will employ in the MLS.  In the past few season in Thoradson has employed a very traditional 4-4-2 formation in Division 2 soccer.  However, without any proven strikers last year there was a lack of scoring and the Whitecaps were forced to play many goalless draws.  The Caps also were without significant speed in the wide midfield and Teitur did not want get caught defensively which is why both Davies and Wagner would hang back and fill the box with crosses.  Because the outside midfielders didn’t attack the box there would be very little the fullbacks could do offensively and the Whitecaps relied on the central midfielders to support the attack which exposed the defense.

Whitecaps Finalize Deal With Swiss Playmaker

The Whitecaps have finalized and announced the signing of forward/midfielder Davide Chiumiento who was once described as the Swiss Ronaldinho.  After helping his former team earn a birth in the Europa League the Swiss international signed with the D2 Caps on a free transfer during the summer of 2010 from Lucerne of the Swiss League.  The former Juventus academy product tries to pattern his game after his childhood hero and Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero.  While primarily having played as a winger or as an attacking midfielder, he came to Vancouver with the desire to play the second striker position and he looks to have earned the spot.

Whitecaps Close Cascadia Summit With A Win

The Vancouver Whitecaps ended the Cascadia Summit with a flurry of goals as they defeated the Seattle Sounders 3-2 before a majority pro-Sounder crowd in Tukwila, Washington.  Both teams rolled their “B” teams with Jay Nolly, Greg Janicki and Wesley Knight the only Whitecaps to start both games.  The starting eleven for the Whitecaps were from left to right Nolly, Duckett, Boxall, Janicki, Knight, Teibert, Morfaw, Koffie, Khalfan, Salgado and Sanvezzo.

The Caps opened the scoring in the sixth minute as 1^st overall pick Omar Salgado got past a Seattle defender to deposit the ball in the back of the net.  Salgado, in fact, started the game on fire as he consistently got past the defenders to get more scoring opportunities and forced the Sounders to commit fouls.  In the 13^th minute goalkeeper Terry Boss of the Sounders mishandled a cross by Russell Teibert which resulted in a second goal.  The Whitecaps were caught looking in the box as Roger Levesque scored an easy one on Jay Nolly from close in right before halftime.

Whitecaps Open Cascadia Summit With A Draw

In their first meeting as MLS rivals the Vancouver Whitecaps and Portland Timbers ended the game in a 1-1 draw.  It was the Whitecaps first match of the Cascadia Summit while the Timbers played their second one in two days.  After defeating the Seattle Sounders on Friday, the Oregon team came into their second game with basically their second unit.  Because of injuries the Caps started seven of their most likely starters when the season starts on March 11^th.  

Portland opened the scoring when Jay Nolly mishandled a shot off the post as it bounced right to Ryan Pore who made no mistake by depositing it into the net.  The Timbers carried play for the first 20 minutes until Long Tan and Atiba Harris starting working well as a tandem in the final third.  Harris had a couple of chances missing a clear chance and then hitting the post from about 25 yards out.  The Whitecaps had the control of play when a shot by Blake Wagner was stopped by goalkeeper Aidan Brown but went off defender David  Horst as an own goal.

Cascadia Summit Preview

This weekend will see the renewal of a 30+ year trivalry between the Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps with the first Cascadia Summit taking place in Tukwila Washington.  After a two year hiatus, the Sounders being in the MLS, all three teams are in the same league and can compete for the Cascadia Cup in 2011.  The Summit will consist of a one match between each team over the three days and also includes a double header on March 6th where the Sounders Academy will play the Whitecaps Residency squad before the senior teams play later.

Whitecaps Acquire FC Zurich Striker

There has been one thing constantly talked about since preseason camp began in Arizona for the Whitecaps.  Who is going to score the goals?  The panic felt by the fans and discussed by the media doesn’t seem to worry the Whitecaps organization or at least they don’t show it.  As reported on the weekend, Director of Operations Tom Sohen was in Switzerland looking for help at the forward position.  It took only a few days but the Whitecaps have found their man in Eric Hassili, a striker from the Swiss Super League

A teammate with Alain Rochat at FC Zurich, Eric Hassli is a 29 year old French forward who comes to the Caps as the proven goalscorer fans were looking for.  The team is second in the Axpo Super League but Hassli is probably fourth on depth chart as the team is going with younger strikers and Hassli is coming off a serious leg injury.  He is a known for his strength as he is a 6’4” forward with good technical skills and has scored the spectacular goal on occasion as you can see in the video below.  He is by no means slow on the field as his blend of speed and size is what the Whitecaps are looking for in a striker.

Rogers Sportsnet Gain Local Broadcast Rights

The Whitecaps have completed the final piece of their broadcast sponsorship by agreeing with Rogers Sportsnet to broadcast the remaining of their 21 MLS games as a local provider.  By agreeing to this deal with Rogers the Whitecaps were not afraid to go against their shirt sponsorship deal with Bell and completing an agreement with their competitor.  Sportsnet will air 11 matches on their Pacific channel, 9 matches on their One Channel and 1 match on CityTV.  At this point it is assumed that the broadcast team will be Gerry Dobson and former Canadian goalkeeper Craig Forrest.

DeMerit Named Captain of Whitecaps

The Whitecaps did what was expected and named their first MLS signing, Jay DeMerit, as the first ever captain.  One of the main reasons DeMerit was signed by the MLS expansion team last November is the leadership he brings on and off the pitch.  The former captain of English side Watford took the long road to success in football by starting at the lowest levels of club football in the UK and making his way to the English Premier League.  The United States World Cup veteran will anchor the back line for the Whitecaps on the field and is the face of the franchise for the mainstream public following the team locally and across the league