Whitecaps Football Shorts # 4

So, we’re still going with this name until we get some new suggestions!…..

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The Whitecaps wrapped up their Arizona training games with an emphatic 6-1 victory yesterday.

Before we get too carried away or drop to the floor with shock at the goals we scored, it should be emphasised that we only beat a local amateur side, Arizona Sahuaros (which is a very large cactus to you and me – no wonder they scored six. Not very mobile!). But still, six goals is six goals!

Two elements to pick up from the goalscorers. Firstly, there were six different scorers. Excellent. Backs up this “scoring by committee” phrase that everyone seems to be bandying about. I’d never heard it before in my puff, but if it gets us three points then that can be the in thing!

It was also good to see that four of what I guess we’ll be calling our strikers got on the scoresheet.

It’s a good confidence builder as we move into the Cascadia Summit games next weekend. I always prefer to start off with these easy games and finish with the harder ones to see how the team is progressing and improving.

I guess next weekend will be a big test for everyone. Seeing the guys in live action for the first time can’t come quick enough!

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The Caps two Arizona stints saw them play 8 matches, with a record of 3 wins, 4 losses and a draw.

It hadn’t really sunk in how badly they’d done until I was working those stats out. Three wins and some late losses certainly give us a good base to build on. From reading the players Twitter feeds, it’s also been a great time for team bonding and we seem to have a happy and harmonious squad on our hands. Often that’s half the battle.

Putting aside the last game, we only scored 6 goals in 7 games and failed to score in four of them. That’s the big worry still. We all know it. Even Teitur and his team know it. Doing something about it is another matter.

I’m pretty confident we will be adding names after the season starts and probably after the UK season finishes. Get your wish list and rumours in now!

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The Caps fellow Cascadian newbies, Portland Timbers, have fared better in their pre-season to date, although they have also haven’t been setting the heather alight in front of goal.

The Timbers have played five game pre-season games to date with an undefeated record of 1 win and 4 draws. 3 goals scored and only 2 conceded is showing that they’re shaping up to be a hard team to break down in the season ahead.

With all this in mind, what’s our prediction for when the two teams meet next Saturday? Has to be 1-0 to Timbers. And probably to a late goal.

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Are the Caps running out of decent ideas for their Countdown To Kickoff campaign or are we just in a mid campaign lull?

As we mentioned in our Metro column on Friday, some of the recent efforts have been less than spectacular.

Wednesday’s “Grouse Ride” one was more like an advert for Quiksilver and Thursday’s “Soccer IQ” video painted the average person in the Vancouver street as being not only clueless about football but completely oblivious to the actual campaign. We all know what we’re doing on March 19th. These are the guys that we should be getting the message across to and they’re clearly not getting it.

Releasing videos on a website also isn’t going to get the message across to anyone but the existing fans. We have to actually take the time and effort to go and check these out. The non fan isn’t going to do that. They need something right there in front of them in the street.

Not sure 100 cupcakes, as delicious as they were, will do that either. The cupcake video was really enjoyable at least, just like the cupcakes themselves! best video for days. We need more like that. What was pleasing to see was that at least the Whitecaps imagery was present throughout the video. This has been a big complaint from us, and others, about other videos. The snowboarding one had no Caps branding apart from at the end. A complete waste of time, effort and presumably money.

The ‘celebrities’ are also being wheeled out now. Bryan Adams five or six seconds on screen was pointless. At least give us a fucking song! Does he even still live here?

There also seems to be a big focus on the Italian community. This is the same community that have shown no real interest in leaving their Commercial Drive haunts to watch the Whitecaps in the past.

Why not focus on other nationalities? Do some UK style fish and chips wrapped up in Whitecaps paper. Get a Mexican mariachi band playing Caps tunes or a Carribean steel drum band banging them out or something to involve the many different Asian cultures.

We’re still hoping for more from the campaign. Once again I’ll put out there projecting imagery on the sails at Canada Place, draping a huge banner from Harbour Centre Tower, flash mob football matches breaking out throughout the city and of course, the now legendary, shooting of Joe Cannon out of a cannon.

What started off as a great idea is now turning into a wasted opportunity and many would argue a waste of money.

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The Whitecaps are still looking for their anthem singer. Well they can stop that search now as we’ve found their winner. The wonderfully talented and beautiful Sonia Stirling…

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJH6zn42mHA&w=500&h=311]If the Caps don’t want her then the Southside do!