The Vancouver Whitecaps FC are the newest members to join Major League Soccer, and naturally the odds are stacked against them. Their chances of taking home an MLS championship appear to be slim to none, but that is why they play the games. A team full of unknown entities like the Whitecaps is just that: unknown.
There is no telling how good or bad Vancouver can be in their inaugural season because they don’t have enough information about the players they will be fielding this year. They will not have the advantage of having experienced players on the pitch, but sometimes it can be an advantage to have unknown players. They do not have reputations yet and other sides will not know what to expect.
The players will also not have egos, and so they will have a lot to prove, and therefore they will be playing their hardest for all ninety minutes. Still, it’s important not to have big expectations for coach Teitur Thordarson in his first year leading the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. One of the few known entities in Vancouver is goalkeeper Joe Cannon, who has been in the league since 1999, and while Cannon is not the best goalie in MLS history is a veteran and proven player who’s experience and
leadership will be necessary for Vancouver to have success this year, especially playing such a critical position. Playing in front of Cannon is defender Jay DeMerit. Despite being a newcomer to MLS, DeMerit has plenty of experience playing in England as well as with the U.S. national team, playing in last year’s World Cup in South America. His hard-nosed style be a great example for younger players, as the Whitecaps will have to be stingy defensively to have success in their first season.
While the defense for Vancouver could be pretty solid, scoring goals is where they may have their biggest problems. This is where the inexperience should really come into play, having few players who are proven goal scorers in Major League Soccer. They will have many players looking to prove that they can score at this level, but until they have a few players actually do so, there will be questions as to how good they can be. However, in the event that Vancouver Whitecaps FC gets some goal scoring out of their young forwards and midfielders, they should have the defense to be a team to be reckoned with in their inaugural season as they build their way towards an MLS championship.