Tag Archives: Vancouver Whitecaps

Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, FC Dallas 2

If there’s one thing I hate about soccer, it’s diving. It’s rampant at pretty much all levels of the game, and the MLS is no different. Sadly, faking injury is not only a major part of the FC Dallas game plan, it seems to frickin’ work. Saturday’s referee crew bought into FC Dallas’s every whimper, whinge and writhe, handing the visitors free kicks and set pieces galore, and allowing lengthy delays in game play.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker and FC Dallas defender Jair Benitez race for a ball during the first half of a 2-2 tie at BC Place on April 27, 2013. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker and FC Dallas defender Jair Benitez race for a ball during the first half of a 2-2 tie at BC Place on April 27, 2013. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

Dallas players went down like red-shirted ensigns on Star Trek. They stayed down like my two-year-old daughter, bawling because they fell down went boom. Come on, you wailing tart — you’re a professional freaking athlete, in prime physical condition. Are you seriously telling me your tummy wummy hurtsy wurtsies because the bad man in the brown jersey bumped into you? Get up, you whining sack of sheisse, and play the game.

More after the break.

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Anatomy of a #CapsOnTour Road Trip

Whitecaps WednesdayThis past weekend, the Whitecaps were down in San Jose to take on the Earthquakes. Not counting the California-based friends and family of several Whitecaps players, there were about forty fans (most of them Southsiders) that made the trip down for the game. Some of them flew down. I, and about twenty others, to the shock and horror of most people we told, drove. How does one pull off such a road trip in only three days? Read on.
Continue reading Anatomy of a #CapsOnTour Road Trip

Whitecaps report card

Whitecaps WednesdayAfter four games, the Vancouver Whitecaps have given us two impressive wins and two unfortunate losses. While they still have less success with set pieces than elite teams (hello, LA Galaxy), in no situation have they looked out of place or flat out lost in the wilderness. This despite losing captain Jay DeMerit to a severe leg injury just minutes into the first game. With game five coming up against the San Jose Earthquakes, we at Pucked in the Head offer up our report card for Whitecaps Wednesday.

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The Game As It’s About To Happen: Chivas USA 1-1 Vancouver Whitecaps

CapsFIFAIn a time where anyone with an internet connection can spew forth an opinion on their favourite team onto social media or a blog, what can one more game preview really add to the discussion? Instead, Pucked in the Head takes you on a trip into the future! Here, complete with highlights, is a recap of this coming Saturday’s game, as it will most assuredly happen. (Probably. OK, possibly. Alright, fine, it’s hardly likely at all.)

Apologies to those Whitecaps fans heading down to LA this weekend, but it seems EA Sports thinks you’re about to get rained on. My best guess, as Vancouver went into a rainy Home Depot Centre, was that Kenny Miller would be slotted back into the Caps’ lineup after missing the Houston game on international duty, while Joe Cannon would be replaced in goal by Brad Knighton.

More after the jump. Continue reading The Game As It’s About To Happen: Chivas USA 1-1 Vancouver Whitecaps

The Game As It’s Possibly About To Happen: Houston 2-1 Vancouver

Whitecaps WednesdayIn a time where anyone with an internet connection can spew forth an opinion on their favourite team onto social media or a blog, what can one more game preview really add to the discussion? Instead, Pucked in the Head takes you on a trip into the future! Here, complete with highlights, is a recap of this coming Saturday’s game, as it will most assuredly happen. (Probably. OK, possibly. Alright, fine, it’s hardly likely at all.) Continue reading The Game As It’s Possibly About To Happen: Houston 2-1 Vancouver

Kobayashi nets MLS Goal of the Week

Vancouver Whitecaps FC import Daigo Kobayashi scored his first MLS goal with a magnificent 35-yard strike early in the first half against the Columbus Crew. Photo courtesy of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC import Daigo Kobayashi scored his first MLS goal with a magnificent 35-yard strike early in the first half against the Columbus Crew. Photo courtesy of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

Congratulations to Whitecaps FC midfielder Daigo Kobayashi, whose 35-yard strike has won MLS Goal of the Week honours with 40% of the online vote.

It was Kobayashi’s first MLS goal, after signing with the Whitecaps during the off-season.

Check out the video below, or see our article earlier in the week with all five nominees. And while you’re at it, why don’t you buy a Kobayashi jersey from the Whitecaps store?

Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, Columbus Crew 1

Vancouver Whitecaps FC import Daigo Kobayashi scored his first MLS goal with a magnificent 35-yard strike early in the first half against the Columbus Crew. Photo courtesy of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC import Daigo Kobayashi scored his first MLS goal with a magnificent 35-yard strike early in the first half against the Columbus Crew in a 2-1 win. Here he marks the Crew’s most dangerous player, Federico Higuain. Photo courtesy of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

We at Pucked in the Head are proud supporters, not just of sports, but of sports coverage. As such, we’ve arranged to work with some up-and-coming talent out of programs at SFU and BCIT over the next few months. This Whitecaps FC game report comes to you from Jake Hall, a new addition to Pucked in the Head, who took our media seat at BC Place this afternoon. Welcome aboard, Jake! 

I may or may not have added a few observations from the comfort of my own couch (hey, I would have been there but my daughter wasn’t feeling well!), but the heavy lifting was definitely done by young Mr Hall. Check out his game writeup after the jump.

Continue reading Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, Columbus Crew 1

Diagonal, you say?

Nigel Reo-Coker sports the newly unveiled Vancouver Whitecaps FC kit for 2013-14. Image unceremoniously filched from www.whitecapsfc.com.
Nigel Reo-Coker sports the newly unveiled Vancouver Whitecaps FC kit for 2013-14. Image unceremoniously filched from www.whitecapsfc.com.

Earlier on this Whitecaps Wednesday, we here at Pucked in the Head predicted that the new kit unveiled just a few short hours ago would be only slightly changed from last season’s uniform. Indeed, we wrote here that:

“A new kit reveal goes down this very evening, and while the jersey will almost certainly still feature a massive corporate nod to a telecommunications company renowned for spotty service Bell, we have reason to believe they may have changed the stripes on the front! (I know, I know! Squee, and all that!)”

Previously, the primary uniform featured horizontal stripes across the belly, making them — especially the white one — a huge hit with fans who have a little extra in the midsection. We can now verify that the stripes on the front of the Whitecaps primary jersey… dude, they’re diagonal! Check the video below.

(Oh, and Jay Demerit apparently has some kind of bizarre skin condition.)

Pucked in the Head is taking part in the 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer. You can help us reach our fundraising goal by throwing a few bucks at our campaign, at http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/jasonkurylo2013.

Whitecaps Wednesday

WhitecapsWednesday

It’s the last Whitecaps Wednesday before the 2013-14 season begins, and there’s so much optimism surrounding the team that the MLS is considering rule changes to limit the number of championships any one team can win in a row. The Whitecaps went 5-2-1 in pre-season play in Arizona and South Carolina, sending footballgasms thundering throughout the Lower Mainland.

So what has local fans so excited? Building off of the club’s first-ever playoff appearance, the Whitecaps have made several high profile moves to encourage optimism. Midfielder Gershon Koffie received Canadian residency and a contract extension, meaning the Caps will now have an extra international spot on the roster and Koffie will be in Vancouver for the long term.

More after the jump, including tassels, brothers and sisters!

Pucked in the Head is taking part in the 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer. You can help us reach our fundraising goal by throwing a few bucks at our campaign, at http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/jasonkurylo2013.

Continue reading Whitecaps Wednesday

Seven Things We Want To See From The Whitecaps This Year

WhitecapsWednesdayA movement has been afoot of late on the twitter to make every Wednesday a #WhitecapsWednesday. We at Pucked in the Head love ourselves a good hashtag, so we’re planning on going blue and white every Wednesday for the 2013 MLS season. It’s been an exciting couple of months in Whitecaps land, and the consensus is that manager Martin Rennie has finally divested himself of all the unwanted detritus of the Thordarsen/Soehn era. Here’s a look ahead at seven things we’re eagerly anticipating this year. Continue reading Seven Things We Want To See From The Whitecaps This Year